An Extraordinary Year Annual Review 2013 “The Museum holds not only a collection of national significance but also tells the story of our people and our communities.” Culture Secretary, Fiona Hyslop Copyright Clive Watkins In this our thirtieth anniversary year, I’m delighted to say we In many ways, this year, thanks to the support of our funders made significant steps towards our vision to become a dynamic, and the hard work of our staff and volunteers, we matured from world-class, national maritime museum. being custodians to become a visitor friendly museum with a bold, bright and exciting future. The £1.25m restoration and refurbishment of the vast Victorian Indeed, we are already looking at new ways in which we can Linthouse building which houses much of our nationally become an increasingly important and visited cultural resource recognised collection played a huge role in this step change. which informs, educates and inspires. Through this major project, which was funded by the Scottish Our maritime tradition is an important part of both our National Government, we were not only able to secure the future of our and local identity and we remain committed to growing our great maritime collection but we had the unique opportunity role in supporting and building our local communities in North Ayrshire and West Dunbartonshire as well as fulfilling our of looking at our assets and exhibits in the round and creating a national role. vastly improved visitor experience. Altogether, this has been an extraordinary year and an exciting Our recent enhancements at the Denny Ship Model Experiment future lies ahead. Tank in Dumbarton were recognised with a new Four Star VisitScotland grading. We also achieved full Accreditation for Sam Galbraith both sites from the Arts Council’s Accreditation Scheme which Chair sets nationally agreed standards for museums in the UK. Scottish Maritime Museum Trust Our vision is to become a dynamic, world-class, national maritime museum that informs, educates and inspires www.scottishmaritimemuseum.org M @scotmaritime Scotland’s World Class Collection of Maritime Heritage Reopens After £1.25m Refurbishment Our biggest achievement this year was the £1.25m refurbishment engineering designs which influenced the course of maritime of the Linthouse building which houses the Scottish Maritime history across the world. Museum on the Harbourside in Irvine, Ayrshire. We were delighted to welcome Cabinet Secretary for Culture With the generous support of the Scottish Government, we and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, to the Linthouse on Friday were able to turn a building with a very large and spectacular 14th June to perform the long-awaited reopening. but leaking roof (with some 2,100 individual glass panes) Marking the occasion, the Culture Secretary said: “The Museum into a magnificent new facility with a more accessible layout holds not only a collection of national significance but also and a dynamic and stimulating display. Our stunning new tells the story of our people and our communities – that’s why interpretation has a stronger focus on telling the stories of the the Scottish Government was convinced of the need for, and inventors, craftsmen and sailors behind the exhibition pieces. the benefits of, supporting the refurbishment of the Linthouse With additional support from Museum Galleries Scotland, we building. The replacement of the roof of Scotland’s ‘Cathedral of were also able to create a new education room in the Linthouse. Engineering’, marks the beginning of new era for the Museum - it Through the restoration of the vast Victorian building of 1872, will make a very great difference to preserving the collections and which was formerly the Linthouse Engine Shop of the Alexander to the Museum experience for visitors from home and abroad.” Stephen & Sons shipyard in Govan before being relocated to Since reopening, the Museum has enjoyed a record summer, Irvine in 1990, we can ensure the preservation of our invaluable welcoming twice as many visitors as in the previous operating year. maritime collection of Scottish-built ships, vessels and A Strengthened Team During the year, we made some important staff changes to David will be ably supported by Linda Ross, who was promoted improve our service and efficiency and support our future from Curator to Deputy Director and Senior Curator in July. development. Additional support will be given to David and Linda by Abigail After successfully steering the refurbishment of the Linthouse, Reed, who was promoted to Curator; Beverley Donaldson, who David Mann was appointed Director of the Scottish Maritime was appointed as Volunteer Manager; and Stuart Rich, who Museum by the Board of Directors. David, who has been was promoted to Visitor Services Manager at Irvine. Education employed by the Museum since 2004, latterly as Acting Officer, Anna Clarke, will also be assisted by our new intern, Director, is now responsible for taking us into our next stage of Victoria Robb. development. Our vision is to become a dynamic, world-class, national maritime museum that informs, educates and inspires www.scottishmaritimemuseum.org M @scotmaritime Denny Tank Achieves Four Star Grading West Dunbartonshire Provost, Douglas McAllister, visited the Denny Tank in Dumbarton on Thursday 26th September to present our new Four Star VisitScotland grading. The new award came as we celebrated the 25th anniversary of this museum which centres on the world’s first and longest surviving experiment tank for commercial shipbuilding. The 300 feet long test tank, which contains some 1.75million litres of water, is the last remaining part of the influential William Denny and Brothers shipyard, which reputedly built more vessels than any other Clyde shipbuilder over its 121 year history, including SS Sir Walter Scott. The yard also completed construction of the Cutty Sark, the last surviving tea clipper. The Denny Tank tells such an important national and local story. We were therefore delighted to be recognised for successfully bringing it to life for our visitors. VisitScotland’s Regional Director, David Adams McGilp, concluded the presentation saying: “This is a tremendous achievement for the Denny Tank Museum team and a fitting acknowledgement of the quality of experience. Dumbarton is justifiably proud of its maritime history and this award endorses the committed efforts of a small team to maintaining very high standards of customer care.” Developing Our Volunteers In recent years, we have welcomed many volunteers gifting Our new Volunteer Manager is responsible for taking our their time to help with a variety of roles, from engineering volunteer development programme to the next level, and restoration through to, more recently, visitor services and widening the number of volunteer opportunities we offer and education. We are indebted to our volunteers, many of whom strengthening our volunteering experience. played a significant part in what we have achieved this year. Funding Achieved for Scotland’s First Boatbuilding Academy This year, we made a successful application to the Coastal training and cultural opportunities for local volunteers, Communities Fund, securing an award of £225,000 to establish a particularly young people, will play a major role in helping boatbuilding academy at the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine. us contribute more significantly to the social and economic regeneration of North Ayrshire. The new academy will take eight young pre-apprentices each year training them to SVQ Level 3. We were fortunate to be able to appoint Martin Hughes as Boatbuilding Academy Manager. A former lecturer in We will also help create and train a new community volunteer boatbuilding at James Watt College, Martin brings with him a group who will build a St Ayles Skiff for racing at the many wealth of practical and teaching experience and will be pivotal coastal rowing regattas held across the country. in bringing our ambitions to create Scotland’s first boatbuilding Teaching traditional skills to a new generation and providing academy to life next year. Our vision is to become a dynamic, world-class, national maritime museum that informs, educates and inspires Our vision is to become a dynamic, world-class, national maritime museum that informs, educates and inspires www.scottishmaritimemuseum.org M @scotmaritime www.scottishmaritimemuseum.org M @scotmaritime Copyright Alan Kempster for SMM Future Secured for the City of Adelaide After many years in the planning and with support from the Scottish Government, the City of Adelaide left Scottish shores for a new life at the helm of a new maritime heritage quarter in Port Adelaide, South Australia. On the 6th of September, we officially handed over the world’s oldest clipper ship to the Australian group, the Clipper Ship City of Adelaide and preparations Copyright Alan Kempster for SMM began to transfer the mighty and still beautiful vessel onto a barge for transport to London for a final farewell on British soil before onward travel to Australia. Left to right: Jim Tildesley (Scottish Maritime Over the past decade, much detailed research has been carried out into the City Museum/SMM), Sam Galbraith (SMM), of Adelaide, a ship built on the River Wear originally to carry people emigrating Wendy Chapman (former Mayor of Adelaide), to southern Australia and most latterly deployed as a training ship known as Margaret Burgess MSP, Peter Christopher HMS Carrick. This rich historical context will be key as the new owners restore, (Director CSCOAL), Joan Sturgeon North understand and interpret the City of Adelaide over coming years. Ayrshire Provost, Kenneth Gibson MSP, David The ship has been a local landmark since it was salvaged in 1992 after sinking the Mann (SMM) and local school children from previous year in Glasgow’s River Clyde. We look forward to embarking on a long- Irvine Royal Academy and Castlepark Primary term cultural, heritage and educational exchange with the City of Adelaide after School. Glebe Primary School and St Patrick’s the clipper arrives in Australia next Spring.