'Once in a lifetime' - bequest will transform Orkney's ‘people of the past’ galleries 

The Orkney Museum announces Redevelopment of Viking, Iron Age and Picts galleries thanks to generous bequest

Orkney’s people of the past will be front and centre of a £264k overhaul to the Iron Age, Picts and Viking galleries at The Orkney Museum, following a generous bequest. 
 
RocketBox – the company behind the stunning graphics on the new displays at the redeveloped Scapa Flow Museum – have been appointed after a tender process as the project ‘design and build’ lead for the overhauls.  
 
Other familiar faces on the project will include Colin Lindley who created incredible tailor-made mounts for the exhibits at Scapa Flow Museum during its redevelopment in 2022 – his expertise will breathe new life into age old artefacts. 
 
Nick Hewitt is Team Manager for Culture at Orkney Islands Council: “It goes without saying we were astounded and excited in equal measures when we were advised of the bequest, made by someone who was evidently very proud of Orkney’s unique history and the story of the islands’ peoples through the ages. 
 
“The very explicit wish by our benefactor was for their legacy to be used to protect and promote this heritage.  
 
“We are extremely thankful for this gift which is a once in a lifetime opportunity to transform these galleries to reflect the remarkable finds over recent years – something we could never have even considered in the current economic climate.  
 
“We’re hoping to start the physical work on the galleries this winter, with a view to being able to reveal the end result in Spring 2025, which will include display of items not seen before by the public.  
 
“The next few months will be focussed on collaboration with Rocketbox on the design aspects. We’re very excited to be working with them again and to see what they come up with for these much-loved collections.” 
 
Siobhan Cooke-Miller is Archaeology Curator for the Council’s Museums team:  “Orkney Islands Council holds an amazing collection of artefacts which tell us a great deal about Orkney’s past and the people who lived here.
  
“Added to this, recent and ongoing excavations have changed our understanding of the Iron Age, Viking and Late Norse periods – such as the sites of The Cairns in South Ronaldsay, Snusgar in Sandwick and Earl’s Bu in Orphir. New research on existing collections also offers new insights into the past peoples of these islands – how they lived, how they structured their communities, and Orkney’s place in the wider world. What an incredible chance thanks to our benefactor to bring these ideas to life.” 
 
Councillor Gwenda Shearer is Chair of the Council’s Education, Leisure and Housing Committee: “We are beyond grateful to be in this wonderful position and we look forward to fulfilling this bequest, for the benefit of all who treasure our unique heritage.” 
 
Orkney Islands Council’s Museums service cares for an archaeology collection of around 100,000 artefacts, spanning over 5000 years of human history from the Mesolithic to the Post-Medieval periods.
 
The Orkney Museum, run by the Council, is recognised as a nationally significant collection. On display at the Museum you can find a cache of stone tools from Isbister Chambered Cairn, Bronze Age metalwork, Pictish symbol stones, and grave goods from the Scar Viking boat burial - amongst many other amazing artefacts.
 
Many are documented online in a new joint catalogue with the Orkney Library and Archive which contains more than 100,000 records of the history and culture of Orkney from the Mesolithic to the present day - made possible thanks to the generous support of the Scottish Government’s National Islands Team, the European Regional Development Fund programme, managed by NatureScot and Museums Galleries Scotland, and the Orkney Family History Society.
 
To find out more about The Orkney Museum and other Museums run by Orkney Islands Council, and to explore the online catalogue, visit www.orkneymuseums.co.uk