FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[James Catmur]

In Wanlockhead there is a small museum that I love to visit. This is not one of those major museums, but instead a small museum that mixes a display on local mining in Wanlockhead and Leadhills, a small collection of local minerals, the chance to do a brief mine tour, a visit to typical miners cottages, you can see a beam engine, and finally you can visit the library - the second oldest subscription library in Scotland. You can find out more at:
https://www.leadminingmuseum.co.uk
(link normalized by FMF)

The other great feature is the cafe, which serves good food. It is not far from the M74 highway and I far prefer to eat here than at any motorway service area.

I had a go at photographing a few of the minerals on display, but it did not work well so I will try again next time I visit. For now I attach a few photos.

[Colleen Thomson]

I remember visiting this wonderful museum in 2000 - well worth a visit, if only to experience going into those miners cottages and realising in the 1700's a whole family lived in ONE room and there was no glass in the single window (glass was heavily taxed and considered a luxury!!) There was an open fireplace and they used a stub end of a candle for lighting. Everyone slept in the single large trestle bed on stuffed straw or horsehair mattress. Water was got from the stream outside...which was also the toilet and used to wash the Lead Ore in...... Tough life.

I also took some photos of some of the specimens - with a 'new' digital camera at the time - resolution extremely poor by todays standards however, but you get the idea :-)