The heritage galleries reflect Ernest Firth’s passion for collecting. His interest was not in fine antiques or valuable rarities, but in the objects used in everyday life by Orcadians.

His extensive hoard includes furniture, household china, cameras and tools, providing an intimate portrait of life in Orkney in the last century.
Two galleries are devoted to life during the First and Second World Wars. The range of military and domestic items on show, as well as newspapers and magazines from the time, paint a picture of what life was like in Orkney during those difficult times.

A dedicated Archive Room includes photographs, census records for South Ronaldsay and Burray from 1821 to 1901, and a diverse range of 20th century books and magazines.

There is even a reconstruction of an Edwardian room, showing how a typical Orkney house might have looked in the early 1900s, with the family settled around the peat fire.

Special exhibitions from time-to-time display items donated by local - from collections of old comics, to tools of various trades.