Tiny Highland museum enlists help of Outlander stars

A rare Gaelic dictionary signed by Sam Heughan, pictured here as Jamie Fraser in the new season of Outlander which airs later this month, will be sold off to raise funds for Gairloch Heritage Museum. PIC: Copyright 2017 Sony Pictures Television.

A tiny Highland museums has enlisted the stars of television series Outlander to help secure its future.

Gairloch Heritage Museum in Achtercairn, Wester Ross, needs to find the final £60,0000 which will allow it to move to new bigger premises in the village.

Adhamh O’Broin, Gaelic consultant for Outlander, has teamed up with the museum to help them reach the target of their crowdfunding campaign.

The first map of Gaelic speakers in Scotland

Gairloch Heritage Museum in Wester Ross is raising funds to move to new premises. PIC: Creative Commons.

He has offered six limited edition Gaelic dictionaries signed by members of the cast, including Sam Heughan.

The copies of Faclan is Abairtean à Ros and Iar – Gaelic words and phrases from Wester Ross - are being sold for a minimum pledge of £100.

Gaelic lessons with O’Broin, who instructed cast members in the language, will also be sold off.

O’Broin said: “Not many people are aware but Gairloch and Wester Ross have played an integral part to the creation of Outlander. We use the Wester Ross Gaelic dialect and I often called upon Gairloch man, the late Roddy Mackenzie, for advice.

“Roddy, who was also heavily involved in the Gairloch Heritage Museum, helped us by providing accurate translations and local sayings to ensure we were portraying the language as authentically as possible.

“Roddy worked very closely with Roy Wentworth when Roy was compiling the well-known dictionary, Faclan is Abairtean à Ros and Iar – Gaelic words and phrases from Wester Ross – which also proved invaluable to myself and the cast whilst filming.”

Gairloch Heritage Museum has been described as “one of the best little museums in Scotland.”

The museum is currently housed in an historic farm steading in Gairloch however the team will be homeless by the end of 2018. It is planned to take over a larger premises in the village.

For more information visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/gairlochheritagemuseum