Dunollie Museum, Castle And Grounds | Museums & Galleries Technician Modern Apprenticeship

Dunollie Museum, Castle and Grounds

"The staff and Trustees at Dunollie are delighted to have been included in this wonderful project to help prepare and train the next generation of young people for work in the museums of Argyll. With many thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for supporting the initiative, we look forward to getting underway and recruiting the Dunollie Curatorial Apprentice." Emma Sutcliffe, General Manager at Dunollie Museum, Castle and Grounds

Dunollie Museum, Castle and Grounds is an internationally recognised centre for Scottish culture and heritage and home of the World-Wide Clan MacDougall. The site is managed by a registered charity, The MacDougall of Dunollie Preservation Trust, and includes a mediaeval Castle Ruin, perched on a cliff and surrounded by stunning views across Oban Bay. In the oldest part of the Laird’s House below, is the 1745 House Museum, displaying textiles, a Highland Social History collection as well as Clan MacDougall material and archives. Dunollie’s Historic Woodland Grounds surround the 1745 House and Castle Ruin. The site is open annually from April to October for visitors, and special events take place throughout the year.

Shannen Calderwood undertook a year-long Museums and Galleries Practice SVQ, a level 7 qualification supported by Museums Galleries Scotland and Skills Development Scotland. Shannen’s main role included caring for collections, and Shannen demonstrated a talent for delivering guided tours. Over the summer season, she guided 353 people through the Museum and up to the Castle on the hill. Although these activities were new to Shannen, she found that her background in hospitality provided many transferable skills that were useful in her apprenticeship. As her apprenticeship drew to a close, Dunollie offered Shannen a 36-month contract as their Collections Development Officer on a National Lottery Heritage Fun project.

“My role at Dunollie has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on me. It has allowed me to learn about working with collections and all the other activities that go into keeping visitor attractions such as Dunollie Museum, Castle and Grounds running smoothly. I have learned about the vast history of both the site itself - the Clan MacDougall, Miss Hope MacDougall as a social historian - and the wider history of Argyll. I have been encouraged to feel confident in my abilities, to learn new things and to present ideas despite being very new to the team. I have never felt part of a more supportive, kind and hardworking team and I feel really lucky to be here.” Shannen Calderwood, Apprentice

Argyll Aspires Report