Strathnaver Museum bailed out by Anders Holch Povlsen's company Wildland Ltd after legal difficulties put £2.3 million renovation project in jeopardy. Museum now 'back on track' to reopen next spring
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A LEGAL problem which could have scuppered a £2.3 million pound project to turn a North Coast museum into a “world class visitor attraction” has now been resolved, it is reported.
Managers of Strathnaver Museum feared its ongoing refurbishment could be in jeopardy after problems were discovered with the title deeds of the historic former parish church.
And it has emerged that Danish entrepreneur Anders Holch Povlsen’s land conservation and tourism company Wildland Ltd stepped in with an “unsecured loan” to keep the upgrade scheme on course and tide the museum over its difficulties.
The popular museum is now on course to reopen as planned in April next year.
Strathnaver Museum chairman Tom Mackay said: “The museum remains on track to reopen as scheduled after steps by trustees to secure its legal future were underpinned with generous financial support from Wildland.”
The community-run museum secured more than £2 million in capital funding to create new exhibition and workshop space, install accessible interpretation across its site, and deliver community research projects.
Work on the ambitious project began in September last year.
But directors were shocked to discover at the start of 2022 that a “clerical oversight made decades ago” meant that the title to the museum was still registered in the names of its original community trustees and not that of Strathnaver Museum Ltd”.
This meant that the museum was unable to draw down crucial funding including the £650,000 support pledged by the National Heritage Lottery Fund.
Wildland provided an interest-free £600,000 loan to “manage the pressure of an immediate cash-flow crisis” and its input meant that the refurbishment work could continue.
Mr Mackay said: “We were particularly concerned that any delay to the ongoing project would have had major repercussions on project delivery due to the unprecedented rise in material costs and the short-term availability of some funding sources.
“So we are all particularly grateful to Wildland for providing immediate, vital, interest-free and unsecured loan support that relieved the challenge we faced.
“Without this comfort, we would not be where we are today and may even have had to shelve the much-needed refurbishment project indefinitely.”
Mr Mackay added: “Museum directors have since the start of 2022 worked to resolve the situation to the satisfaction of Tain Sheriff Court officers.”
Wildland chief executive Tim Kirkwood said: “The directors of Strathnaver Museum were in an extremely difficult position, but their diligence and passion for the project quickly gave us all the confidence we needed to do what we could to help carry them and their contractors over an extremely tricky period. The alternative did not really bear thinking about.
“We trust that our support of the team’s considerable achievements will allow the museum to deliver even more social, educational, environmental and financial benefit to the communities across north west Sutherland.”
