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Friday 11:30am - 4pm Saturday 11:30am - 4pm

Lanark Museum

Name: Lanark Museum
Address: 29 Bloomgate (YMCA building), Lanark, ML119ET, GB
Telephone: +441555666680
Price range: Not applicable

Lanark Museum is open Friday & Saturday, April - September, in the YMCA Bloomgate 11.30-4.00. Car parking is available nearby. Lanark ML11 9HD.

Lanark Museum houses a collection of items which illustrate the ancient and varied history of the town. Lanark is one of Scotland's oldest burghs, and from the time of King William the Lion was a favoured hunting area of the Kings of Scotland. It also has associations with two of Scotland's greatest heroes: William Wallace and King Robert the Bruce. Location
Lanark can be reached with ease from mo

st places in central Scotland and is signposted on all major routes. It is situated nearly half way between Glasgow and Edinburgh and can be reached from both in under an hour. Lanark Museum is within 5 minutes drive of the World Heritage Village of New Lanark and is situated on the main A73 road within 300 yards of the town centre. The headquarters of the museum are at 8 Westport. This property serves as the office, workshop and archive for the museum. An illustrated timeline of Lanark's history and an exhibition of historical artefacts are housed in the YMCA building, 29 Bloomgate, less than 100 yards from 8 Westport and on the other side of the road. Exhibition Opening Hours
11:30 - 16:00; Fridays & Saturdays; April to September

Collection Opening Hours
The volunteers work throughout the year managing the collection. From September to April, when the exhibition is closed, they take down the current exhibition, pack everything into storage in the Westgate premises and begin planning and setting up the next. Individual researchers and group visits (including schools) are welcome at any time by appointment. Admission
Admission is free, although a donation towards the running expenses of the museum would be much appreciated. A donation box is placed at the exit of the exhibition. Funding
The museum is a charitable organisation, managed and staffed by volunteers. The work of the museum is financed through grants, donations given by visitors to the museum and the fund-raising activities of the Friends of Lanark Museum, also a purely voluntary organisation.

28/08/2026

Members of Lanark Model Engineering and Crafts Club outside their premises in Whitelees Road. c.1949.

Lanark Model Engineering and Crafts Club was formed in the Spring of 1946. Many of those involved in setting it up had engineering /technical experience. The aim of the Club was to provide facilities where any member of the community could have the use of tools and equipment and get advice on engineering and craft hobbies.

27/08/2026

Robert McQueen, Lord Braxfield.

Robert MacQueen, born in Lanark in 1722, was the son of John MacQueen of Braxfield. Educated at Lanark Grammar School and Edinburgh University he qualified in law in 1737.

MacQueen became the foremost expert in Feudal Law in Scotland and by 1780 he was appointed Lord of Justiciary. He became Lord Justice Clerk in 1788. In 1793/94 he presided at the trials for sedition of reformers such as Muir, Skirving and Margarot.

Lord Braxfield was one of the last Scottish judges to use the Scots tongue. This, his immense capacity for drink and his coarse manner in the courtroom resulted in a lasting reputation. On one occasion when a defendant remarked that Jesus was a reformer he replied “Muckle he made o’ that, he was hanget." Braxfield died in 1799 and is buried in Lanark.

26/08/2026

Lane between Mousebank Road and Manse Road, Lanark.

This well used lane was until the late 1950s/early 1960s the main entrance to Wheatpark House, part of which, can be seen in the distance.

With the construction of new housing, between 1958 and 1962, on Manse Road, the south side of the lower part of Wheatpark Drive, along this lane and at Wheatpark Road the lane no longer served as the entrance to the house and became a public right of way.

25/08/2026

St. Leonard’s Church, Bannatyne Street. c.1923.

Undergoing maintenance by the contractors Thomas Lithgow, slaters and plasterers who were based close by at Furrowflatt. They are using scaffolding supplied by Scaffolding (Great Britain) Ltd. which had a branch at 133 Copeland Road, Ibrox, Glasgow.

The Tubular Patent Scaffolding in use was made greatly more popular by the brothers Daniel Palmer-Jones and David Henry Jones who invented coupling devices “The Scaffixer” (1907-1910 and “Universal Coupler” (1919). Their company The Tubular Scaffolding Company Ltd was floated on the Stock Exchange as Scaffolding (Great Britain) Ltd. in 1922.

24/08/2026

A. Meiklejon & Co. 3 Bloomgate, Lanark c. 1925.

A family firm since 1828, Alexander Meiklejon & Co. became a mainstay of the town providing services and goods. The goods in 1841 included “Chests of Mahogany Drawers, Mahogany and Hardwood Chairs, Dining, Toilet and Tea Tables, a variety of Dressing Glasses and Bason Stands, etc., etc.” They also sold carpets, curtains and made furniture to any design.

In addition to such sales they, in addition to cabinetmaking also carried out French polishing, upholstery and acted as funeral directors. The image here is of the Bloomgate part of the business which continue around the corner into Broomgate. The shop to the left, at 1 Bloomgate, was run my Mrs Elizabeth Marshall.

21/08/2026

Statue of William Wallace, St. Nicholas Church, Lanark.

On the 29th of November 1820 Lanark Town Council received a letter from Robert Forrest (1790-1852) of Orchard, Carluke offering them a statue of William Wallace. He said it was a copy of an ancient drawing in the possession of the Society of Antiquaries. The instructions that came with the statue were that it should stand on a stone pedestal eight to ten feet high with an iron rail around it and to be painted in either a bronze or dark stone colour, three coats would be required.

At this time, Forrest, self-taught had a high reputation as a sculptor and he knew that Lanark Town Council had supported him in the past, hence the gift. The Council, however, disregarded his instructions because a statue on its pedestal would have spoilt the view of the church from the High Street. They had the niche on the façade of St. Nicholas Church constructed and placed the statue there in 1822.

20/08/2026

James Cuthbertson, Butcher, Lanark.

James Cuthbertson was born in Lanark in 1836 and married Mary Stevenson in 1864. They had one son, Robert, and two daughters, Sarah and Margaret. From before 1878 the family business was based at 16 Wellgate and James remained there until his death in 1920, aged 88. In 1891 James advertised corned beef, pickled tongues, fresh sausages, etc., for sale. After her fathers' death, his daughter Margaret took over and ran the shop until 1925 when William Watson, butcher, took over the premises.

19/08/2026

Factory Dance, Memorial Hall, Lanark. c.1925.

This large crowd are attending a dance, we believe, was being held by the works of A. MacDougall & Co., Hosiery Manufacturers. The gentleman seated in the centre, sporting the rather dapper moustache, is William John Fergus who was Managing Director of the firm. He had been an early employee of the company shortly after it moved to Lanark. He was chosen as Lord Cornet in 1912.

After serving for many years on the Town Council he was elected as Provost and served between 1926 and 1928. William also held the position of Dean of the Guildry of Lanark and lived at Springfield, Mousebank Road. He was a keen bowler and enthusiastic golfer. William died on the 6th August 1932.

18/08/2026

Hyndford Road facing south-east. Undated

Taken on a rather dull day the view here has greatly changed from then to now. The old market wall and the wooden auction ring with building next to it, a favourite haunt for many buying eggs cheese and butter, are all gone, replaced in part by the roundabout on the A73. The grazing field on the right is now the site of housing.

17/08/2026

View of New Lanark, undated but between 1818 and 1828.

The French artist Francois Pernot, who was born at Wassy, Haute Marne in 1793, painted this view of New Lanark. He was a pupil of the historical lanscape painter Victor Bertin.

Between 1818 and 1828 he travelled through Switzerland, the Rhineland, Belgium, England and Scotland. Among the work resulting from this tour was a series of picturesque views of Scotland, of which this is one.

Paul Lautres the Belgian painter, etcher and lithographer produced this engraving from Pernots' painting. Lautres was born at Brussels in 1806 and studied at the school of engravers there. He later became a professor of the school in 1836. Lautres died at Brussels in 1875.

Address

29 Bloomgate (YMCA Building)
Lanark
ML119ET

Opening Hours

Friday	11:30am - 4pm
Saturday	11:30am - 4pm

Telephone

+441555666680

Website

https://www.lanarkmuseum.co.uk/

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