Try your hand cutting peats at Festival of Museums event

The chance to have a go at peat cutting is on offer in Orkney this weekend.

An exhibition at Corrigall Farm Museum, in Harray, about traditional peat cutting includes a visit to a working peat bank.

Visitors to the exhibition can try their hand at cutting peats for the open fires at Corrigall and Kirbuster museums.

A Day in the Hill: Peats and Pastimes also looks at the crafts that would have taken place around the fire once the peats were cut.

“Both museums have open peat fires that are lit every day and the smell of the peat smoke is a powerful part of the visitor experience,” said Jude Callister, from Orkney Islands Council’s arts, museums and heritage service.

“The event will give visitors the chance not only to re-engage with a pastime that is fast vanishing, but contribute directly to the authenticity of the museum displays by helping to keep the fires burning.

“There will be demonstrations and displays of traditional crafts that would have occupied many evenings around the fireside and visitors will have the opportunity to sample traditional fare such as bannocks and oatcakes that were once baked on a griddle suspended over an open fire.

“The peat bank is ten-minutes’ walk uphill from the road – wellies are recommended!”

Traditional music, once common around the fireside, will be provided by young musicians from Stromness Academy.

The exhibition, today and tomorrow, forms part of the Festival of Museums, funded by Museums Galleries Scotland.