The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses based in Fraserburgh has been given a lifeline to help it survive the financial shock of having to close at the start of the tourist season due to COVID19. The Northern Lighthouse Heritage Trust, the charity arm of the Northern Lighthouse Board, came up with a support package of just over £18,000 to enable this popular tourist attraction to continue to function over the coming months and prepare for re-opening.
Mike Bullock, Chief Executive of the Northern Lighthouse Board said:
“The Museum is a very special place to us as it tells the story of the Northern Lighthouse Board and is dedicated to preserving the industrial and social history of Scotland’s lighthouses and we are immensely proud of the achievements of the Museum Manager, Lynda McGuigan and her team. We were therefore delighted that the Board of Trustees of the Northern Lighthouse Heritage Trust agreed unanimously to offer a package of support to the Museum.
“Most of the Museum’s staff will be put on the UK Government’s Furlough Job Retention Scheme which pays 80% of an individual’s wages. But because of the need to care for the National Collection, provide security checks, meet insurance requirements and most importantly prepare to reopen again they needed to keep the posts of Museum Manager and Collections Manager working. That’s where the Trust was able to step in and fund that work.”
Lynda McGuigan, Manager of the Museum said:
“I am so relieved the Northern Lighthouse Heritage Trust stepped in to provide this support. We have a collection that is of international, national and local significance and it would be devastating if we had to close. Most importantly, we employ a team of vibrant and passionate people from the local area and we want to make sure that when all this is over the Museum is ready to do what it does best, which is to attract visitors from near and far, give them a great day out and in the process provide an invaluable boost to the economy of Fraserburgh and the surrounding region.”
Next month marks the 25th Anniversary of the Museum opening. A weekend of events to mark the occasion were due to take place but have now been cancelled. For more information on the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, visit their website.
Photo credit: Ian Cowe
