A new touring exhibition, Fonn‘s Duthchas: Land and Legacy, celebrating aspects of Highland cultural life past and present has opened in Inverness.

A collaborative exhibition by National Museums Scotland, the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Library of Scotland, it has been funded by the Scottish Executive as part of their commitment to Highland 2007, a major project to showcase the Highlands during 2007 as a great place to live and to visit. 

Providing a fresh modern showcase for Highland culture that reflects the roots, values and cultural heritage of a creative and freethinking people, Fonn ‘s Duthchas promotes a celebration of the heritage and creativity of a society which continues to contribute so significantly to the cultural identity of Scotland.

The exhibition’s title comes from the Gaelic phrase Fonn ‘s Duthchas which has a range of meanings including “land” and “legacy”, however, “Fonn” can also mean “music” and “tune”, and “Duthchas” can signify a hereditary right to the place of your birth.

This special touring exhibition divides into ten sections and explores wide ranging themes including the oral tradition and the resurgence of traditional language, the Highland landscape and its effect upon its people, and industry and infrastructure, exploring early industry and its development to the sustainable industries, including the advent of new media have revolutionised Highland communities today.

The Exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustrated publication, Fonn ‘s Duthchas: Land and Legacy by James Hunter and is supported by a web resource offering online opportunities to explore, through games and learning materials, the themes and objects contained in the exhibition.

The exhibition is on at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery from 13 January to 17 March 2007 and tours to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow from 6 April to 10 June 2007, National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh from 29 June to 2 September 2007 and Museum nan Eilean on Stornoway from 21 September to 1 December 2007.

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