New future for the Falconer Museum in Forres
Plans to re-open the Falconer Museum in Forres have taken a major step forward, with Moray Council backing a new operating model that will see the historic building brought back into use after nearly six years of closure.
The museum, founded in 1871 and home to collections of national and international significance, has been closed since 2019 due to budget pressures. Now, following detailed feasibility work and strong community engagement, a group of skilled local individuals have come forward to form a new independent body to manage the museum.
Under the proposals, the museum will reopen gradually through a five-year transition process, with support from Moray Council, particularly during the initial set-up phase.
In the first year, the focus will be on setting up the new charity who will run the facility, finalising plans and opening the museum for a limited number of days. From year two onwards, the museum will build up activity and visitor numbers, with the aim of becoming fully self-sufficient by year five.
The Falconer Museum’s collections include archaeology, palaeontology and natural history gathered by its founder Sir Hugh Falconer. Sir Hugh’s links to Charles Darwin and his pioneering work in evolutionary science make the collection unique in Scotland, with potential to develop the Falconer as a destination museum for visitors and researchers alike.
Cllr Marc Macrae, Chair of Moray Council’s Economic Development and Infrastructure Servies Committee, said: “The Falconer Museum is part of Forres’s identity and heritage. These proposals give us a sustainable model to re-open this much-loved museum, placing it in the hands of the community while ensuring its collections are cared for and its story told for generations to come. It will not only celebrate our past but also contribute to Forres’s future as a cultural and visitor destination.”
The museum will play a role in the wider regeneration of Forres through the Forres Conservation and Heritage Scheme, and complement projects being developed under the Moray Growth Deal.
As well as exhibitions, the new model is proposed to include activities for schools, lifelong learning opportunities, and community events. If successful, the project could bring an estimated £585,000 in visitor spend to the local economy each year.
A report on year one progress will return to committee in September 2026, with a view to securing a long-term lease and full operating model going forward.
Members of the new operating body for the Falconer Museum, said: “The group of prospective trustees is confident that combined they have the necessary knowledge, skill, experience in the heritage and culture sector and most of all perseverance to move things forward towards a reopening of the Falconer Museum”.