Stromness Museum: This beautifully renovated museum tells the story of how the town of Stromness grew into one of the most important ports in the north. It was the last port of call for the ships of the fur-trading Hudson's Bay Company, who recruited workers in Stromness. Fine displays of Cree Indian and Inuit crafts are exhibited. Learn about the 19th century Orcadian explorer Dr John Rae who mapped huge areas of Canada's Arctic coast.
Whaling ships also took on stores and men from Stromness, this is portrayed in a gallery on Arctic Whaling. The coastal shipping trade is featured, as is the herring-fishing boom of the late 19th century. Artefacts brought home from foreign ports, a large collection of ship models, and sailors handicrafts and tales gives us a taste of the age of sail.
An important collection of artefacts from the German High Seas Fleet is displayed, along with the story of how an entire navy was scuttled at Scapa Flow after World War I. Shipwrecks, Lifeboats and Lighthouses are also featured.
The First Floor Gallery will re-open in April 2000. It contains the natural history of Orkney, portrayed in a large collection of birds, shells, minerals, fossils, mammals, plants, fish, crustaceans, butterflies and moths. Artefacts from all over the world, including South Seas weapons believed to have belonged to Captain James Cook, makes a fascinating display. The story of Stromness Museum and its collection is told, with many strange and rare exhibits.
Partial disabled Access.