Special event held ahead of V&A Dundee opening

A special event ahead of the opening of the V&A Dundee, Scotland’s new design museum, was held last week.

Perthshire’s Blair Castle opened its doors when it hosted a Founding Patrons Reception.

Over 60 guests travelled to the historic venue for the event, hosted by Philip Long, director of V&A Dundee, and Blair Castle head trustee, Sarah Troughton.

Guests were invited to the castle’s state dining room for a drinks reception, before savouring a selection of delicious canapés provided by Blair Castle’s catering partner, Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events.

The evening provided the perfect opportunity for guests from across Perthshire and the surrounding region to learn more about V&A Dundee and how people throughout the country can get involved.

V&A Dundee will be a celebration of design, creativity and innovation. When the museum opens its doors on Saturday, 15 September, visitors will be able to see a chair from Blair Castle’s collection as part of the museum’s Scottish Design Galleries.

Influenced by the designs of Thomas Chippendale, the chair is one of several held in the collections of Blair Castle that are made from the distinctive dark wood of Scottish laburnum and that date from the late 18th century.

Providing the opportunity for individuals and organisations to work together and promote Scotland to the world, V&A Dundee expects to welcome 500,000 people in its first year alone.

Sarah Troughton said: ‘At Blair Castle we have long been excited about the arrival of V&A Dundee and the opportunities this will create both locally and nationally.

‘Blair Castle, with its collection display to reflect the castles varied and historic past, was the perfect venue to host this event and showcase the museum to key influencers from across the region.

‘We look forward to working with V&A Dundee over the coming years, learning from their skills and collaborating with loans and out-reach programmes.

Philip Long, director of V&A Dundee, said: ‘V&A Dundee opens a little over a month and the whole team are very excited to welcome visitors from around the world to Scotland’s first design museum.

‘We were delighted to be welcomed by Blair Castle for a special event ahead of our opening on Saturday 15 September 2018, particularly as the castle is generously lending a beautiful piece of furniture to our Scottish Design Galleries.’

For more information on Blair Castle click HERE.