The Cutty Sark Virtual Museum
Click Play button below to hear Music for “Weel Done Cutty Sark”
Allan Fotheringham Senior – Managing Director of Fotheringham Property Developments said “As a local business we see great value in supporting other local organisations and endeavour to do so. When Dave approached us about the prospect of creating a Cutty Sark Museum, we could see his vision and enthusiasm for the project and were delighted to support it both financially and with our expertise to help make this vision become a reality.”
The Cutty Sark Museum Project, has been given a tremendous boost for 2017 by an extremely generous sponsorship support package by Fotheringham Property Developments, Gourdon.
Managed by Mearns Heritage Services, the Cutty Sark Project has been under way in partnership with local schools since the summer of 2016. A potential and appropriate building for the Museum was identified in Inverbervie, the birth place of Hercules Linton, designer of the famous Cutty Sark, but as a result of some local objections this had to be abandoned.
Given the importance of the unique local heritage of Linton and the Cutty Sark, and the fact that Linton was given national recognition through the award of a bronze plaque by Historic Scotland in 2015, meant that a strategy was needed to overcome this minor setback.
Bervie, Glenbervie and Auchenblae primary schools have all been working with Mearns Heritage Services on projects to develop an integrated Cutty Sark project, which draws together, the various connections between Robert Burns, Tam o’ Shanter, William Burnes the father of Robert Burns, born at Clochnahill outside Stonehaven, Cutty Sark, and Hercules Linton, in the context of the Mearns, and culminates in a dedicated Cutty Sark Museum.
The innovative approach which has been adopted is to develop a “virtual” Museum, where information, design, audio links, graphics and photography in an interactive website, will inform the final design and size of the Museum building.
Project Director Dave Ramsay said “The generous sponsorship by Fotheringham Property Developments, (FDP) is much more than just financial support. What we have through this sponsorship, is access to high quality, specialised, architectural and property development and project management, to industry standards.”
“When it comes to the final specification of the Museum, and identification of a building to suit our needs, we then have the expertise of a highly experienced Property Development Team, who can assist with all the specialist information required for grant funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other funding bodies. This is what makes this Partnership support by Fotheringham Property Developments so valuable.”
George McGillivray, web designer of Webecom Marketing, will be leading on the design aspects of the Project, while a skilled team, of heritage and graphics specialists, coordinated by Dave, will provide the inputs to the website. George has a wide experience of developing specialist heritage sites, to suit an extensive range of purposes and audiences.
The Project has support from Aberdeenshire Council, Viscount and Viscountess Arbuthnott, Cutty Sark Museum Greenwich, and the Eyemouth Maritime Heritage Centre, birth place of Jock (White Hat) Willis, who commissioned the Cutty Sark for the tea trade.
To provide further support for the Project, Ronan Littlejohn of Johnshaven, is putting together a small team of cyclists for August 2017 for a sponsored cycle ride from Invervbervie, the birth place of Hercules Linton, to Dumbarton, where Cutty Sark was built and launched in November 1869. Ronan has been an enthusiastic and highly successful fund raiser, generating thousands of pounds for local families and charities.
Dave said “Given the level of specialist and community support which we have encouraged, I have no doubt that we will create a viable and valuable visitor attraction which will recognise the unique story of Hercules Linton, Cutty Sark, and Inverbervie”
“It also a quirky coincidence, that the new HQ of Fotheringham Property Developments is based at the “Linton” Business Park, Gourdon!”
The website and “Virtual” Museum, and all the work of the schools, additional features and special exhibits, will be formally launched at a special event on the 22nd November 2017.
Go to The Scottish Dimension
Dave Ramsay – Project Director – Mearns Heritage Services
SPONSORS
