News
The Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine has announced a free weekend for local settled Ukrainians on Saturday 23 – Sunday 24 September.
An innovative, immersive exhibition of ‘audio paintings’ capturing the sights and sounds of Scotland’s wild landscape opens at the Scottish Maritime Museum on Saturday 14 October.
Opening Sunday 17 September this exhibition, 'All mortal greatness is but disease’ delves deep into Scotland's forgotten history of industrial whaling.
One of the largest, regularly performing sea shanty choirs in the world are a storming success last night (Monday 31 July 2023).
The Scottish Maritime Museum on Irvine Harbourside gets set for a bumper week of events
Visitors to the Market, which was free to enter and a collaboration with ‘Ayrshire Food An’ A’ That’, shopped from a wide selection of crafts by over 40 artisans, ranging from glasswares, woodcraft, jewellery, scented candles and beauty products to art, gifts, fashion and homewares.
The Market, which is free to enter and a collaboration with ‘Ayrshire Food An’ A’ That’, will be open from 10am and 4pm on both Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd July 2023
The Scottish Maritime Museum celebrates the rise of Scotland’s seaside resorts and the golden era of steamboat travel ‘doon the watter’ in this year’s Summer exhibition
Calling young creatives to fire their imagination & take part in a new ‘My Fantastic Ship’ children’s art competition.
The Scottish Maritime Museum (Denny Tank) in Dumbarton has launched a new Stem LEGO Challenge to entertain children over the summer holidays
From cocktails, mocktails & ‘dream destinations’, the Titanic to pirates, mermaids & Vikings plus crafting the Scottish Maritime Museum’s summer events programme promises family fun & fascination for everyone!
Featuring seven meticulously built model ships including ships built by Clyde shipbuilders William Denny and Brothers.
Grand Opening of The ‘Perfect Blend’ & Skylark IX Vintage Tea Party at The Scottish Maritime Museum (Denny Tank) 11am – 2pm Saturday 13 May
Over 900 people flocked to the Scottish Maritime Museum on Irvine Harbourside Saturday 22nd April for Scotland’s annual maritime heritage event
The Wild Escape, the largest ever collaboration between the UK’s museums.
Ship Ahoy! Scotland’s major and FREE annual maritime heritage event, returns to the Scottish Maritime Museum on Irvine Harbourside on Saturday 22 April.
The two positions – Visitor Services Volunteer and Museum Stores Volunteer – are ideal for those with a passion for history or looking for museum experience.
A fascinating exhibition celebrating the fantastical and mythical sea creatures of Scottish legend enters the last month of its run at the Scottish Maritime Museum (Denny Tank) in Dumbarton.
The new Tapestry celebrates the life of the ‘Dunkirk Little Ship’ Skylark IX, from her construction as a pleasure boat in 1934 up to her new role today
The National Transport Trust has recognised the Denny Ship Model Experiment Tank at the Scottish Maritime Museum in Dumbarton with a ‘Red Wheel
The Scottish Maritime Museum (Denny Tank, Dumbarton) promises visitors a cracking good time over the upcoming Easter school holidays.
In Irvine we will join The Wild Escape, a major new project uniting museums and families to discover nature in museums.
SOLD OUT Hot Chocolate, Lego and Crafting…. Booking is essential as places are limited.
Do you have a special connection with Irvine Harbourside and love a good blether? If you do, join us for one of our reminiscence sessions
Striking maritime and coastal images celebrate the national maritime charity
Meet the artist: Caroline Hack Dec 3-4
Striking maritime and coastal images celebrate the national maritime charity
The exterior of the A Listed, Victorian Linthouse, which is home to Scotland’s nationally recognised collection of maritime heritage, will turn red from now, through the build up to Armistice Day and Poppy Saturday up to Remembrance Sunday on 13 November.
Guest Blog: Dr. Shelby Judge on sea monster myths and folklore from Scotland to Greece
3pm – 4pm Saturday 27th August Scottish Maritime Museum, Harbour Road, Irvine
It’s ‘lights, cameras, sea monsters, action!’
11am – 4pm Saturday 23 & Sunday 24 July Scottish Maritime Museum, Harbour Road, Irvine
A staggering 2,400 visitors of all ages popped along to the opening weekend celebrations for the Scottish Maritime Museum’s summer exhibition Sea Monsters!
As we move into the Scottish Government’s new period of ‘Living Safely with Covid’, we would be grateful for your support helping keep visitors and staff safe.
Designed for children of all ages with ‘Little Sea Monsters’ sessions for under fives, Sea Monsters Make and Takes and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) sessions for all ages and Art Workshops and a week-long Sea Monster Theatre Workshop for over tens.
Opening Saturday 2 July Scottish Maritime Museum Harbour Road, Irvine
LITTLE GUPPIES’ Saturday 2 July & Weekly Wednesdays
11am – 4pm Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd July Scottish Maritime Museum Harbour Road, Irvine
The Dumbarton-based Skylark IX Recovery Project welcomed a host of visitors at a free, family event in the grounds of, and inside, the Scottish Maritime Museum, Dumbarton on Saturday 4 June.
‘LITTLE GUPPIES’ a new weekly song and play group for toddlers will open on Wednesday 8 June.
An exhibition celebrating the 40th anniversary of Scotland’s first major sea kayaking expedition is now open at the Denny Ship Model Experiment Tank
The first festival event will take place on Saturday 2 July, the opening day of ‘Sea Monsters!’ and include sea monster surprises and traditional funfair stalls across the Museum Courtyard.
The two day project to stabilise the flaking paint and timbers and preserve the name
The Saturday event was part of a bumper weekend that also included the Pedal for Scotland Pedal Irvine event on Sunday.
The True Story by Alan Platt and Robert T. Sexton charts the fascinating story of the shipbuilding firm Scott & Linton, which designed and began construction of the Cutty Sark.
Curated by the Skylark IX Recovery Project, the story culminates with the vessels new role inspiring and changing the lives of people recovering from addictions across West Dunbartonshire.
The Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine is pleased to be hosting this event and making cycling accessible to more people across Scotland
The Scottish Maritime Museum on Irvine Harbourside will host the first Tastes of Ayrshire Food and Drink Festival on Saturday 7 May and, to celebrate, entry to the day-long event will be free.
The ‘Make and Take’ sessions are part of the events programme for the Museum’s Spring exhibition Solitude at Sea.
After a programme of vital welding work, the Scottish Maritime Museum is on track to complete essential repairs
Budding artists are in for a treat at the Scottish Maritime Museum’s new Solitude at Sea: Sunday Sketching Sessions led in collaboration with Impact Arts.
Glass artist and researcher Dr Ayako Tani will reveal the magic and fast disappearing craft behind glass ships in bottles, exquisite designs highly sought-after last century, at two one-off tours of her exhibition at the Scottish Maritime Museum in Dumbarton on Saturday 14 May.
Museum’s Education Team has launched an online climate change education programme for schools across Ayrshire.
Up to three children go FREE with each Adult/Concession
Limited Availability – Apply Now
Reflects on life at sea, on oil platforms, lighthouses and islands and the parallels between isolation at sea and Lockdown
‘City of Adelaide’, a stunning glass ship in a bottle acquired by the Scottish Maritime Museum, has gone on display
To promote Ayrshire’s food and drink, the Scottish Maritime Museum is set to co-host an exciting new tour
A new exhibition revealing the twisting story of Skylark IX
Confusing Shadow with Substance Tour arrives at the Scottish Maritime Museum Saturday 22 January - Sunday 20 February 2022
10am – 5pm Saturday 29 January & 10am – 4pm Sunday 30 January
Christmas Stained Glass Pictures and Ornament Workshops
Halloween event raises £812 for charity
Saturday 16 October, Saturday 13 November & Saturday 27 November
Visitors are invited to a bumper weekend Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th September
Saturday 11 September Last chance to see Woven Waves Exhibition
Waterways Community Clean Up Saturday 4 September
The exhibition is the result of an international eco-poster design collaboration engaging 17 – 25 year old design students from 35 academies and universities representing all five continents
Sharon Barnett and Neil Davis made the trip up from South Gloucestershire and Yorkshire to pass the handmade model of the Duchess of Fife built by their father Gordon Davis into the Museum’s care
A great opportunity for students to explore the links between science and art, design and climate change activism
Each artwork powerfully portrays Scottish shipbuilders at work
A special evening with expedition leader Jim Breen - 5.45pm– 7.15pm on Thursday 26 August
Irvine Sea Cadets and community members joined the Scottish Maritime Museum and Irvine Clean Up Crew
MV Kyles, which is part of National Historic Ships UK’s National Historic Fleet, has now been transformed.
The trail is part of the Museum experience and up to three children can visit for FREE with each paying adult admission.
Scottish Maritime Museum, Irvine Harbourside 6pm Thursday 26 August
Community Summer Clean Up Community Summer Clean Up Saturday 7 August & Saturday 4 September
Open as usual whilst the refurbishments and improvements continue
An exhibition of exquisite glass ships tells a remarkable story of ingenuity
Men’s Shed are opening their doors to volunteers and new members once again
The Skylark IX Recovery Trust has announced ambitious plans to secure a bright future for the much-loved Skylark IX ‘Dunkirk Little Ship’
Into the Maelstrom’ with Jim Breen The Scottish Kayak Expedition to North West Norway 1980 Exhibition Tour 5.45pm – 7.15pm Thursday 10 June
The Scottish Maritime Museum will be throwing open its doors again for free to National Lottery players during the week of Monday 7th June – Sunday 13th June 2021
Into the Maelstrom: The Scottish Kayak Expedition to North West Norway 1980 Scottish Maritime Museum Irvine, Harbourside. Open now until 30 August 2021
Scottish Maritime Museum in Dumbarton reopens with Woven Waves: The Jutland Tapestries by award-winning artist Katie Russell. Open now until 19 September
We are blown away by the support for our campaign to get MV Kyles shipshape for its 150th anniversary in 2022
Added to all the other donations received so far, this makes possible essential repairs to MV Kyles
Renowned Scottish artist, author and broadcaster Lachlan Goudie has gifted a large painting from his acclaimed ‘Shipyard’ exhibition
The Scottish Maritime Museum has launched a crowdfunding campaign
Temporarily change opening times at both Museums
The rare find will become part of the Scottish Maritime Museum’s nationally recognised collection
New Autumn Trail for Families opens at the Scottish Maritime Museum
To raise awareness of the Scottish Poppy Appeal the Linthouse will be glowing red from Sunday 1st to Wednesday 11th November
five additional free places for the first primary schools across Scotland to book onto the new ‘Ship to Shore Online Learning Workshops’.
Conversations with artist Katie Russell and nautical archaeologist and historian Dr. Innes J. McCartney go live in October
Water Speed Record Holding Electric Super Yacht Tender Goes on Display
Named as a 2020 Travellers’ Choice Winner for both its Museums.
The funding has also enabled the Museum to create two audio guides for mobile phones, to purchase four large display screens
Included are primary schools in the local authority areas of Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire, Inverclyde, Renfrewshire, Stirling and West Dunbartonshire.
The permanent exhibition, created through the Museum’s 'Spartan: Inside Out' project was made possible by a grant from Museum Galleries Scotland and charts the evolution of the puffer.
Halloween at the Scottish Maritime Museum
While the Museum doors are closed, our incredible collection and the inspiring stories can be viewed for free online
We are continuing to work behind the scenes to care for Scotland's maritime heritage
Through an innovative open access initiative everyone, from artists, filmmakers and teachers through to hobbyists and students, can download, manipulate and use for free!
The ‘make and take’ crafting workshops take place at the Scottish Maritime Museum on Irvine Harbourside between 11am - 3pm on Friday 7 through to Tuesday 11 February.
Museum open for free to National Lottery players
Reflecting on life around local shipyards in the last century
By Iain Quinn on Paddle Steamer PS Waverley and the Clyde Steamers
Bring to life a new understanding of the Battle of Jutland
Paintings by Norman Wilkinson CBE RI (1878 - 1971), a celebrated maritime painter and poster artist who is also known for creating ‘Dazzle’ camouflage to shield British ships during World War 1.
Travel subsidy of up to £250 for primary schools taking part in STEM activities at the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine
One of Britain’s most important historic vessels, which is preserved at the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine, has been reunited with its original bell thanks to a kind donation.
Scotland’s evolving offshore energy industry captured in new exhibition ‘Age of Oil’ by Sue Jane Taylor
Scottish Maritime Museum is pleased as punch to announce Seaside Festival!
Window on the Clyde: Family Photos of the River’s Golden Age, showcasing the golden era of the River Clyde
Edel McCarthy from Paisley will learn traditional and modern boat building skills at the Scottish Boat Building School
Visual artist Sue Jane Taylor’s vibrant, touring exhibition exploring Scotland’s elemental and evolving offshore energy industry
Hear our engines roar! Eventful season begins at the Scottish Maritime Museum.
Wednesday 20th February - Tuesday 19th March 2019
February Family Fun Announced Friday 8th – Tuesday 11th February
Travel subsidy of *up to £250 for private hire transport available for schools taking part in STEM activities at the Museum
Scottish Maritime Museum Calls for Local Residents to Get Involved with Exciting Oral History Project
HMS Carrick Ship's Wheel Unveiling
Helen Bellany, the artist’s partner and muse, unveiled ‘The Boat Builders’ at the painting’s new home at the Scottish Maritime Museum
A new seating spot gifted in memory of two of the Museum’s longest serving volunteers, Bob and Jenny Stables.
Garnock Connections secures Heritage Lottery Fund award
Over 18,000 people flocked to see Irvine Harbourside shimmer and shine.
National Award for Capturing Milestone Move of Spartan and Carola
Another award for our illumination : Harbour Festival of Light as we scoop Cultural Event of the Year at the Scottish Event Awards 2017.
Scottish Maritime Museum helps raise funds for restoration of extraordinary Dunkirk rescue boat 'Skylark IX'.