A Flavour of our Collection

Objects in store

There is insufficient space in the museum to display all the objects in our collection. This page provides a flavour of the many interesting objects in store.

Dornoch Historylinks Image Library

For a more comprehensive look at the museum collection, both on display and in store, the Image Library provides a searchable means of viewing descriptive data and images from our museum catalogue. At launch the Image Library provides access to approximately 60% of our catalogued objects (in excess of 4,000 image pages). . A programme of image capture for the remaining 40% of catalogued objects is due to be completed by March 2009.

Dornoch Airfield

The grass airstrip on Dornoch links was well used in the 1930's. A photograph in the museum collection shows a De Havilland Aircraft Company DH84 Dragon, registration G-ACIT, with a group of people presumably about to board, at the airstrip. A search has revealed that this aircraft, which was first registered on 24 July 1933, is now part of the Science Museum collection

In early 1941, at a cost of £38,000, Dornoch airstrip was prepared for use by the Royal Air Force, and was opened on 10 August 1941 by Flying Officer Smith and 12 men as 40 Satellite Landing Ground (SLG). The RAF 45 Maintenance Unit (MU) was to use Dornoch for the storage of Spitfires, Havocs, Whitleys and Wellingtons. There is a record of the overshoot and damage of Wellington 1C, X9930 on 13 September 1941. The airfield was only in use for a short period, being placed in a state of 'Care and Maintenance' on 30 September 1942, largely as a result of the inability to camouflage aircraft on the open links, thus rendering them vunerable to enemy attack.

Following a period of re-organisation by 41 Group Maintenance Command, Dornoch was taken over by 46 Maintenance Unit, Lossiemouth, with an advance party arriving on 24 September 1943 and the main body on 11 October 1943. 46 MU used Dornoch mainly for storing Beaufighters, 90 being held in May 1944 and 108 in July. In March 1944 a Robin hanger was moved from Field 13 at Lossiemouth and erected at Dornoch. The airfield reached its maximum capacity in April 1945 but aircraft were now being prepared for service rather than storage. An RAF photograph taken in 1944, recently acquired from the Royal Commission for Historic and Ancient Monuments RCHAM, shows around 114 aircraft at Dornoch.

Although there is no mention in 46 MU Operations Record Book, Lancasters were stored for a time at Dornoch. A photograph held by the museum, taken for the Cathedral tower, clearly shows Lancasters on the airfield and an ex-fitter, Archie Campbell of Loch Rannoch, recalled working on them and getting a dressing down for using the Witch's stone as an anchor when towing a Lancaster out of soft ground.

The wartime service of Dornoch airfield ceased on 27 September 1945 when the last aircraft took off and the final load of scrap metal was removed. The airfield formally closed on 30 September 1945. In 1967 the airstrip was re-established with Loganair Services operating to Wick and Inverness until 1972 when the service proved uneconomic. Currently the airstrip is frequently used by light aircraft and microlight

An RAF photograph of Dornoch point and airstrip showing around 114 aircraft. Courtesy RCHAM

Anti Invasion Measures

Along the entire east coast of Scotland efforts were made to prevent German landings. In the coastal firths, with large mud flats and adjacent fields, measures were taken to prevent gliders and aircraft from landing. The Germans had used gliders to land troops beside Dutch positions on the large beaches of Holland. Efforts here were designed to prevent that happening. The easiest way was to destroy the gliders as they land by breaking them up.

The basic design was a run of vertical wooden poles set into concrete or even pipes which were placed in the sand. Wire was stretched between the poles which would become entangled around the glider. Onshore in the fields there was also a series of pits dug in a line across the middle of the fields, with the spoil mounded beside the pits. The designs vary depending on threat and available resouces. In Fife where the threat was high, the poles are quite close to together and are in a zig-zag pattern, forming large squares.

These anti invasion measures had a high chance of being effective but their chief role was to deter the Germans, giving the impression of a fortified Britain.

There will be a walk by Dornoch Firth to view a shell midden and the anti-invasion feature on the northern shore of the Dornoch Firth on Sunday 23 September 2007 starting at Dornoch Airstrip car park at 3.30 p.m. The event is in association with the Dornoch Firth Archaeology Group.

Bicycle Lamps

We have a pair of bicycle lamps, one paraffin and the other carbide. A far cry from the halogen lamps of the 21st century!

Paraffin bicycle lamp	Carbide bicycle lamp

Customised Mauchline Ware Glass Container

An attractive Mauchline ware glass container has a superb oval image of Dornoch, seen from the north, on one side. This is a standard mauchline design in light, varnished wood. Unfortunately the drinking glass that would have come with the container is missing.

Old Whisky Bottle

A whisky bottle with accompanying note was recently found by a builder working in the attic of a house in the centre of Dornoch. The bottle is a three piece moulded blown bottle in olive–green glass with numerous air bubbles. From the rim detail, body shape and base the bottle can be dated between 1840 and early 1870’s. The accompanying message reads:

‘In Memory of A Gray and Hugh McKenzie whitch Drunk this Bottle of Whisky 1864’

The question is where was the whisky distilled?

Sutherland Field Club

In 2007 the museum received a bundle of papers of the Sutherland Field Club 1879 to 1882 The collection includes two beautiful drawings from a hand written article 'Notice of a Short Cist and its contents found near Dunrobin Castle Mar:24th 1880' . Other interesting items include: Weather in Sutherland in 1879-1882 Remarks on Flint Implements found at the Little Ferry Notes on Cup & Ring-marked Stones with description of a specimen found in the Dunrobin Woods.

Sutherland Arms Hotel

The Sutherland Arms Hotel burnt down in 1941. As a preliminary to the construction of a new building on the site there was an archaeological exploration. This revealed the outline of the old hotel and evidence of earlier occupation.

There a many photographs in the museum collection showing the old Sutherland Arms Hotel. One example is the group photograph of the Dornoch Company of Seaforth Highlanders in full dress uniform, taken outside the hotel around 1900. Does anybody know anything about the magnificent shield so proudly displayed?

Sutherland Arms Hotel objects acquired in 2008

Melted bottle from excavation of SAH	A blackened crockery fragment

Bread basket marked 'SAH' - Sutherland arms Hotel

Hotel card (note early Dornoch Telephone Number)	Sutherland Arms Hotel embroidered tablecloth

Local History - a sample of the photographs donated to the museum

Murdo Macpherson cleaning Castle Street, taken by Willie Morrison in December 1961, just after he had got hold of his first 35mm camera. It is thought Murdo and his squad were cleaning up after some flooding.

Cathedral 35mm slides

The museum has recently acquired a large collection of 35mm colour slides of the exterior and interior of Dornoch Cathedral, donated by Ian Ross Harper. The collection includes a complete set, with numbered diagram, of all the cathedral gargoyles. The slides provide a comprehensive record of all prominent features of the Cathedral with, amongst other things, views of the cathedral stained glass windows and the detail of the embroidered chair covers and hassocks.

One of the 36 cathedral gargoyles	Stained glass windows

The Cathedral Organ	Pulpit

The slides may be viewed on the museum public access personal computer in the 'Album Collection'.

A notable Cathedral event - the christening of Madonna and Guy Ritchie's child

Dornoch Cathedral was the venue for the christening of the child of Madonna and Guy Ritchie. This visit to Dornoch, with close attendance by representatives of the world media, was recorded in a photograph album and a video recording, both of which are available for viewing at Historylinks Museum.

The assembled step ladders for the world media opposite the cathedral entrance.

Crofting Tools

A recent addition to the museum is a wall display of implements used by crofters. The ditching spade is 70 cm x 30 cm and it must have been heavy to work. The haystack knife has two spikes which would have held wooden handles, permitting a two-handed scythe-type action.

Ditching spade	Haystack knife

Canadian Forestry Corps

During World War 2 there were two Canadian Forestry Corps camps in close promixity to Dornoch. One was at Spinningdale and the other, complete with a sawmill, was at Clashmore, at the junction of the A9 and the Clashmore Road. A foresters double-headed axe from the Clashmore camp has been donated to the museum. There are a number of photographs relating to the Forestry Corps which are currently being catalogued. Once this process is completed they will be assembled in an album for viewing on the public access computer located in the museum.

Sutherland Rifle Volunteers

One of a growing number of military photographs of local volunteers. This group photograph was taken in front of the Sutherland Arms Hotel, Dornoch about 1885-86.

Local Joiners Yard

The Meadows joiners yard, close to the site of Historylinks Museum, was built in 1905 by William ‘Beal’ Grant and taken over by his son, also William, but known as ‘Puff’. It changed hands several times before being demolished by MacKay and Leslie in November 2006.

Two hand made oak set squares made by William Grant have survived.

2007 Display by Primary 3 Pupils

A 2007 display in the children’s room of tartan figures made by P3 pupils of Dornoch Primary School.

Exhibition Case

The exhibition case acquired in 2007 has three display shelves and, on a rotational basis, permits items from our collection to be brought out of store. It has been decided to have a distinct theme for each of the display shelves.

Last updated: 28 May, 2008