Cianalas ’s Dòchas | Homesickness and Hope

Stories of Hebridean Emigration @ Stornoway

Visit our exhibition exploring the theme of Hebridean emigration.

Cianalas ‘s Dòchas | Homesickness and Hope showcases the stories of those who left island shores behind and highlights this important aspect of Hebridean history.

As well as exhibiting items from Museum nan Eilean’s own collections, we have been able to borrow a number of striking artefacts from National Museums Scotland Americas Collections – including snowshoes, firebags and an Inuit coat. These loans are supported by the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund.

Also on display is the iconic painting The Last of the Clan (1865) on the theme of the Highland Clearances, by Thomas Faed. This has been loaned by the Fleming-Wyfold Art Foundation. It is the first time in almost 40 years that the original painting has been shown in Stornoway.

Loan objects from the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry and the National Mining Museum Scotland also help to illustrate the emigrants’ intriguing stories.

Topics explored in the exhibition include the fur trade and exploration, the gold rushes, mining, the experience of women and child migration. The exhibition also considers the impact on the Indigenous Peoples whose lands were settled.

Exhibition Resources

Further resources on Emigration can be found here.

Please keep an eye out for associated activities that will be running over the summer on the theme of emigration.

Return to Emigration discover page

Acknowledgements

Museum nan Eilean gratefully acknowledges the support of the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund. Created by the Garfield Weston Foundation and Art Fund, the Weston Loan Programme is the first ever UK-wide funding scheme to enable smaller and local-authority museums to borrow works of art and artefacts from national collections.