Museum & Tasglann nan Eilean

24/07/2026

Behind the Scenes: Preparing the Ferry Models

If you've visited When the Sea Meets the Road at Museum nan Eilean, Stornoway, you may have noticed the five ferry models taking centre stage in the gallery. What you don't see is the amount of work that went into preparing and installing them for display

Before they could take pride of place, each model underwent a thorough dry clean to remove accumulated dust and ensure the finer details could be appreciated by visitors. Cleaning model ships can be a delicate and time-consuming task, requiring great care to avoid damaging fragile components while preparing them for display.

Once the models were ready, attention turned to how they would be presented. A series of custom plinths was designed, with different heights to create the impression of ferries travelling across the sea. This helped transform the display from a simple arrangement of models into a dramatic centrepiece for the exhibition.

Some of the models originally had individual Perspex covers. To bring the fleet together as one display, these covers were removed and replaced with a single larger Perspex barrier, allowing visitors to enjoy the models as a group while keeping them protected.

A great deal of work went into creating the display. Lewis Builders constructed the custom plinths and painted them, and the Collections team spent many hours measuring, drilling, positioning and installing the large Perspex barrier to ensure everything was secure and aligned perfectly.

The result is a striking display that celebrates the ferries which have connected island communities for generations.

Have you visited the exhibition yet?

23/07/2026

We're always pleased to meet our super visitors, whether they be locals, from the rest of the UK, or from around the globe. We recently had the pleasure of welcoming some unusual and well-travelled guests from Germany.
Tom Figas, Erik Werner, and Brian Kremkus are 'Rolandsbrüder', or travelling journeymen. They are maintaining their craft apprenticeship traditions by committing to the 'Wanderjahre', a spell of travel which allows them to develop their professional skills by broadening their experience. The 'Wanderjahre' lasts for three years and one day, during which the Rolandsbrüder travel with minimal resources, relying on the kindness of strangers, seeking work along the way, whilst wearing their craft-specific uniform (Kluft) and carrying curled hiking staffs (Stenz).
Tom and Erik are joiners/furniture makers (Tischler), whilst Brian is a carpenter (Zimmermann). They arrived in the UK via a ferry to Newcastle, have hitchhiked up through Scotland, finally taking another ferry to the Western Isles. They evidence their experiences, to show their professional development, by updating their logbooks ('Wanderbücher'). They are inspired to travel not only to grow their skills, but by a sense of adventure and freedom – they have found their Hebridean wild camping “romantic”! They don't carry mobile phones, and during the Wanderjahre must not venture close to their hometowns – they alleviate homesickness by keeping in touch with their loved ones via postcards and letters.
We hope that you will enjoy these photos of Tom, Erik, and Brian, with their minimalist traditional travelling bundles, Kluft and Stenz. Museum nan Eilean is all about preserving and promoting local heritage, so it was wonderful to share this cultural exchange which enabled us to learn about a tradition which dates back to medieval times.

You can find out more about the Rolandsbrüder (who nowadays include Rolandsschwestern, or young journeywomen) via their organisation’s website: https://rolandschacht.org

17/07/2026

Behind the Scenes: Preparing Objects for Display

Not every object arrives exhibition ready.

Several of the posters and artworks featured in When the Sea Meets the Road required conservation work before they could take their place in the gallery.

One of the largest projects was the Clans of Scotland poster. Before framing, it underwent a careful dry clean on both sides to remove surface dust and dirt. A bespoke mount was then created to provide support, and the poster was secured using Japanese tissue paper hinges—a conservation method that is both secure and fully reversible.

Several smaller posters also received new mounts and frames and were secured using the same conservation techniques.

These treatments help ensure that the objects remain stable during display while preserving them for the future.

Come along to the exhibition and see the results for yourself!

14/07/2026

Aghaidhean ùra / New faces

Come and visit the six chess pieces that are only on display at Museum & Tasglann nan Eilean, Stornoway until the end of the summer, which are on loan from the British Museum.

The final piece we have to share with you is this exquisite Queen. She is wearing a veil, mantle and tunic as well as a floriated crown with flower and leaf patterns. She is seated in a chair decorated with animal heads and leaves, vines and foliage.

Like the other Queens in the hoard she is cradling her chin in her right hand - is she bored or deep in thought? The Queen would manage the royal household and rule the Kingdom in the King's absence and some Queens ruled in their own right. In the game of chess the Queen is arguably the most powerful on the board.

Come and visit her and the other beautiful chess pieces.
Our opening hours can be found at https://outerhebridesheritage.org.uk/
For more about the research into the Lewis chess pieces visit https://www.britishmuseum.org/.../rethinking-lewis-chess...
Image credits:
Queen © The Trustees of the British Museum

10/07/2026

Behind the Scenes: Preparing Objects for Display

Have you had a chance to visit our When the Sea Meets the Road exhibition?

The finished display may look effortless, but a lot of work happens behind the scenes before an object can go on show.

For the exhibition our Conservation Officer, Sam, carefully prepared each of the historic flags for display. Rather than hanging the original flags directly, each one was hand-stitched onto a calico backing — a process that required plenty of patience and many hours of stitching!

By providing additional support, the calico backing helps distribute the weight of the textile, allowing the flags to be displayed more safely while reducing stress on the original fabric. It also makes handling and installation easier, helping to protect these important objects for the future.

Next time you visit the exhibition, take a closer look at the flags and remember the conservation work that helps bring them safely to display.

07/07/2026

Aghaidhean ùra / New faces

Come and visit the six chess pieces that are only on display at Museum & Tasglann nan Eilean, Stornoway until the end of the summer, which are on loan from the British Museum

Among them is this king, beautifully carved out of walrus ivory. He hasn't been on display in Scotland since 1995 so this is a great opportunity to come and see him.

The bearded king is wearing a tunic, mantle and brooch and a floriated crown which is decorated with floral ornamentation. He's seated on a high-backed chair and is holding a sheathed sword across his knees. The sword is a symbol of his power and strength as a fighter, but as it is sheathed it also indicates that he acts as a judge and administers justice. His chair back is decorated with foliate scrolls and framed by two animal-heads.

Our opening hours can be found at https://outerhebridesheritage.org.uk/
For more about the research into the Lewis chess pieces visit https://www.britishmuseum.org/.../rethinking-lewis-chess...
Image credits:
King © The Trustees of the British Museum

01/07/2026

'When the Sea Meets the Road' is currently on display in Museum nan Eilean, Stornoway.

This exhibitions celebrates the people who work on the ferries, harbours, and offices across the CalMac network.

Next up is Ian Binnie from Benbecula who first started work fro MacBrayne's Haulage at Lochboisdale Pier in 1982. The first ship he worked with was MV Claymore, then the MV Iona and later MV Lord of the Isles.
“The Claymore was primarily built for shipping cargo and supplies, not people...Any cows and sheep sold from the Lochboisdale mart would be herded directly onto the Claymore car deck via a special slipway at the pier, into temporary pens onboard. ”

Come and visit to see more past and present staff memories and stories.

CalMac Ferries
CMAL—Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd

30/06/2026

If you'd like to find out more about the Island Voices - Guthan nan Eilean Project, and watch some of their 500 recordings, pop into Museum nan Eilean, Lionacleit where they have a mini exhibition on for the next few weeks.

Island Voices - Guthan nan Eilean

A new mini exhibition featuring highlights from the Guthan nan Eilean collection will be available. The project has collected more than 500 video recordings celebrating spoken language, local heritage and personal stories.

30/06/2026

Aghaidhean ùra / New faces

Come and visit the six chess pieces that are only on display at Museum & Tasglann nan Eilean, Stornoway until the end of the summer, which are on loan from the Museum.

Among them is this Berserker which is a type of warder. A berserker was a legendary Norse warrior known for fighting in a trance-like fury, which is why he is biting his shield. He is wearing a long cross-hatched garment with a hood and a conical helmet. He is armed with a sword and a shield which is inscribed with a cross within a large circle in the centre over a saltire.
We are very excited to have a berserker on display as we do not normally have one on long term loan, so this is a rare opportunity to come and see one in real life. The last time he was on display in Lewis was in 2000 but since hen he has travelled widely to Japan, USA, France , Denmark and Germany.

The Berserker is the mascot and logo for the Stornoway Rugby Football Club.

Our opening hours can be found at https://outerhebridesheritage.org.uk/
For more about the research into the Lewis chess pieces visit https://www.britishmuseum.org/.../rethinking-lewis-chess...
Image credits:
Warder, Berserker type © The Trustees of the British Museum

24/06/2026

'When the Sea Meets the Road' is currently on display in Museum nan Eilean, Stornoway.

This exhibitions celebrates the people who work on the ferries, harbours, and offices across the CalMac network.

Next up we have Moira MacIver from North Uist (centre back) who started with Caledonian MacBrayne over 20 years ago. She is now a Senior Port Assistant who sells tickets, deals with customers, organises staff and, weather permitting, makes sure everything is ready for ferries to depart on time. Here she is with the rest of her team at the retirement of Mary Morrison, Port Manager in Lochmaddy for 41 years.

Come and visit to see more past and present staff memories and stories.

Photo credit: copyright Nicki Woodhead