Succession star Brian Cox lends supports to tiny Highland museum seeking £100,000 to re-tell Glencoe Massacre
Actor Brian Cox has hailed ‘one of the most extraordinary places’ in Scotland
Scots actor Brian Cox has launched a £100,000 fundraising bid to secure the future of a tiny Highland museum with an “incredible story” to tell.
The Succession star has launched a fundraising appeal for Glencoe Folk Museum, which needs the funds to complete a bold £2.8 million redevelopment, which includes a re-telling of the Massacre of Glencoe.
The museum needs a final parcel of funding to complete the rethatching of its heather roof and to ensure the preservation of its priceless collection. Some of that collection relates to the horrors of the 1692 atrocity, when at least 38 members of a branch of the Macdonald clan were killed at home by government troops.
Mr Cox said: “Glencoe is one of the most extraordinary places in Scotland - its landscapes, its stories and its history are known around the world.
“No other place in the world has a collection like the one found at Glencoe Folk Museum, but it urgently needs your support. [A total of] £100,000 needs to be raised in the next six months for essential restoration work to be completed, so it can reopen in 2026. Glencoe Folk Museum is about more than history.
“It’s about identity, community and pride. We need your support to ensure this incredible story continues to be told for generations to come.”
READ MORE: Who ordered the Massacre of Glencoe?
Around £2.8m has already been raised for the museum by donors and funders, with planning permission and listed building consent secured and contractors ready to begin.
But soaring construction costs, inflation and delays have left a funding gap that must now be closed, with some of the original ambitions for the re-development scaled back as finances became squeezed.
The museum was founded more than 50 years ago by local women who stood in front of bulldozers to save the cottages from demolition. The building now holds 6,000 items relating to the Macdonalds and life and tradition in the glen.
The collection includes a riding boot once worn by Captain Robert Campbell, who led the 1692 massacre, which was discovered in a boarded-up room at his house in Glenlyon, Perthshire.
As part of the re-development, one of the museum’s historic cottages will host a re-telling of the massacre, with an “atmospheric scene” to be set with a crackle of a fire, shadowy figures on the wall, and a mix of audio and visual material.
Catriona Davidson, curator of Glencoe Folk Museum, said: “Our museum has been at the heart of this community for generations – locals who used to come on school visits now bring their grandchildren, and can show them objects on display that their own grandparents donated.
“Our founders were committed to continually improving and adapting our building and exhibitions, and this long-awaited transformation will continue their legacy. But we still need help to cross the finish line, and this public appeal will ensure we can complete the project as planned to create a museum that’s accessible, engaging and worthy of Glencoe’s amazing heritage.
“Our new exhibitions will bring Glencoe’s stories to life, and improved environmental conditions will better protect our artefacts and allow us to arrange exciting loans from other museums and organisations. Every donation, no matter the size, will contribute to the future of our museum”
Project director David Rounce said the museum was “shovel ready”.
He said: “The sooner we reach our target, the sooner we can reopen our doors, protecting this incredible community heritage and creating a museum experience the people of Glencoe can be proud of.”
Every pound donated will go directly towards completing essential restoration of the museum’s 19th-century cottages, safeguarding its historic artefacts, and creating modern, accessible exhibitions that tell the story of Highland life for future generations.
All donors giving £50 or more will be honoured on the Tree of Sponsors - a lasting tribute inspired by the Clan Donald genealogical chart, which celebrates the community that helped build the Museum’s future.
The redevelopment project has been supported by funders including the National Heritage Lottery Fund, Museums Galleries Scotland, Highland Council, SSE and Garfield Weston.
Members of the public can donate to the museum’s redevelopment at www.justgiving.com/charity/glencoemuseum.
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