The Arctic Convoy Museum
Who are we?
Formerly the Russian Arctic Convoy (Museum) Project, our initial vision was to create a multi-site museum in the North-West Highlands of Scotland, centred around Loch Ewe, which would incorporate items from our collection and be a focus for the preservation of local sites and structures of interest. With the opening and refurbishing of the exhibition centre in Aultbea and the creation of the Wartime Walk, the ‘Project’ was declared complete in 2024 and, as the Arctic Convoy Museum, we are moving forward with the next exciting development to become the internationally-recognised UK Museum dedicated to this important part of our military history.
Why Loch Ewe?
Loch Ewe was a hive of activity during WW2 and it was the point of departure for many of the convoys bound for Russia between 1942 and 1945. It’s fitting therefore that there should be a lasting legacy along its shores to the heroes who braved Arctic waters under constant threat of attack from enemy aircraft and U-boats. Many wartime buildings, gun emplacements and anti-aircraft batteries still stand around the local landscape. The area’s connection with the Royal Navy had existed long before then as the alternative anchorage for the Grand Fleet in World War One.
Our History
The history of the Museum began in 1998 when the founding veterans Jack Harrison, Jimmy McHugh, Spud Campbell and Chris Tye, proposed a museum at Loch Ewe to commemorate the Arctic Convoys. In the years following that initial proposal, the veterans increasingly turned to Loch Ewe as a focus for commemoration. In 1999 the Russian Convoy Club Memorial was erected on the cliffs at the mouth of the Loch and in 2008 veterans presented the Russian Convoy Club (England Branch) Bell to Pool House in Poolewe (the former naval headquarters), following their disbandment.
In 2011, Prince Michael of Kent attended the 70th Anniversary of the sailing of the first Arctic Convoy, (Operation Dervish) in Aultbea. That same year, the Russian Arctic Convoy (Museum) Project was formed, constituted and registered as a charity. In 2012, a World War Two Week celebrated the 70th anniversary of the convoys sailing from Loch Ewe and in 2013, a major Arctic Star Medal Ceremony took place in Poolewe Hall.
With the disbandment of the Russian Convoy Club (Scotland Branch) and presentation of their standard to the Project, the position of RACMP as the focus for the commemoration of the Arctic Convoys was secured. At this time the Project was gathering its exhibits, many kindly donated by veterans and their families. In 2015 and 2016 these were displayed in Inverasdale School during the Summer Holidays. In 2017, the former Aultbea Butchers Shop became the new Exhibition Centre. This was a landmark year for the museum, not only was it the first year in its own building with full opening hours, it also saw a major event in the form of the Loch Ewe WWII Festival, which featured re-enactments, music from the D-Day Darlings, period vehicles including a Russian T34 tank, vintage make-up, a Spitfire fly-past, and a visit from 40 Russian naval cadets on the sail training ship Yuni Baltiets, which had travelled from St Petersburg for the event. In 2018, thanks to funding from the Scottish Land Fund and Highland Leader, the museum was able to purchase the Aultbea facility. Also in 2018, the Museum was loaned ‘Bertie’, believed to be one of the very last remaining Austin 8 NAAFI vans.
At the end of 2020, following a difficult year of lockdowns and social distancing, the Museum was fortunate to receive a grant of £99,561.60 from the Community Climate Asset Fund to refurbish the museum premises. The total cost of the refurbishment was £124,452.00, with the balance coming from RACP’s reserves. The refurbishment, which consisted of cladding and harling the building, replacing the roof, new toilets and a new front door and windows, transformed the building and made it much more environmentally efficient and accessible. During the course of the work, a grant of £26,041 was received from Museums Galleries Scotland for the purchase and installation of three air-source heat pumps, which have greatly improved the internal environment of the museum, particularly during the winter months.
Loch Ewe Wartime Trail
The Trustees have always been aware of the historical significance of the entire Loch Ewe area. To this end, in 2019, the Museum received grants totalling £61,300 from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Highland Council, in order to set up a War Time Trail around Loch Ewe. The trail was to have been completed in May 2020, but the project was delayed due to the Covid epidemic and was not officially opened until 31st August 2021. The trail is made up of six new silhouette artworks, including two benches at viewpoint locations, with new interpretation panels at important wartime sites around the Loch. It aims to preserve the incredible story of the vital role played by the local community across Loch Ewe. This was a real community project involving children from the Bualnaluib, Gairloch and Poolewe primary schools, who worked with an artist to produce three beautiful mosaic panels, which are on display in Aultbea, Poolewe and Gairloch. The trail draws visitors further afield and is supplemented by a free brochure describing the importance of all the sites.
Our Future
The initial Russian Arctic Convoy Project is now complete. From the vision of the founding veterans, the Museum has gone from strength to strength. Post COVID, visitor numbers have increased markedly to place the Museum on a sustainable footing. It is proving to be a popular visitor location for tourists on the North Coast 500 route, as well as for the national and international visitors with some connection to or interest in the Convoys. In the last full season (2024), over 7200 visitors passed through its doors.
In August 2023, the Museum was recognised by TripAdvisor as a 2023 Travelers’ Choice award winner and was recognised again in 2024. This coveted award celebrates businesses that have consistently received great traveller reviews on TripAdvisor over the preceding 12 months, placing these winners among the top 10% of all listings on TripAdvisor globally. A key part of the Museum’s work is the maintenance of an archive of stories and images from a significant number of the over 5500 veterans in our database; a link to ‘Convoys Remembered’ is available at the top of the website page.
The Museum maintains close links with the HMS Belfast Association, the Royal Navy (through the MOD Naval Staff, the Royal Naval Reserve and Naval Regional Office) and the London Embassies and High Commissions of the wartime Allies. In early 2022, the Museum worked with the Western Approaches Museum in Liverpool to support the establishment of a small Arctic Convoy exhibit.
As part of our Strategic Plan, the Museum was renamed the Arctic Convoy Museum in April 2024. In 2025, we adopted the motto: WARS BELONG IN THE MUSEUM.
The Arctic Convoy Museum is moving forward with a 5-year Strategic Plan that commenced in 2024. The plan envisages development in 5 areas:
Near Term (2024-26)
- Accreditation and Curation. The appointment in late 2023 of a Curator has provided the means to achieve full accreditation of the Museum and its Collections within the next 2 years, in order to secure its position as the premier UK museum covering this element of the Second World War story.
- Digital. Improvements in the way the Museum conducts its digital processes are supporting the path to accreditation and provide improved access to the collection and other archive material, including to the unique personal accounts of the veterans. This work began in late 2023 and will be a key element of the Museum’s national and international educational aims.
- The Local Community This plan presents an opportunity to refresh and enhance the relationship with the local community and other tourist attractions in the region. For the community, the emphasis will be on education and developing further links with local schools.
- International The renaming of the Museum, the plans for the Memorial and the online access to Museum resources are designed to enhance the links with all those in the international community, who share the Arctic Convoy story.
Medium Term (2026-29)
- Infrastructure. The purchase of additional land around the existing Exhibition Centre will in due course enable the development of an external, all-weather educational pathway, which will articulate how the Arctic Convoys and the Loch Ewe region fit into the broader WW2 story. The pathway will lead to an accessible war memorial dedicated to all those who lost their lives in this theatre of war. Design of this facility will begin in early 2026 with work commencing later in the programme, subject to funding. The car parking requirement will be confirmed, and the facility extended to accommodate larger vehicles. The curation process will also identify the requirement for extension of the internal exhibition space, which will be addressed toward the end of the planning timeline.