Highland Folk Museum near Newtonmore/Kingussie

Written by Chris Thornton | 21st of August 2023
Highland Folk Museum: 1700s to the present day.

We love holidaying in Aviemore each year, and high on our list of places to visit is the Highland Folk Museum near Kingussie and Newtonmore.

This museum is a testament to Scotland's rich heritage, blending history, culture, and natural beauty. More than just a collection of artefacts and structures, it is a living embodiment of the country's past, allowing visitors to step back in time and immerse themselves in the authentic Scottish way of life.

Join us as we visit this brilliant museum in central Scotland.

Arriving at Highland Folk Museum

The museum is accessed directly from the A86; there are car parks to the left and right as you enter. Spaces are available for cars, motorhomes, minibuses and coaches. There is a parking charge of £2 per car, £4 for motorhomes and minibuses, £9 per coach.

Entry is gained by a small reception building just off the car park. The museum is free, but a small donation is highly encouraged to maintain the site and exhibits.

All of the areas of the museum site are accessible via a central path from the parking area. The reception is in the middle of the park and expands east and west over about half a mile each way.

Highland Folk Museum site map. The first open air museum in mainland Britain.
The site map shows this long expansive outdoor museum.

The first open-air museum

Recognised as Britain's first open-air museum, the Highland Folk Museum takes pride in its vast expanse that spans a mile-long site, presenting history as experiences instead of standard museum exhibits. Every corner of the museum, from its traditional buildings to the pine forests, paints a vivid picture of life in the Scottish Highlands from the 1700s to the mid-20th century.

Thirty-five historical buildings are available to explore, including an old school, homes, farm buildings, a post office and 1700s thatched buildings. There's even a field with friendly highland cows!

The museum is split into four distinct regions:

  • Aultlarie Croft.

  • Balameanach - Middle Village.

  • Pinewoods.

  • Baile Gean - 1700s township.

Aultlarie Croft

Aultlarie Croft is a tribute to the Scottish way of life during the 1930s.

Designed as a reproduction of a working farm from that era, it offers visitors a glimpse into the day-to-day operations of highland farming and living. Everything at the croft is meticulously curated to ensure authenticity, from the architectural layout to the tools and implements used. The presence of traditional livestock breeds and heritage crops further transports visitors back in time.

The main attractions of the Aultlarie Croft are:

  • Farm Steading

  • Tin Cottage

  • Railway Halt

  • Smoke House

  • Smiddy

  • Garage

  • Cart Shed

  • Glenlivet Post Office

  • Aultlarie Farmhouse

  • Kirk's Store

  • Travellers' Summer Encampment

  • Shepherd's Bothy and Fank

Glenlivet Post Office.
Glenlivet Post Office was originally built in 1913 by Robert Stuart.
 
Post office interior.
Interior of the post office shows parcels and scales with weights.
 
Aultarie Railway Halt
Aultarie Railway Halt. Originally a signal box between Inverness and Perth, but now set up as a waiting room.
 
Aultarie Garage
Aultarie Garage was built in 1923 and originally used as an oil store. Today it is home to a fine old tractor and other curios.
 
Ducks
My family said hello to the ducks.

Balameanach - Middle Village

Balameanach, which translates from Gaelic to 'Middle Village', represents a significant facet of the Highland Folk Museum. This section was developed to emulate a vibrant community through a collection of relocated buildings, offering visitors a journey into Scotland's architectural and cultural past.

The structures within Balameanach have been painstakingly relocated from various parts of the Highlands; each building has a story to tell and a unique historical significance to convey. These structures, some of which have stood the test of time and others reconstructed with authentic techniques, recreate a vivid tapestry of life as it would have been in the Highlands across various eras.

The middle village includes:

  • Loachanhully House

  • Loom Shed

  • Blackhouse

  • Knapper's Yard

  • Boleskin Shinty Pavilion

  • Daluaine Summerhouse

  • Highland Cottage

  • Knoackbain School

  • Leanach Church

  • Craig Dhu Tweed Cottage

  • MacPhersons's Tailor's Shop

  • The Clockmaker's Workshop

  • The Joiners' Workshop

Upon visiting the Craig Dhu Tweed Cottage, a nice member of staff asked if my kids would like to make some jellyfish from yarn - they loved this activity. It cost nothing, and they had a little keepsake of their visit to take home.

Knockbain School
Knockbain School displayed from its time in 1937. My daughters were shocked to learn about "The Strap!"
 
Knockbain School interior.
Interior of the school.
 
Knockbain School piano.
The school piano and other interesting items.
 
The Blackhouse
The Blackhouse - a reconstruction of an Isle of Lewis dwelling. This is one of the first buildings at the Kingussie site.
 
Blackhouse entrance.
Lauren was a little reluctant to enter the Blackhouse; the door was the perfect height for her, though!
 
Lochantully House.
Lochantully House. Built-in 1922 by the Rose family. Constructed from 90 pine trees sourced from the Seafield Estate.
 
Lochantully House interior.
House interior in 1950s style.
 
Shop exterior.
This house contains the famous sweetie shop and another post office.
 
Sweet shop
Some classic favourites here, along with some more modern offerings.
 
Highland Cottage
Highland Cottage was built in 1800.
 
Inside Highland Cottage
Interior of Highland Cottage.
 
Steam engine at Highland Folk Museum
Steam engine.
 
Highland Folk Museum Old steam engine.
Another photo of the old steam engine.
 
Tailor shop.
MacPherson's tailor shop.
 
Tailor shop interior.
Inside the tailor shop.
 
Craig Dhu Tweed Cottage
The girls learn about the weaving machinery.
 
Staff teaching.
The staff patiently showed Lauren how to make her jellyfish from yarn.
 
Weaving
Winding the needle around the jellyfish template.
 
The finished yarn jellyfish.
Lauren was very pleased with her jellyfish.

Pinewoods

When making our way westwards to the Baile Gean township, we passed through the Pinewoods, which include examples of Shielings - crudely constructed stone dwellings. It was sad to see that many tall pine trees had been blown over during a fierce storm in December 2021.

If you're interested in the sport of Curling, there is a Curling pond and hut just off the main path.

Baile Gean - 1700s township

Perhaps the most popular and most prominent tourist draw is the Baile Gean townships, showing a slice of Highland life in the 1700s. The town includes multiple houses and barns, built using traditional methods, all with large thatched roofs. Some of the homes include burning peat fires, which adds to the smell and ambience when exploring the interior of these fantastic buildings.

Visiting the township does feel like going back in time. Staff in costumes complete the picture acting in character, and are available to answer any questions, wonderfully educational and entertaining at the same time.

Here are all of the available buildings/attractions at the township:

  • Shielings

  • Tacksman's House

  • Weaver's House

  • Stockman's House

  • Cottar's House

  • Threshing Barn

  • Bairns' Barn

  • Kiln Barn

  • Demo Barn

The Baile Gean township was also featured in an episode of the massively popular TV series "Outlander". The main character, Claire, helps the women of a local village with traditional tasks such as pounding impurities from wool. While initially disgusted that urine is used to set the dye in the fabric, she joins in with the process and sings with the other women.

An example of a Shieling home.
Shieling.
 
Thatched out buildings with the pine woods.
Thatched buildings within Baile Gean.
 
Baile Gean home.
One of the Baile Gean homes.
 
1700s home.
How people in Scotland lived in the 1700s.
 
Baile Gean township home.
Baile Gean home.
 
Baile Gean interior.
Interior of one of the buildings.
 
Staff in costume at Baile Gean. Learn how people in the Highlands lived.
Staff in character were available to chat to.
 
Outlander series at Highland Folk Museum. Outlander fan.
This scene from Outlander was filmed at Baile Gean.

A short history of Highland Folk Museum

The museum was founded in 1935 by Dr Isabel Frances Grant.

1930 - Grant organized and curated the 'Highland Exhibition' in Inverness.

1935 - Grant founded the Highland Folk Museum on the island of Iona.

1938 - The museum's collection had outgrown its home.

1939 - The museum moved to Laggan, Badenoch.

1943 - Grant purchased Pitmain Lodge near the train station at Kingussie.

1st of June 1944 - The Highland Folk Museum reopened at Kingussie.

1954 - Grant retired, and the museum's ownership transferred to a Trust formed by Scottish universities.

1956 - George 'Taffy' Davidson became the curator.

1975 - Highland Regional Council assumed management of the museum.

The early 1980s - An eighty-acre site at Newtonmore was acquired.

1983 - Dr Grant passes away.

1987 - The Newtonmore site opened to the public.

2007 - Am Fasgadh site in Kingussie closed.

2011 - Responsibility for the museum's day-to-day operations was given to High Life Highland. Also, a thatched cottage was recreated based on a 19th-century photo from Grantown-on-Spey.

2014 - The new Am Fasgadh opened as a collections storage facility and conference venue.

2015 - The collections at the Highland Folk Museum were officially recognized as a 'Nationally Significant Collection' by Museums Galleries Scotland and the Scottish Government.

The early 2000s - The museum acquired the Glenlivet sub-post office.

2012 - A croft-house from Carrbridge, built in the 1920s, was donated, with plans to relocate it to the museum.

2013 - An episode of Outlander is filmed at the Baile Gean township.

2015 - The museum is recognised as a "Collection of National Significance" by Museum Galleries Scotland.

Highland Cow
A Highland Cow!

Visitor Information

Opening times:

1 April – 31 August 2023 – 10 am – 5 pm daily.
1 Sept – 29 October 2023 – 10.30 am – 4 pm daily.

Owned by Highland Council and run by High Life Highland.

Contact details:

Address: Kingussie Road, Newtonmore, Highlands, Highland, Scotland, PH20 1AY
Telephone: +44 (0)1349 781650.
Email: highland.folk@highlifehighland.com

Location:

OS: NN724996
Google Maps Location
What3words: ///crunchy.painting.quicksand

Gift Shop at Highland Folk Museum. Museum closes at 5pm in the summer.
The Gift Shop.

FAQs on Highland Folk Museum

How long does it take to see the Highland Folk Museum?

There is a great deal to see at this museum over an expansive site; it depends on how long you take to see everything it offers. I would plan for 3 to 5 hours when visiting.

Is Highland Folk Museum dog friendly?

Only assistance dogs are allowed within the museum site. However, there is a fenced enclosure at the reception with shelter and water if you wish to leave your dog while you visit.

How much does it cost to go to the Highland Folk Museum?

Entry is by donation, but you can choose to pay nothing if you wish... don't be mean, though; please consider a donation to keep this excellent museum active.

There is a charge for the car park: £2 per car, £4 for motorhomes and minibuses, £9 per coach. The parking machines accept both coins and notes.

Is Highland Folk Museum accessible?

The site and buildings are very accessible to wheelchair users. There is a trailer that will transport disabled people to any part of the site they like, including the medieval township. Some paths are gravel and a little tricky for wheelchairs, but they are passable. Accessible toilets are available.

Will kids find the museum boring?

My kids were definitely not bored visiting the museum. They loved making the jellyfish at the Craig Dhu Tweed Cottage and were really interested in the old school building. The old-style sweets were also a big hit; they always enjoy the playpark.

Highland Folk Museum Playpark.
Olivia and Lauren at the playpark.
 
Wooden car
Olivia and Lauren playing on the wooden car.

Where else can I visit near Highland Folk Museum?

The closest major attractions are:

  • Loch Inch Outdoor Centre - watersports, archery, skiing and tubing are some available activities at this amazing outdoor centre.

  • Highland Wildlife Park - One of the best zoos in Scotland, this wildlife park has many local species, including deer, red squirrels and wildcats, and rare species, such as polar bears, snow leopards and tigers.

  • Ruthven Barracks - A ruined barracks dating from the 1700s, built on the site of a much older castle.

  • Many Lochs - Loch MorlichLoch An EileanThe Green Loch and Loch Vaa are all worth your time for a visit.

  • Alvie Forest Food - if you're looking for amazing food, look no further than Alvie Forest Food which is roughly a 25-minute drive northeast along the B9152.

Videos of Highland Folk Museum

Here are a few video clips of our visit to the museum.

Site overview and an opportune train.
 
Interior of one of the buildings.
 
Interior of the railway halt.
 
Playpark and another train.

Key information on Highland Folk Museum

  • The museum was founded by Dr Isabel Frances Grant in 1935.

  • Initially located on the Island of Iona, it moved to Laggan, Badenoch, and then finally its location today near Kingussie.

  • The museum contains 35 buildings from different periods of Scottish history, from the 1700s to the 1950s.

  • The site is spread over a large area of about one mile.

  • Entry is by donation, but free access is possible.

  • Plan for about 3 to 5 hours at the museum to see everything.

  • The site includes a cafe, giftshop and play park.

Highland Cottage 2. Inverness shire.
Another view of Highland Cottage.

Conclusion

For anyone keen on understanding Scotland beyond its scenic landscapes and iconic castles, the Highland Folk Museum offers a chance to experience life in Scotland from the 1700s to the 1950s. How highlanders lived, worked, went to school and spent their leisure time, everything is covered here.

The museum has so much to see and something to suit all ages. Just keep in mind there is a great deal of walking involved.

We always have a great time at the museum and always notice something new on each visit. Our daughters love the play park and traditional sweetie shop. Highly recommended for a visit if your staying in the Aviemore/Kingussie area.

All information was correct at the time of writing, please check things like entry costs and opening times before you arrive.

Claim Your Free 6 Day Travel Itinerary:

Simply enter your email and we'll send it your way!

Free Scotland travel itinerary

Hi, please leave a comment below, or why not start a discussion on the forum?