IoT Enhances Exhibit Protection at Isle of Lewis Museum – Scottish Business News

The Ravenspoint Centre Museum, a community landmark on the Isle of Lewis and home to the renowned Angus Macleod Archive is harnessing Internet of Things (IoT) technology to safeguard the cultural legacy of its historically important exhibits and enhance the visitor experience. 

The volunteer-run attraction has partnered with CENSIS—Scotland’s innovation centre for sensing, imaging, and IoT technologies—and connectivity consultancy FarrPoint to expand its IoT system to include a LoRaWAN network that monitors the humidity and temperature levels, as well as visitor numbers, at its exhibit areas.

The network adds to the previous infrastructure covering the museum’s storage facility.

Monitoring and controlling humidity levels—which can cause damage or deterioration—is critical to protecting historic items.

Access to real-time data from the new system will also enable the museum to track visitor numbers and identify any damage to the building, ensuring the environmental conditions are within the required thresholds to protect its artefacts.

The system will automate data collection, previously performed manually by volunteers.

Having a clear record of this information requires the museum to retain its accreditation from Museums Galleries Scotland, which provides access to funding, advice, and training.

The initiative formed part of CENSIS’s IoT Evolve programme, which was funded by the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to support organisations in the region in developing and applying IoT technologies.

Opened 15 years ago, Ravenspoint Museum and the Angus Macleod Archive provide a unique perspective of Scottish history, chronicling one man’s life experience in the Gaelic-speaking village of Calbost through documents, videos, and voice recordings.

While some of the collection has been digitised, a substantial amount is only available in hard copy, and researchers interested in island life, crofting, and Hebridean history rely on physically inspecting the archive’s items for their work.

Donnie Morrison, chairman of the Pairc Historical Society, which runs the museum, said: “The Ravenspoint Centre Museum and the Angus Macleod Archive are testament to our community’s commitment to preserving its heritage.

“With the technology we have installed, we can better protect the artefacts and ensure they are kept in the best shape possible for generations to learn from and enjoy.

“The Angus Macleod Archive provides a unique perspective on Scottish history and consistently attracts a lot of visitors and researchers.

“But, from this summer we are expecting a surge of tourists due to the new deep water port in Stornoway which is attracting more cruise ships.

“The people-counting technology will be a valuable asset to have during this time, supporting our continued accreditation and giving us a more accurate gauge of the museum’s popularity.”

Building on the success of the technology in the museum, the Ravenspoint Centre is considering deploying the same visitor tracking sensors in the café on site.

This could indicate the resources available and inform decisions about rotas and opening times.   

Ally Longmuir, business development manager at CENSIS, added: “This project shows that no matter where you are based, you can take advantage of the benefits that IoT technologies can offer.

“With access to live and historic data, the Pairc Historical Society will be in a better position to protect the Isle of Lewis’s, and Scotland’s, heritage; make better informed decisions about how to manage the museum and archive; as well as better cater to visitors’ needs.

“It was a pleasure to collaborate with the Pairc Historical Society and FarrPoint, and play a small role in safeguarding the legacy of Scotland’s rich history.”

Dr Andrew Muir, chief executive of FarrPoint, added: “With so many IoT initiatives running in big cities, it is very rewarding to help a remote Scottish museum lead the way in IoT adoption for a change.

“With further funding from CENSIS, this trial is now a proven IoT project, demonstrating it’s not just Ravenspoint museum that could be benefiting from this technology.

“I’m sure there are many other museums still performing these humidity and temperature checks manually so they should really get in touch with the project team. There are so many important outcomes from this project to be shared!”