Dunbeath Preservation Trust has secured public funding of over £40,000 enabling them to undertake an ambitious development project which is hoped will also benefit other local historic groups and museums.

Officials at the Dunbeath Preservation Trust have agreed terms with Tain and District Museum, who shall provide them with the services of a curator on a part-time basis for a three-year period, to undertake a range of essential tasks.

These will include establishing cataloguing, storage and protection procedures, and developing a system that will ensure the public and researchers have easy access to the Trust's wealth of historical records and artefacts.

In addition, they have appointed Jennifer Law on a three-year contract, to assist the curator. During this period, Jennifer will enrol in the two-year outreach course in Curatorial Services provided by Leicester University. Jennifer was one of the first students to successfully complete the North Highland College's Environment and Heritage Degree course.

Access to the services of a curator will also help the Trust support its Registered Museum status, which in turn, will allow them to retain nationally important local finds such as the Ballachly Stone and the Portormin Stone.

It is anticipated that following Jennifer's training, Dunbeath Preservation Trust will be able to offer her skills as a qualified curator to other local groups and museums in the area, thereby enabling them to also work towards registered museum status.

Funding for the project has come from Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE), the Caithness & Sutherland Community Economic Development (CED) Programme, The Highland Council, Scottish Museums Council as well as funding from the Trust itself.

Head of strengthening communities at CASE, Eann Sinclair said: "The work that Dunbeath Preservation Trust has undertaken over the past few years is now beginning to bear fruit. The appointment of a curator is a major milestone for the Trust.

"Funding available from the Highlands & Islands Special Transitional Programme through the Caithness & Sutherland CED Programme has allowed the Trust to implement a project that will not only benefit their own facility but others throughout the north."

According to Nan Bethune of the Dunbeath Preservation Trust: "We have been very careful to set out our plans for the Trust before approaching potential funders, because we recognised how important it was to be able to tell people of the economic and environmental benefits of the work we do.

"Our Trust’s business and marketing plans have helped us secure funding to completely re-develop Dunbeath Heritage Centre and now we are delighted to be able to employ a curator to help us finally achieve full Registered Museum status. We are now looking forward to increasing public access to our archives, and to helping other local groups with similar problems."