Friends of Dundee Heritage Trust

08/09/2026

Join Friends committee member, Dr Richard Irvine on Wednesday afternoon for a fantastic history walk, from the Verdant Works Museum to Bell Street. Meet at the museum at 2pm, it's free, but donations are welcome.

03/09/2026

Come and learn about the history and heritage of the area of Dundee from Mr Lindsay's Verdant Mill of West Hendersons Wynd, to his weaving factory in Bell Street. Join Dr Richard Irvine at the Verdant Works Museum at 2pm on Wednesday 9th September for a walk into the past.

03/09/2026

🎉 Announcing the BAFM Individual Volunteer & Friends Group of the Year Award Winners! 🎉

Following a tough selection process, Brian Marsh has made his final choices from the shortlists for our annual BAFM Awards. We are delighted to officially reveal this year's winners!

Individual Volunteer of the Year: Barry LeJeune
Barry is the dedicated Editor of the London Transport Museum's Friends Magazine and has a rich history of volunteering in numerous roles for the Friends of LTM over the years. This award is a fantastic follow-up to LTM’s success last year as joint winners of the Newsletter of the Year Award. Barry will receive an official certificate alongside a £250 cheque. Congratulations, Barry!

Friends Group of the Year: Friends of the Oriental Museum, Durham
When BAFM visited Durham earlier this year, we were immensely impressed by the enthusiasm, hard work, and brilliant initiatives led by the Friends of the Oriental Museum. They are truly deserving winners of this year’s award, taking home a certificate and a £500 cheque to help further their work supporting the museum.

Please join us in celebrating Barry and the Friends of the Oriental Museum for their extraordinary contributions to the heritage sector!

03/09/2026

12/07/2026

The Daily Grind
There has been a water-powered corn mill at Barry, near Carnoustie for around 800 years producing cereal foodstuffs for both people and animals until 1982 when it was purchased by the National Trust for Scotland. Members visited the beautifully restored working mill in July as part of their annual summer outing. We enjoyed a guided tour of this fascinating piece of industrial heritage learning of not only the history of the site but also the age-old process of grinding grain to flour. After the tour, Friends were able to walk along the banks of the Barry Burn and discover the mill lade, dam (pond), and weir as well as the verdant wildlife reserve and heritage orchard.
We then travelled to Arbroath to have a splendid lunch at The Old Boatyard, and afterwards visiting The Signal Tower Museum. Originally the land station for the Bell Rock Lighthouse (the world’s oldest surviving sea washed lighthouse (1810)), it has been a council owned museum since late 1960’s. It not only tells the story Bell Rock Lighthouse, but also the town’s manufacturing industry including textiles and engineering plus fishing.

27/06/2026

🧵 If you've visited our Weaving Our Story exhibition, you might have spotted Lily's apron!

Lily has brought stories of Dundee's jute mills to life since day one at Verdant Works Museum, and her apron is a key symbol of her knowledge, her time, her passion, her care, and her enthusiastic attitude.

Have you voted in the Weaving Our Story project yet? When you're visiting Verdant Works Museum, be sure to head to the High Mill balconies for the chance to get a glimpse into our extensive jute Collections, and to vote on which items and photographs are included in our upcoming 30th anniversary exhibition, The Fabric of Dundee.

📅 Weaving Our Story on display until 6 September
🖼 The Fabric of Dundee exhibition will open on 16 September 2026 and run until September 2027
🎟 Included in museum admission
👋 Cast your vote in the Weaving Our Story exhibition!

25/06/2026

On Wednesday evening Friends Committee Member Richard Irvine hosted the latest in a series of vintage jazz and swing concerts in association with the Friends of Dundee Heritage Trust and Sounds in the Works Museum. Featuring Normand (piano), Allan (bass), Ali Affleck (vocals), Drummond (drums) and Steele (trumpet).

12/06/2026

12/06/2026

Prepare for the latest exhilarating experience aboard RRS Discovery! Embark on a thrilling ascent of the towering foremast of RRS Discovery, in a feat of courage with unbeatable views as your reward.

29/05/2026

🌟 New for 2026: Individual Volunteer of the Year! 🏆

Do you know a "heritage hero" who goes above and beyond? For the first time, we are launching the Individual Volunteer of the Year Award in partnership with the Marsh Charitable Trust.

This award celebrates the people who are the heartbeat of our museums. From the "unsung heroes" working behind the scenes to the creative minds bringing new energy to your collections, we want to hear their stories.

Who can you nominate?
✨ The Unsung Hero: Someone whose quiet reliability keeps everything running smoothly.
✨ The Impact-Maker: Someone who has stepped up to take on vital new responsibilities.
✨ The Includer: A volunteer who makes every visitor and team member feel welcome.

💰 The Prize: The winner receives £250 and a profile in the BAFM Journal!

📅 Deadline: 30th June 2026. 🔗 Nominate now: It’s a simple 2-page letter! Tap the link in our bio or find the details in the comments. 👇