A great day out Highland Folk Museum Review

This is a museum with a difference as it's open-air. It is made up of a number of buildings from 1800 to present. Some of the buildings are real houses that were relocated to the museum so are really interesting. There is a whole 1800s homestead of old blackhouses, some have peat fires burning and no Chimneys so are pretty smelly and stuffy - but great as you really experience how they lived. There is also a farm area that has a garden, a cow you can milk and lots of implements, some of which are pretty scary from a health and safety perspective. The thing we liked best was the old schoolhouse - we went in with children and we're greeted by the schoolmaster shouting at us for being late and telling us to sit down! The children were given old writing nibs and ink and we were treated to a lesson. It was great fun! There are quite a few staff at the museum dressed up as period dwellers and they are happy to answer questions. You can spend a whole day here easily.

It's a great way to experience how people lived in the highlands over the last few hundred years and it's free! You are asked to leave a donation.

There is a cafe serving food and drinks, toilets and a small shop on site. Ther is also an old fashioned sweetie shop which my other half spent a fortune in!

Transport is by train/bus to Newtonmore then a 15 minute walk. It is easily accessible from the A9. The museum is closed over the winter.