Gairloch Heritage Museum • Achtercairn • Gairloch • Ross-shire • IV21 2BP • UK
Curator : Janet MacLean
tel : 01445 712287 (local rate 08458 648001)
email : info(at)gairlochheritagemuseum(dot)org
Curator : Janet MacLean
tel : 01445 712287 (local rate 08458 648001)
email : info(at)gairlochheritagemuseum(dot)org
'Willow Baskets - function and design through the ages'
by Monique Bervoets
Mon 2nd April – Sat 5th May
Preview: Sat 31st March 2pm
Willow bends to the wind and the weavers hand, that transforms its living energy into a practical form, that is both strong and enduring.
For thousands of years willow has provided a local source of weaving material that was worked into functional containers, from baskets to fish traps, hurdles and balloon baskets.
There hasn’t been a thorough historical study of British traditional basketry – a daunting task, with a conical fishing basket discovered in peat and dating from 5000 B.C. – as a possible starting point.
Nowadays there are more then 300 varieties of willow with numerous hybrids that yield a large range of colours and working differences.
Willow grows throughout the cooler parts of the Northern hemisphere and prefers a damp situation.
Common Osier (Salix viminalis) was and is widely used for creels, larger baskets and hurdles. To cross the river and to fish, the coracle came to be, using the willow along the banks and the skin from their animals, to create a light boat one person could carry – its round form is strong and spacious.
Back creels were made wider at the top and designed to be carried high on the shoulders, using a carrying strap, woven from rushes or twisted grasses, held across the chest. They were the crofters loadcarriers for seaweed, peats and manure – some were designed with a hinged bottom for efficient emptying and all had windows or gaps in the top edge to assist lifting.
Herring crans were sturdy stackable baskets, of regulated size to hold equal quantities of fish, with two robust handles and a strong base.
The travelling people would make baskets from the Crack Willow (Salix Fragilis) that grew along their way, to sell round the doors of the next town.
Today the modern weavers continue that age old tradition but many have developed the traditional skills to create vibrant stylish baskets that make use of a wider variety of techniques, naturally coloured willow in the production of shoppers and shoulderbags that fit the body, logbaskets to grace modern interiors, finely woven items for the table and dynamic lamp shades.
The fun of willow is often used in the garden today, to make hanging hideaways for the children, protective tunnels and pergolas – along with display and sculptural pieces that celebrate the spirit of willow.
Monique Bervoets began her willow weaving journey after she moved to The Highlands from Holland ten years ago. Now she grows willow herself and sources most of her material locally from the landscape or other willow growers.
The colours and atmosphere of the hills in the West Highlands inspires her work intrigued by the traditional Scottish baskets combining on occasion other natural materials and now develops her own style after learning new techniques from basket makers: Jane Wilkinson, Mary Butcher and Dieter Derringer.
In this exhibition she displays both the traditional creels and modern willow baskets, all made at her home in Sallachy, which means ‘Place of the Willow’ in Gaelic.
'A Fickle Weave of Wester Ross'
paintings by Lys Stevens
Sat 12th May – Sat 16th June
Preview: Fri 11th May 7.30pm
A weaving of the moods of Wester Ross, a coming together of the elements – light, wind, texture, water and colour, moments in time expressed in paint.
Lyssie studied drawing and painting and graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in the early seventies then qualified as an art specialist in secondary education. After working for some time in mainstream, Lyssie spent many happy and fulfilling years teaching art in Special Education.
Born in Perth, she is now a full time artist based in South Lanarkshire, also spending as much time as she can in her favourite place, Gairloch, Wester Ross.
Lyssie is happiest on a deserted Scottish beach, a field or glen, surrounded by colour and texture, finding endless inspiration in the interplay of land, sea and sky, light and weather. She is excited, calmed, always moved by a transient mood and is compelled to celebrate her involvement visually. She uses acrylics and sometimes incorporates other materials sympathetic to the work.
'Close Encounters with Highland Wildlife'
by Eoghain Maclean
Sat 23rd June – Sat 28th July
Preview: tbc
"I have lived in Wester Ross for 48 years and have worked on Beinn Eighe National Reserve for the past 25 years. In that time I've had the opportunity to see the wildlife and landscapes of the area through all seasons, and record this with my camera. My pictures are
now selling worldwide and considering that they are mostly taken in Wester Ross this shows how important our wildlife is to our visitors.
I am honoured to have been asked to put together an exhibition of my work in the Gairloch Heritage Museum and am especially pleased that it will run during the Wild About Gairloch event."
Eoghain Maclean
'Look and Question and Imagine'
by Dorothy Malone
Saturday 4th August - Saturday 15th September
Preview: Friday 3rd August 7pm
Look and question and imagine’. This is a quotation from Exploring Gairloch’s South Side : from Kerry Bridge to Craig and The Road to the Lighthouse : exploring Smithstown to Melvaig and beyond. These are the titles of two booklets to be published in 2012 which are intended to be ‘local history tours’ with detailed descriptions, photographs and drawings plus the inclusion of historical and archaeological information.
The exhibition in the Gairloch Heritage Museum will take people on these journeys. Both areas are part of the wide Gairloch Estate and each can trace some of their settlements back to a legal return of 1566. These are areas where farmers lived in round houses, where there are Viking connections, where cottars struggled to work the land, where fishing was important and where crofting townships were established after 1845. Today there are many signs of the past but often these are hidden and need uncovering.
Each of the two areas will be split into sections. These sections will detail what to look for and where there might be walks. Photographs will illustrate what’s to be seen and for the South Side June Miller’s drawings will be used from her booklet Sketches of the Overside Gairloch South Shore which is now out of print. A brief history will be given with some information about previous residents. For example from the South Side, section 6 travels from South Erradale to Craig (once a small crofting township), at first by road to Red Point (dating from around 1660) and then by footpath via the Salmon Fishing Beach (where in 1778 a Gairloch man paid rental for the rights to net salmon). In the North Side booklet, section 4 explores Peterburn (a crofting township from 1845), Aultgrishan (dating from around 1660) and Melvaig (once a very large fishing and crofting community, full of history with Viking connections and known to be a Gairloch Estate settlement from around 1660).
The scenery in both these areas is stunning with views to sea, moorland and mountains. Their history is fascinating. It is hoped that the booklets and exhibition will interest both residents and visitors.
by Monique Bervoets
Mon 2nd April – Sat 5th May
Preview: Sat 31st March 2pm
Willow bends to the wind and the weavers hand, that transforms its living energy into a practical form, that is both strong and enduring.
For thousands of years willow has provided a local source of weaving material that was worked into functional containers, from baskets to fish traps, hurdles and balloon baskets.
There hasn’t been a thorough historical study of British traditional basketry – a daunting task, with a conical fishing basket discovered in peat and dating from 5000 B.C. – as a possible starting point.
Nowadays there are more then 300 varieties of willow with numerous hybrids that yield a large range of colours and working differences.
Willow grows throughout the cooler parts of the Northern hemisphere and prefers a damp situation.
Common Osier (Salix viminalis) was and is widely used for creels, larger baskets and hurdles. To cross the river and to fish, the coracle came to be, using the willow along the banks and the skin from their animals, to create a light boat one person could carry – its round form is strong and spacious.
Back creels were made wider at the top and designed to be carried high on the shoulders, using a carrying strap, woven from rushes or twisted grasses, held across the chest. They were the crofters loadcarriers for seaweed, peats and manure – some were designed with a hinged bottom for efficient emptying and all had windows or gaps in the top edge to assist lifting.
Herring crans were sturdy stackable baskets, of regulated size to hold equal quantities of fish, with two robust handles and a strong base.
The travelling people would make baskets from the Crack Willow (Salix Fragilis) that grew along their way, to sell round the doors of the next town.
Today the modern weavers continue that age old tradition but many have developed the traditional skills to create vibrant stylish baskets that make use of a wider variety of techniques, naturally coloured willow in the production of shoppers and shoulderbags that fit the body, logbaskets to grace modern interiors, finely woven items for the table and dynamic lamp shades.
The fun of willow is often used in the garden today, to make hanging hideaways for the children, protective tunnels and pergolas – along with display and sculptural pieces that celebrate the spirit of willow.
Monique Bervoets began her willow weaving journey after she moved to The Highlands from Holland ten years ago. Now she grows willow herself and sources most of her material locally from the landscape or other willow growers.
The colours and atmosphere of the hills in the West Highlands inspires her work intrigued by the traditional Scottish baskets combining on occasion other natural materials and now develops her own style after learning new techniques from basket makers: Jane Wilkinson, Mary Butcher and Dieter Derringer.
In this exhibition she displays both the traditional creels and modern willow baskets, all made at her home in Sallachy, which means ‘Place of the Willow’ in Gaelic.
'A Fickle Weave of Wester Ross'
paintings by Lys Stevens
Sat 12th May – Sat 16th June
Preview: Fri 11th May 7.30pm
A weaving of the moods of Wester Ross, a coming together of the elements – light, wind, texture, water and colour, moments in time expressed in paint.
Lyssie studied drawing and painting and graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in the early seventies then qualified as an art specialist in secondary education. After working for some time in mainstream, Lyssie spent many happy and fulfilling years teaching art in Special Education.
Born in Perth, she is now a full time artist based in South Lanarkshire, also spending as much time as she can in her favourite place, Gairloch, Wester Ross.
Lyssie is happiest on a deserted Scottish beach, a field or glen, surrounded by colour and texture, finding endless inspiration in the interplay of land, sea and sky, light and weather. She is excited, calmed, always moved by a transient mood and is compelled to celebrate her involvement visually. She uses acrylics and sometimes incorporates other materials sympathetic to the work.
'Close Encounters with Highland Wildlife'
by Eoghain Maclean
Sat 23rd June – Sat 28th July
Preview: tbc
"I have lived in Wester Ross for 48 years and have worked on Beinn Eighe National Reserve for the past 25 years. In that time I've had the opportunity to see the wildlife and landscapes of the area through all seasons, and record this with my camera. My pictures are
now selling worldwide and considering that they are mostly taken in Wester Ross this shows how important our wildlife is to our visitors.
I am honoured to have been asked to put together an exhibition of my work in the Gairloch Heritage Museum and am especially pleased that it will run during the Wild About Gairloch event."
Eoghain Maclean
'Look and Question and Imagine'
by Dorothy Malone
Saturday 4th August - Saturday 15th September
Preview: Friday 3rd August 7pm
Look and question and imagine’. This is a quotation from Exploring Gairloch’s South Side : from Kerry Bridge to Craig and The Road to the Lighthouse : exploring Smithstown to Melvaig and beyond. These are the titles of two booklets to be published in 2012 which are intended to be ‘local history tours’ with detailed descriptions, photographs and drawings plus the inclusion of historical and archaeological information.
The exhibition in the Gairloch Heritage Museum will take people on these journeys. Both areas are part of the wide Gairloch Estate and each can trace some of their settlements back to a legal return of 1566. These are areas where farmers lived in round houses, where there are Viking connections, where cottars struggled to work the land, where fishing was important and where crofting townships were established after 1845. Today there are many signs of the past but often these are hidden and need uncovering.
Each of the two areas will be split into sections. These sections will detail what to look for and where there might be walks. Photographs will illustrate what’s to be seen and for the South Side June Miller’s drawings will be used from her booklet Sketches of the Overside Gairloch South Shore which is now out of print. A brief history will be given with some information about previous residents. For example from the South Side, section 6 travels from South Erradale to Craig (once a small crofting township), at first by road to Red Point (dating from around 1660) and then by footpath via the Salmon Fishing Beach (where in 1778 a Gairloch man paid rental for the rights to net salmon). In the North Side booklet, section 4 explores Peterburn (a crofting township from 1845), Aultgrishan (dating from around 1660) and Melvaig (once a very large fishing and crofting community, full of history with Viking connections and known to be a Gairloch Estate settlement from around 1660).
The scenery in both these areas is stunning with views to sea, moorland and mountains. Their history is fascinating. It is hoped that the booklets and exhibition will interest both residents and visitors.