New store opens up museums collection to the public for the first time
A new facility to house the treasure trove of of artefacts in the angus museums’ collection has been officially opened in Brechin.
The Angus Collections Centre, at Brechin Business Park, will house a large part of the collection, which includes more than 100,000 objects, while giving the public a view of aspects of the museums service which, up to now, have been behind closed doors.
Spanning thousands of years, it covers social history, fine art, natural sciences and much more.
The first objects were acquired in the early 1800s by the Montrose Natural History and Antiquarian Society, the Arbroath Museum Society and the former town councils, and the collection is added to through strategic purchases and generous donations.
An award of £57,790 from Museums Galleries Scotland for ‘Cabinet of Curiosities: The Inventory Project’ means that for the first time visitors can be welcomed to the collections store, and experience exclusive tours and behind-the-scenes workshops.
The new store itself is fully accessible and will give visitors a look into the workings of a modern, accredited museum service. A new collections volunteer programme will also be aimed at developing the young workforce, and will further strengthen partnerships with academic institutions.
Through these collaborations, students and volunteers will gain hands-on skills in collections management, curation, and preventive conservation.
Emma Gilliland, ANGUSalive’s museums & galleries collections lead, said: “We’re incredibly excited to welcome visitors to our new store and are looking forward to sharing our behind-the-scenes work with the people of Angus.
“We welcome any local Angus businesses, groups, or heritage organisations to get in touch if they’d like to collaborate on heritage skills’ development, research projects, or would simply like to book an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour later in the year.”
The centre will be open for bookable tours and events or for research visits by appointment. Please email [email protected] to enquire. Tours will be advertised on the ANGUSalive website later this autumn and during 2027 there will be the opportunity to join a series of curator workshops.