By Kirsty Gilchrist The 2026 exhibition at the Scottish Maritime Museum, Gu’un the Fish n’ that, is a sound installation by East Anglian based artist Beverley Carruthers, celebrating the lives and legacy of the herring girls, and the vital…
By Kirsty Gilchrist The National Year of Reading 2026 Campaign has inspired us to highlight our museum library. Mostly organised by museum volunteers, the library is currently having a bit of a makeover to allow the space to be…
By Kirsty Gilchrist and Heather Munro At the Scottish Maritime Museum, a large percentage of our collection is formed of industrial objects of significance. This requires us to take specific actions and follow certain rules regarding conservation. When caring…
By Kirsty Gilchrist One of the oldest records in the Scottish Maritime Museum’s collection is a rental document from the 19th century. This agreement between John Shedden, a fisherman from Saltcoats, and the Earl of Eglinton & Winton concerns the conversion of old stables into cottages for use by fishing families. It has been noted that throughout…
By Kirsty Gilchrist The exhibition ‘Beach Today’ is based on a daily photography project developed during lockdown walks along the Ayrshire coast from Barassie to Irvine. These photographs, taken over a 3-month period, acted as diary entries for artist…
By Kirsty Gilchrist Sir Muirhead Bone - born in Partick, Glasgow, in 1876 - was an artist known for his quick and precise execution of the industrial landscape, particularly the shipyards on the Clyde, and many architectural subjects. The son of a journalist, he was apprenticed to…
By Kirsty Gilchrist This wooden ambulance barrow was used in Alexander Stephen & Sons’ Linthouse shipyard in Govan to ease the transportation of injured workers who required medical assistance. Accidents and fatalities…
By Kirsty Gilchrist Elizabeth (Betsy) Miller was born on the 11th of June 1792. The daughter of Mary Garret and Captain William Miller, Betsy grew up in Saltcoats in a family that had a close connection to the sea.…
By Kirsty Gilchrist Different animals could be found onboard ships throughout history. This has often been documented in photographs, and two students on work experience at the Scottish Maritime Museum have helped to research the subject. The first kind…
By Kirsty Gilchrist ‘The Loss’ by Joyce W. Cairns PPRSA DEd(hc)HRHA HRWA HRBA RSW is an oil painting that was completed in 1990 and acquired by the Scottish Maritime Museum from the artist in 2016. The painting shows…