WATCH: Museum celebrates tenth birthday

Staff at the Shetland Museum were this weekend celebrating the tenth anniversary of the institution’s opening.

A full day of activities and events were scheduled to mark the occasion.

The museum, which celebrated its birthday on Saturday, was officially opened on 31st May 2007 by the Queen of Norway and the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay.

Archives assistant Dr Mark Smith said that the museum had had a number of standout exhibits in that time, including 2012’s Egyptian cat exhibit.

The cat, known as the Gayer-Anderson cat, had been a favourite among visitors to the British Museum and is thought to be over 2,500 years old.

Other highlights, Dr Smith said, included the Gunnister Man. This exhibit, which was developed around the remains of a man found in a peat bog near Gunnister, became the museum’s most popular to date when it was displayed in 2009.

On a personal note Dr Smith says that one of his favourite things about his decade at the museum has been “helping people in the archive research their family tree, or with big research projects.”

Reflecting on the museum’s life Dr Smith described it as “a positive ten years”.

A number of events were organised to mark the anniversary including talks, live music, film screenings and even a behind the scenes look at the rarely seen archives.

One unrepeatable moment also saw curator Dr Ian Tait make an unexpected appearance dressed as Earl Patrick Stewart, with others also joining him in appearing in fancy dress.

Dr Smith, who led a behind the scenes tour, said: “There were a number of people who have been using this building for ten years who have never seen the behind the scenes parts who came on the tour. I think they really enjoyed seeing that side of the museum.”