You may have seen recent media coverage discussing emerging ideas for the development of Stromness Museum. As the museum of the Orkney Natural History Society approaches its 200th anniversary in 2037, we're looking to secure the long-term sustainability of this much-loved local institution.
Last year Museums Galleries Scotland granted us Museum Futures funding to help us create a plan for the future of Stromness Museum. We’ve appointed a project team of consultants Naomi Bremner, Davie Campbell and Tom Agar, who have been exploring challenges, opportunities and options facing the Museum. Together with Museum staff and Trustees, local organisations and other stakeholders, they’ve been looking at the existing building and operation, and starting to test some possibilities. We’re keen to share these emerging ideas and hear what people think.
The team created an update setting out the issues and opportunities identified and the 3 broad approaches currently being explored. We recently shared this document with the Friends of Stromness Museum to gauge their responses and are now posting it publicly for wider feedback. You can read the update as a downloadable PDF (Stromness Museum Update Oct 2026), or alternatively a text-only webpage.
These are not decisions or fixed proposals. The purpose of sharing them is to test the thinking before work develops further. We would really value your thoughts on what makes the Museum special, what must be retained, and your views about the possibilities being considered.
Please let us know what you think by completing our short online survey of 3 simple questions below, or contacting me by email. This is the beginning of a wider conversation about the future of Stromness Museum, which we want to make open to everyone.
If you’d like to support Stromness Museum by becoming a Friend, and enjoy free entry, regular updates and newsletters, and invitations to special events, you can join us online or in-person at the Museum.
