STV NewsPlans have been unveiled for an £8m redevelopment of a popular Highland museum and arts centre.
Timespan at Helmsdale on the east coast of Sutherland opened in 1987 and is primed for expansion.
Its collections tell the local and social history of the parish and its people.
It extensive archive recounts the boom and bust of the herring fishing industry, the dark story of the Highland Clearances, the feverish gold rush of 1869 and burning of the last witch in Sutherland.
The museum is famed for its close links with Scotland’s first astronaut, David Mackay.
STV NewsThe Thurso-born pioneer was raised in Helmsdale and regularly returns from the USA to his beloved home village.
The former RAF test pilot joined Sir Richard Branson’s commercial space tourism company Virgin Galactic in 2009.
In July 2021, he flew Sir Richard to the edge of space in a landmark mission aboard VSS Unity.
On his return, he donated a local stone that he took into space to the museum.
The exhibit has since taken pride of place among its collections.
Fundraising for the redevelopment project is underway.
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