How fashion returned to Scotland's former national costume museum
How fashion returned to Scotland's former national costume museum
Molly Armstrong - BBC Scotland NewsSun, August 30, 2026 at 8:44 AM UTC
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Penny Boff, Pat Phillips and Mags Wilson have all helped to restore the historical costumes donated to Shambellie House
For years, Shambellie House near New Abbey was home to Scotland's National Museum of Costume.
When that chapter ended in 2013 and its contents were transferred to Edinburgh, many people wondered if fashion would ever return to the site.
Now, thanks to a surprising new partnership, costumes are back inside the historic building.
However, this time around the set-up is completely different.
Shambellie House ran as a costume museum up until 2013
A campaign to keep the site open back in 2013 ultimately failed and work began soon afterwards to find a new life for it.
The Shambellie House Trust (SHT) picked up the keys in 2021 and has set about bringing it back into use.
After restoration work, it reopened in April 2022 as an arts and heritage centre, beginning a new chapter for one of Dumfries and Galloway's most significant historic homes.
Penny Boff contacted the Theatre Royal to see if the museum could take the costumes
The return of costumes came about after a collection of 173 theatrical garments was donated to the Dumfries Theatre Royal by Nonsuch History and Dance.
The company, established in London in 1966, previously used them for performances and educational workshops across the United Kingdom.
In 2019, the organisation - and its extensive wardrobe of authentic reproductions - relocated to Sanquhar in southern Scotland.
Seeking a permanent and secure home for the garments, dancer and project director Penny Boff contacted the theatre.
Pat Phillips spent two months in Sanquhar transferring the items onto mannequins, photographing them, and logging each piece into a detailed database
She explained how they used the clothes for education.
"We always try to do workshops and performances that are based on local history," she said.
"We link dances to the community because we like to show people how the dance can be related to things that they are doing now and that it brings the history alive."
Shambellie House is run as a community arts and crafts centre
Pat Phillips is the volunteer costume and wardrobes manager at the Theatre Royal.
She went to view the clothes in Sanquhar and decided the theatre had to step in and take them.
"When I saw them hanging up in the room, I was just like, wow, these are amazing," she said.
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"And I was thinking, if this is exciting for me, could it be exciting for other people as well?".
One huge difference for visitors is the lack of glass cases - people can get up close to the fabrics
Pat spent two months putting the outfits on mannequins, taking photographs, and recording them in a database.
Then, out of the blue, staff at Shambellie House called to ask if the theatre had any interesting costumes they could display.
The new exhibition is not trying to copy the old museum.
Instead, a small selection of about 10 costumes has been placed carefully around the house to match the modern craftwork currently on show.
Mags Wilson from the Theatre Royal helped to repair the collection
"The costumes need to be shown, they need to be touched," Pat added.
Mags Wilson, who helped repair the collection, said it was a joy to see them brought out of storage and put in front of the public.
"Generally when you go and look at costumes in museums, they're in a glass case," she said.
"You can't really take photographs of them because of the reflection.
"To be able to get close and see the detail on these costumes and see how the seamstresses have made them back then, it's really special."
Taking care of the costumes is a major job, as they are incredibly heavy and delicate
The costumes are tailored for a very small figure
The exhibition has proved so popular that its run has been extended.
Penny and the rest of the team are thrilled with the new venue.
"I was amazed by everything," she said.
"The surroundings have this very special atmosphere and it's so welcoming and I just love it."
Mags agreed that the location was perfect.
"You can imagine how the family lived in this house and it's just nice to experience an old house with all its charms," she said.
The costumes will stay at Shambellie until at least the beginning of October.
As well as suits and dresses, Shambellie House has a large hat collection
Bonnets like this one were worn by players on stage -
Trust takes control of former costume museum
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