SCOTLAND'S last surviving township located in Argyll and Bute will reopen after an earthquake caused damage to its buildings last November.
Auchindrain, which has remained a museum since 1964, will be available for public viewings again next month. This hasn’t been a possibility for the last few months as the site was considered to be too dangerous for public access.
The director of the museum, Bob Clark, said: “Bail' Ach' an Droighinn/Auchindrain Historic Township is normally open all year, but after the earthquake we had to close to the public while we assessed the magnitude of the damage.”
Clark added that they have since “liaised with experts in the fields of building conservation and structural engineering, and now have a plan to make the buildings safe again".
To cover the expenses of emergency repairs, the museum has secured funding from Museums Galleries Scotland for emergency repairs which has enabled them to re-open so swiftly.
Despite a date being set, the site will not be open at full capacity like it previously was, and it will be limited to group bookings for a limited amount of time to ensure safety whilst reparations continue.
From June 1 there will be an ushered tour on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 1:30pm, with the option to add more slots should demand increase.
Work at the site is expected to be complete by autumn this year, but a date is yet to have been confirmed.
Sharon Martin, the Head of Collections and Visitor Services has said that: “this is a great opportunity for us to try something that has not been done before at Auchindrain.
“Visitors will be treated to a personalised experience at no extra charge for the tour.
“We want them to have a memorable time and properly appreciate the rich heritage that Auchindrain represents, but we must not put people or the historic buildings at risk. Guided tours will allow us to do both.”
Whilst being closed to the public, Auchindrain has been releasing a series of online storytelling sessions in Gaelic, which can be viewed on their YouTube channel.
