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Inverness Museum and Art Gallery

Museum collections

A large, triangular shaped stone with a smooth, brown surface. A line drawing of a wolf has been carved into the surface. One of the back legs and the end of the tail are missing.
Ardross Wolf, Pictish symbol stone

How it began...

Inverness Museum is the oldest museum in the Highland region and one of the oldest museums in the UK.  Our earliest collections were founded in 1825 by the Northern Institute.  In the early days there was a big focus on studying nature, archaeology and civilisations from around the world.  Around 1903, the focus changed to displays of Highland and Jacobite history, with the aim of attracting tourists to the area.  

During the 1960s and the 1980s, most of the remaining 'exotic' exhibits were transferred to the Royal Museum of Scotland (now National Museums Scotland).  Since then, Inverness Museum has focused on representing Highland history.  

In the pages below, you can find out more about the history of the museum, what's in the collection, the services we offer and how the collections are used for projects and research.  

Explore the museum collections, history and services

A taxidermy puma, lying down but with head raised, looking away to the left. The puma has brown fur with small white patches around the eyes and muzzle, a black nose and yellow (glass) eyes.

Collection highlights

Discover more about the special items in our museum collections.

A black and white photograph of a man and a woman cycling a tandem bike on a country road. The bike is fitted with a small sidecar which has 3 children seated inside. The woman and one of the children are waving at the photographer.

Photographic collections

Discover 150 years of history in black and white and colour.

Five gold-coloured metal objects of decreasing size, shaped like round door-knobs. These are offical weights, stamped with various symbols and Royal Burgh of Inverness.

Collection categories

Discover more about what we collect, from arrowheads to artworks.

An office chair sits by a long worktop, runing down the right of the image. On top of the worktop are various pieces of laoratory equipment and museum objects, including a large shell under a microscope. In the background there are metal cabinets with hazard signs on the doors.

Conservation services

How we care for our collections and the services we can offer.

A close up view of a researcher wearing purple nitrile gloves, who is handling a metal hip joint and laying out medical implements on a table

Research services

How to book a research appointment to view collections held in store.

A lady with short hair and a stripey navy top is holding a semi-circular stained glass panel. The panel depicts a woodcarver in medieval dress, in yellow tones with decorative borders in green, yellow and red glass.

Donate an object

How to donate an item and what happens to donations.

A young man wearing a blue shirt and white cotton gloves is sitting at a desk. He is looking at a doctor's case and holding the lid open to reveal medical equipment inside. A stethescope and some medical tins sit on the desk. Behind him is a bookcase full of old books.

Projects

Explore some of the projects that the collections have inspired over the years.

Watercolor painting of a historic street with two stone buildings and a cloudy sky. Inverness steeple clock tower in the background. The foreground shows a row of parked cars.

Museum history

From its founding in 1825 to the present day.

Two oval miniature portraits in matching, plain gold frames. On the left is a man wearing a blue velvet jacket and a long wig of brown curls. On the right is a lady wearing pearls in her hair and a lacey dress with a low scoop neckline. These are the parents of Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie).

Resources

Download these resources about our displays.

More pages you might be interested in