I didn’t know they crown the best museum every year. This museum was one of the five museums picked by the Art Fund charity. Only a year after the Gairloch Museum in Wester Ross opened, it was hailed as UK’s museum of the year. The twist here is that it isn’t your regular museum, it’s a nuclear bunker. Well, formerly a bunker. The museum was renovated over eight years, which cost around £2.4 million, as the Scotsman details:
The library at the museum features an archive of more than 4000 photographs depicting life in and around the north-west Highland village.
It is one of five UK museums which will secure a £200,000 prize pot, after the cultural charity decided to share its annual “Museum of the Year” title for the first time due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the sector.
The Art Fund judges hailed the restoration project as “a tale of people-power, determination, and local pride.”
They added: “The museum’s move in 2019 to a new home – not a grand new build but a repurposed nuclear bunker – transformed a village eyesore into an important visitor attraction.
"The redisplay of its collection, which encapsulates the history, culture, beauty and character of Gairloch, and its new home have reanimated the village’s pride in its heritage, created a buzzing new community hub, and produced a sustainable cultural landmark for generations of visitors to enjoy.”
Image via The Scotsman