The Mapping Museum research project was created to look at the increase in the number of museums in the UK. As part of this project, Godfrey James MacDonald and Sue Geale were interviewed about the Museum of the Isles.

Explore more about the Mapping Museum project here and read MacDonald and Geale's interview below:

Interview summary

Name of person being interviewed: Godfrey James MacDonald

Location of interview: Museum of the Isles, Skye

Date of Recording: 16 May 2019

Recording Length: 01:04:07

Name of interviewer: Dr Toby Butler

Description: The Museum of the Isles is concerned with the history of Clan Donald and the lordship of the Isles of northwest Scotland.

Summary of main points in interview: Godfrey MacDonald (Lord Donald) is High Chief of Clan Donald and a founder of the Museum of the Isles. In 1970 his father’s estate was sold to pay death duties and he was approached about setting up a trust to buy (the ruined) Armadale Castle in Skye to create a cultural centre including a museum, archive and study centre.

He describes how he made an international tour to secure donations from members of Clan Donald (estimates range between 7 million and 17 million members worldwide). He describes the design of the first museum and the chosen narrative which aimed to cover the history of Clan Donals from Lordship of the Isles to the decline of the Clans system and the Highland clearances.

The museum eventually moved to a purpose-built building (funded by a major donation) in the grounds to accommodate the Cunningham Collection. He explains that the 20,000-acre estate is mostly crofted and is financially dependent on the income from the Centre.
Godfrey describes how the museum facilities and grounds have changed as tourism has grown.

MacDonald also discusses Gaelic, Highland culture, migration, and feelings of identity. Improvements in access to Skye are discussed, together with the contribution the museum makes to the local community. He discusses how pleased he is that the Trust and the estate have come such a long way since the 1970s.

Name of person being interviewed: Sue Geale

Location of interview: Museum of the Isles, Skye

Date of Recording: 16 May 2019

Recording Length: 00:24:52

Summary of main points in interview: Sue Geale is manager of the museum and member of the management committee who run the site. There are 17 members of staff, though some are seasonal and part-time. A former academic librarian at the University of Hull, she moved to Skye in 2015.

The museum had approximately 44,000 visitors in 2018, and is open every day for nine months of the year. The visitors range from coach tours visiting Skye, Armadale Castle and the museum as part of a tour of the site, to "independent travellers" and those interested in clan history. The museum is a member of regional heritage organisations including the Highland Museum Forum.

Geale discusses funding and inter-museum loans of artefacts and displays. She talks about working with a group at St Andrew’s University to try and develop a virtual museum to reach out to the Clan Donald diaspora, with the hope that members of that diaspora can add their own stories to.

PLEASE NOTE: No transcript has been provided for this interview