Staff at historic Culloden faced a battle to save their precious artefacts after the roof of the visitor centre was blown off by recent storms.
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) has now sent in a team of experts to ensure the safety of the items on display at the visitor centre near Inverness.
The winds stripped a section of the centre’s roof and did extensive damage to the framework.
Part of the interior was exposed, and debris fell inside and was scattered around the grounds.
Surveyors have advised the NTS to vacate the building pending a detailed structural assessment.
Insurance assessors, surveyors and structural engineers are currently onsite.
The property was closed at the time and is not due to open for the new season until February.
Luckily none of the artefacts was damaged.
Items on display include weapons and documents relating to the events of 16 April 1746, the day of Jacobite troops’ fateful encounter with government forces, and all are held in shatter-proof, museum-grade glass cabinets which offer a very high degree of protection.
Jennifer Melville, the trust’s head of collections, archives and library services, said: “It was not just good fortune that prevented any harm coming to the Culloden exhibits – they were all well protected within their installations.
“All of the alarm and environmental control systems within the centre remained operational throughout but we also took the precaution of increasing onsite security coverage.
“The objective now is to determine the full extent of damage to the building and how long it will take to effect repairs.
“If it is not possible to make good the damage quickly, we put in place temporary measures to ensure the building remains fully wind-, water- and snow-proof.”
The Culloden Battlefield visitor centre was designed by Gareth Hoskins Architects and was shortlisted for the 2008 World Architecture Festival Awards and the RIAS Best Building in Scotland Award.
