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Glenesk Folk Museum
	Location within Angus
Established	1955
Location	Tarfside, Angus, Scotland DD9 7YT
Coordinates	56°53′55″N 2°48′30″W / 56.8987°N 2.8083°W
Curator	Dr Christopher Martin
Website	http://www.gleneskfolkmuseum.org

Glenesk Folk Museum is a museum located in the Glen Esk valley, in Tarfside, Angus, Scotland.^[2] It is about 9 miles (14 km) north of the village of Edzell. It is housed in a former shooting lodge, known as 'The Retreat',^[3] which used to belong to the Earls of Dalhousie.^[4] The museum contains artefacts and documents related to the history of the surrounding area. It also has a shop selling locally produced gifts and a tearoom. The museum organises demonstrations of local skills and crafts.

History

The Museum was established in 1955 by Greta Michie, a local schoolteacher^[5] who was inspired by folk museums in Scandinavia. The building used for the museum, known as 'the Retreat', had been constructed as a retirement cottage in the 1840s by Captain J.E. Wemyss.^[6]^[7] It was later expanded and used as a shooting lodge, and later a summer house by the Earls of Dalhousie, before falling into disuse. Lord and Lady Dalhousie assisted with the establishment of the museum on this site.^[6]

The museum was refurbished and expanded in 2007.^[7]

Collections

The museum's artefacts are arranged thematically into rooms, including spaces covering music and costume. There are reconstructions of rooms from the 1850s, including a children's room.^[8] The museum also has a document archive for genealogical research, including Census records from 1841 to 1891 and a partial record of births, marriages and deaths in the Glen and the parishes of Edzell and Lethnot.^[6] This room has computers.^[8]

The museum has a small collection of musical instruments, highlights of which include a trapezoidal Savart-style violin that was played for many years on the streets of Aberdeen by an itinerant musician, and a coach horn known to have been used locally as late as the 1930s on one of the last horse-drawn stagecoaches operating in the United Kingdom.^[9]

Facilities and events

Since its foundation, the Retreat has sold locally produced goods, and this continues in the gift shop. There is also a cafe offering light refreshments.

The Retreat also has conference facilities, a function room, a nature trail and a children's play area.

Regular craft workshops are run on-site, along with other events which have included music recitals and storytelling.^[10]

References

^ "Meet the Team | Glenesk Folk Museum and Retreat". Glenesk Folk Museum. Wix. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
^ Rob Humphreys; Donald Reid (2 May 2011). The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands & Islands. Rough Guides Ltd. p. 324. ISBN 978-1-4053-8940-2. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
^ Alan Murphy (1 October 2001). Scotland Highlands & Islands handbook: the travel guide. Footprint Travel Guides. pp. 169–170. ISBN 978-1-900949-94-1. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
^ June Skinner Sawyers (1 August 1999). Maverick Guide to Scotland. Pelican Publishing. p. 234. ISBN 978-1-56554-227-3. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
^ "Things to do". Glenesk Retreat and Folk Museum. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Glenesk Museum". AngusGlens. Angus Council. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
^ ^a ^b "FAQ". Glenesk Retreat and Folk Museum. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
^ ^a ^b "The Retreat Glenesk" (PDF). The Glenesk Trust. Archived from the original (Leaflet) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
^ "Glenesk Retreat and Folk Museum". MINIM-UK. Higher Education Funding Council for England. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
^ "Events". Glenesk Retreat and Folk Museum. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.