This summer, Alyth Museum has relaunched as the new physical hub for the Cateran Ecomuseum, a “Museum Without Walls” which encourages visitors to explore the beautiful Cateran country that stretches across the border between Perth and Kinross and Angus and includes the famous Cateran Trail.
The partnership between Culture Perth and Kinross and the Cateran Ecomuseum sees a major transformation to Alyth Museum. The new visitor experience will inspire families to explore the culture and heritage of the Cateran Ecomuseum area through a series of interactive displays. The project has involved working directly with local people to develop the new exhibitions.
The hub includes a permanent display about the Cateran Ecomuseum area and a temporary exhibition called ‘The Great Imagining’, which features local myths, legends and stories. The revamped museum aims to inspire visitors to think about their relationship with nature and how humans impact the environment and act on the climate emergency.
The new hub at Alyth Museum was generously funded by a £50,000 grant secured from Museums Galleries Scotland’s (MGS) Museum Development Fund.
Clare Cooper, co-founder, and co-director of the Cateran Ecomuseum, said, “We are delighted to have had this opportunity to work with Culture Perth and Kinross to develop Alyth Museum into an interactive orientation base for the Ecomuseum, especially given our focus on mobilising heritage for climate action. Not only will this provide a valuable service to both local people and visitors interested in experiencing the 1,000 square kilometres of natural and cultural heritage that our ‘Museum Without Walls’ promotes, but it will also be a transformative project for the Alyth Museum, raising its profile and enabling it to promote the key role that heritage has in the climate and biodiversity crises we face.”
Russell Willis Taylor, Secretary, Alyth Development Trust, said, “The beauty of our natural surroundings is treasured by all of us. It contributes so much to the character and welcoming nature of our town. The Cateran Ecomuseum is an innovative and successful project that helps all of us see, understand, and protect this irreplaceable and sometimes fragile natural heritage. Having a “portal” into the work of this ‘museum without walls’ inside our own museum ‘within walls’ is important for both museums and all of us who love this area. The Alyth Development Trust is delighted to support the Ecomuseum and to see the revitalisation of the Alyth Museum in our town square as part of the rebuilding and recovery after Covid.”
Lord Charles Kinnoull, Chair of the Culture Perth and Kinross Board, added, “We would very much congratulate Clare Cooper and all involved on the compelling vision that the Cateran Ecomuseum hub represents, with its innovative and creative way of bringing the museum to landscape and vice versa. It’s a novel and wonderful star attraction at our Alyth Museum. We would also warmly thank Museums Galleries Scotland for their endorsement of this special project and generous support.”
Alyth Museum is open Thursday to Sunday, from early May until late September 2022. Admission is by donation. Opening hours for the Museum can be found on the Culture Perth and Kinross website.
Strathmore from Alyth Hill by Clare Cooper/Cateran Ecomuseum.