A 19th Century painting depicting the aftermath of the 1692 Massacre of Glencoe has been restored by conservators based in Dundee, ahead of a major overhaul of the museum that houses it. Known as the Widow of Glencoe, the artwork shows a grieving woman beside the body of a man on snow-covered ground at the foot of a mountain, and was donated to Glencoe Folk Museum in 2023 after being held by the same family for generations.
The restoration was carried out by conservators Egan, Matthews & Rose as part of a wider £3m redevelopment of the museum. According to the Idlewild Trust, the project also involved digitising the artwork and cleaning and consolidating its original frame, which was fitted with low-reflective museum glass so the piece could be shown to the public for the first time in years.
The museum described the work carried out on the canvas in strong terms.
The museum said the Dundee conservators had carried out "incredible restoration work"
The identity of the original artist remains unconfirmed. The painting carries no signature, only a monogram, and Glencoe Folk Museum believes it may have been produced by an artist named James Goldingham. Records show the piece was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London in 1881. A museum spokesperson said additional research would be undertaken to try to verify who painted it.
What happened at Glencoe in 1692?
An estimated 38 members of Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed in February 1692 after government soldiers were ordered to turn on them. The clan had backed the exiled King James VII of Scotland and II of England, supporting efforts to restore the Stuart dynasty to the British throne, and had taken part in the first Jacobite Rising in 1689. Historians note the MacDonalds were late in submitting an oath of allegiance to the Protestant King William III, which led Scotland's secretary, Sir John Dalrymple, to brand them as rebels.
What is happening to the museum itself?
Glencoe Folk Museum, based in two heather-thatched cottages in Lochaber, was founded more than 50 years ago after local women physically stood in front of bulldozers to prevent the buildings being demolished. It now holds around 6,000 artefacts, including Jacobite relics and memorabilia from both World Wars. Groundworks on its £3m refurbishment began last month.
The redevelopment has been backed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and other funders, with £2.2m secured by March 2024, according to the museum's redevelopment page. By the time work began, the museum had secured £2.8m but still faced a £100,000 shortfall, according to a national broadcaster's report, which said actor Brian Cox had backed a fundraising appeal aiming to close that gap by March 2026, as noted in a 2026 heritage sector roundup. The wider project is intended to create a Community Gallery, digitise the collection so Glencoe's stories can reach a global audience, and increase annual visitor numbers from around 7,000 to 20,000, according to the Heritage Fund.
When will the museum reopen?
Reopening timelines have shifted as the redevelopment has progressed. The museum's own website now states it expects to reopen in 2027, revising an earlier target of spring 2026, while the same national broadcaster's coverage had previously reported a planned 2026 reopening once the £2.8m funding was secured. The redevelopment is expected to add a climate-controlled exhibition gallery, a gift shop and the site's first toilets, according to the broadcaster's report.
Key Facts
- Almost 38 members of Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed in February 1692 in the Massacre of Glencoe.
- The Widow of Glencoe painting was donated to Glencoe Folk Museum in 2023 and restored by Dundee-based conservators Egan, Matthews & Rose.
- The museum's £3m redevelopment began last month, with groundworks reported in July 2026.
- Reopening has been pushed back from spring 2026 to 2027, according to the museum's website.
- The wider project aims to raise annual visitor numbers from about 7,000 to 20,000.
