Canna House reopens with post-war atmosphere preserved
Transcript
I’m Clea Warner, the Regional Director for the Highlands & Islands at the National Trust for Scotland.
It’s hugely exciting, and having been with the project from its conception, it’s so wonderful to see the building warm, water-tight and really providing a fantastic place to house such an important archive and collection.
It will give the future visitors to the island a way of accessing the history of Canna and Canna House, and it means that they can go and find out more, should they wish to, but also leave with a really good idea of the history of Canna House and the people who lived in it.
The tours are fantastic to demonstrate that.
In terms of the archive, I think, not only is it important with regards to the contents of it that are of a Gaelic nature, but also the fact that it is the history of Canna. It very much supports our conservation objective, and I have to say the reason that I'm so proud to have been involved with this project is that only the Trust would do this.
It’s taken what was a building that needed huge amounts of restoration to protect something that is internationally important, and it's been difficult, logistically, it's been a challenge, but we've got there, and
I think what we now offer is a fantastic insight and a way of getting to know Canna, both the archive and the island, a lot better.
My name is Karen Clark, and I’m the House Manager for Canna House.
I think it’ll just add to the overall experience of visiting Canna.
It overlooks the harbour. It’s set within an absolutely beautiful garden, and I think it’s somewhere else that people will be able to come and have a really great experience.
The tour itself lasts 90 minutes. They're walking around with a guide, so it’s very much a more personal experience than you might get at some other properties, and I think it just adds to a really great day out as well.
Canna is an absolutely beautiful island. The harbour here, which is sheltered, it’s also incredibly fertile, so there's alwaysbeen crofting and farming communities here. It’s got a little bit of everything for a small island. It’s got archaeology. It’s got wildlife. It’s got beautiful crystal clear water, and fantastic residents here, who give you the best welcome. I think now you've got the addition of the house, I think it’s definitely the full package.
Work done here has been extensive. From the roof, working down, they’ve been replacement joists, replacement plasterwork, repairs to wallpaper, and I think one of the main ones, has been the addition of the two humidity and temperature-controlled archive rooms, so that the National Trust for Scotland can can care properly for the collection that the Campbell's left us.
One of the best things, and the feedback I’ve had from lots of visitors, is that the house very much feels like a home. You know people had a good life here. They enjoyed good company.
I think everywhere you look, you see something new. Even everyday, I’ll walk into the same room and I find something else to look at.
We’ve had so many NTS visitors come and visit us in the last couple of weeks as well, and it’s great. I actually say to them, it’s because of your support that we're able to do this, so thank you.
Without funding and support, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do, and special thanks should be given to our support from the National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA. They’ve supported us for many years with the Canna House project and several smaller ongoing projects.
The Trust has aimed to create an atmosphere which will give visitors a sense that ‘someone has just left the room,’ with a warm, lived-in feel throughout the house. Gaelic song and language will fill the air, as audio devices are triggered when visitors move through each room. The couple’s extensive collection of personal items acquired over a lifetime are displayed in an organic and eclectic way, showcasing how the house would have looked in the mid-20th century, not long after World War II.
Extensive repairs have been made to the building, roof and windows of the house to withstand the Hebridean weather and protect its important and historic contents, which include an internationally significant archive collection of Gaelic music, folklore and culture.
Angus Murray, Operations Manager for Canna, said: ’We’ve worked hard to create an atmosphere that reflects Canna House in its prime, a home full of music, stories, and Gaelic, just as John and Margaret would have had it. As a team, we are excited to share this experience with a new generation of visitors to Canna.’
Among the highlights of the collection are a dictaphone recording machine, which John used to capture Gaelic speakers in the Western Isles and Cape Breton; Margaret’s favourite Graflex camera used to record a disappearing way of life; and the Book of Pooni, dedicated to their favourite cat.
Work has been underway since 2016 at Canna House with a series of emergency repairs, but it was in 2022 that the project really gathered pace as a priority project in the Trust’s ten-year strategy, Nature, Beauty & Heritage for Everyone. The project was incredibly complex, with:
- More than 1,650 objects cleaned and conserved.
- 160 items of furniture conserved.
- 140 framed works cleaned and conserved.
- More than 50 fixtures and fittings cleaned.
- Historic wallpapers and original painted surfaces were cleaned in ten rooms, with other lost original wallpapers recreated.
- Extensive external fabric conservation repair, focusing on future climate resilience.
- The original building underwent structural repairs, and further structural enhancements were made to accommodate new archive facilities.
- Updated services, improved insulation for better energy efficiency, and installed a conservation heating system to protect collections.
- Creation of two dedicated archive storage rooms and a reading room within the house.
Philip Long OBE, the Trust’s Chief Executive, said: ’All of us who have a love for Canna and an appreciation of the important stories this house holds will be delighted to see the incredible condition Canna House is now in. Caring for these places is not an easy task, but it is an important one, and our charity is privileged to play a part alongside the creative residents, skilled contractors and many others who make projects like this possible. I hope everyone, whether they live here, visit often, or after reading this, come for the first time, enjoy the nature, beauty and heritage of this special place.’
Canna House was the home of John Lorne Campbell and Margaret Fay Shaw who amassed an extraordinary collection of Gaelic music, folklore and culture including some 1,500 Gaelic folksongs and 350 folk tales; the first recordings of members of the Mi’kmaq nation; and over 5,000 photographic negatives and 25 reels of film spanning 50 years of Gaelic culture on the islands of Canna, Barra, the Uists and Mingulay. And, of course, the copious paper archives of these noted Gaelic scholars.
This material is now held in conservation-standard storage rooms in the house. The new reading room provides, for the first time, the space needed for an archivist to complete a planned audit of the contents, and this will be followed by a two-year cataloguing project to create a detailed listing of the contents. When complete, the catalogue will provide improved access to archive information, both for staff answering enquiries and researchers who wish to visit Canna House.
Clea Warner, Regional Director for the Highlands and Islands, said: ’The house opening is just one of the many fantastic events taking place on Canna in 2025. In April, the team took part in the Trust’s Easter Egg Trails for the first time, and there’s some pioneering seabird conservation work underway too. The National Trust for Scotland is delighted to have been able to support the community’s brilliant visitor hub project and work with them on a wide range of other plans to contribute to the community and Canna.
’We are very grateful for the support of many who have enabled so much of this work. Thank you to NTS Foundation USA, which has supported a range of projects on Canna, including $600,000 towards the house project. For the Canna Visitor Hub, there has been support from VisitScotland and the Highland Council through the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund, which was secured by the community and has been vital. Gifts in honour of our late Vice President, Simon Fraser, have also been received from donors in the UK and USA to improve wayfinding and support our seabird monitoring.’
Geraldine MacKinnon, speaking on behalf of the Isle of Canna Community Development Trust, said: ’The Isle of Canna Community Development Trust is pleased that Canna House has now re-opened, enabling the public to access Canna House through guided tours, and share the wealth of Gaelic culture it holds, along with the local historical and environmental heritage of Canna.’
The Canna community is working on a range of regeneration projects, including new affordable housing, business space and tourism initiatives, all aimed at boosting Canna's resident population to a more stable and sustainable level for the 21st century.
The Isle of Canna is hosting various events and activities throughout 2025. Since May, guided puffin walks have been running, guided corncrake walks are scheduled throughout the summer, and Canna NatureFest, which will take place in July, will include various nature walks and activities.
Find out more about the events taking place at Canna this year.
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