Discover

Discover more about the heritage of the Outer Hebrides, from prehistoric times to the present, and about recent projects to open up the potential of our collections.

Call for emigrant photographs

Do you have photos of ancestors who emigrated that you would be willing to share with us for a new exhibition? Are you descended from people who emigrated from Lewis, Harris, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist or Barra?

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Saoghal Mòr Farsaing Emigration Conference

A 3-day conference in Stornoway, from 30 Sept to 2 Oct 2025 considering the theme of emigration from a range of perspectives. Mix of in-person and online speakers. Delegates can attend either in person or virtually.

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Winter, North Uist

CLandage Climate Resilience Project 

View a film about historical weather events in the Outer Hebrides, recorded in school log books from the 1870s onwards

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Stornoway

Lews Castle

A short history of Lews Castle - with link to the VR tour that is available on site.

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Conservation of Barra School Board collection

Find out about the conservation of five important minute books from the archives. These items have been painstakingly repaired by conservators thanks to a grant from the National Manuscripts Conservation Trust.

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Hebridean Homecoming 2023-25

Recalling the mass emigrations from the Hebrides 100 years ago

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Storytelling & Lectures

This is a place to showcase and celebrate the Outer Hebrides and create inspiring connections between our collections, local intangible culture and people - in both Gaelic and English

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Harris Tweed: an islands story

How the homespun yarn of the Outer Hebrides became a global success

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‘Archaeology Awakened’ Open Days

Report on our museum Open Days on the theme of 'An Introduction to Outer Hebrides Archaeology Objects' which were held as part of the 'Archaeology Awakened' Project

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100 years of community land ownership

Find out about the background to the Stornoway Trust, formed a century ago in response to a gift of land to the community, Lord Leverhulme's time on the islands of Lewis and Harris and our collections which help tell this story.

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The Nicolson Institute 150th anniversary

The Nicolson Institute school in Stornoway first opened its doors to pupils in February 1873, making it 150 years old.

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The Norge disaster

The SS Norge disaster of 1904 resulted in the deaths of more than 600 people, and was a precursor to the Titanic. Our collections reveal some of the detail around this tragic event.

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The Nicolson Institute Vignettes

Find out about some former pupils of The Nicolson Institute who have achieved remarkable things in their chosen fields

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