In celebration of poet Rob Donn

Residents and visitors across Mackay Country – from Scourie to Melvich – will be noticing a series of new interpretation panels in the area.

The informative panels are part of a collaboration between Mackay Country Community Trust and Strathnaver Museum to celebrate the life and times of renowned Gaelic bard Rob Donn Mackay.

The project secured £36,200 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF); £7720 from Caithness and North Sutherland Fund and £7,720 from SSE Strathy North Community Fund.

Rob Donn, a contemporary of Robert Burns, is an extremely important figure in the history of Gaelic literature and is arguably as important to Gaelic poetry as Burns is to Scots poetry.

The project team has brought to life this era using the poems and songs composed by Donn to explore the history and culture of the era. The Rob Donn trail links the places and people depicted in the stories, his poems and songs and presents them in an accessible and informative fashion. The panels, designed by Lairg graphic designer and illustrator Eilidh Price, also provide a brief history of each of the nine locations where the panels appear.

An exhibition of the art and craft work created by artists and members of the community will be on display in Strathnaver Museum this year. The work includes a textile wall-hanging, art work created by renowned artists from Caithness and Sutherland and pieces of work created by local school children.

Artists from Caithness and Sutherland have created 10 pieces of artwork, in a range of media, to celebrate Donn’s life and times. The artists involved are Joanne Kaar, Dunnet; Jana Embury, Wick; Wendy Sutherland, Brora; Mark Edwards, Tongue; Sam Barlow, Lairg; Lotte Glob, Laid; Jenny Mackenzie Ross, Latheron; Norman Gibson, Brora; and Ian Westacott, Dornoch.

A guide book is available to purchase from Strathnaver Museum and trail maps will be distributed across the area in time for the visitor season.

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