Woolly Weekend

Join us for a weekend of all things woolly at the National Museum of Rural Life.

Woolly farmyard friends

11:00–16:00: Meet a selection of sheep breeds and some adorable alpacas in the museum courtyard. There are also plenty of new arrivals up at the farm and in the fields!

Sheep shearing

Head to the working farm to see some of our Scottish Blackface flock get their summer 'do with YouTube sensation Cammy Wilson from The Sheep Game. He'll be demonstrating mechanical and hand shearing at 11:00, 12:00, 13:00 & 14:00.

Plus head to the byre to watch our cattle getting milked at 15:15 (approx).

Storytelling

11:30, 12:30, 13:30, 14:30, 15:30 (15 mins drop in) 
Head to the Theatre on the lower floor and join storyteller and crafter Kirsten Milliken as she tells tales of rural and farm life, sheep and woolly adventures. Suitable for the whole family.  

Makers and crafters

11:00–16:00: Visit crafters Laura and Lynne in our Tools Gallery and see the journey of wool from raw fleece to finished pieces.  Try your hand at some traditional techniques.

Family crafts

11:00–13:00 & 14:00–16:00: Join us in the museum's Learning Centre for to make your own technicolour woolly sheep to take home.

Dolly the Sheep Trail

11:00-16:00: Keep an eye out for some giant sheep hidden around the museum building. Start with Dolly at the ticket desk and see if you can find five more with some baaaaaaaad jokes to tell you! 

Other information

Shielings Café will be open as usual serving hot meals, drinks and snacks. 

Please note that the Farm Explorer tractor-trailer will not operate during Woolly Weekend. The walk from the museum to the farm takes about ten minutes, with paths providing firm, smooth surfaces for pushchairs and wheelchairs. More information can be found in the Access section below. Why not follow the Willow Sculpture Trail on your way up?

Access

We want everyone who comes to our museums to enjoy their time with us and make the most of their visit. 

• Adapted toilets are available, including baby changing and an adult changing bench.   
• Paths leading to the farm buildings provide firm smooth surfaces for pushchairs and wheelchairs. However, the distance is approximately half a mile and in places, the path is relatively steep. Seating is provided at regular intervals.
• There are disabled parking spaces at the main museum building, and a limited number of disabled parking spaces at the farm. If you require a disabled parking space at the farm please speak to staff when you arrive in the Museum building.
• The ground floor, but not the first floor, of the farmhouse is accessible by wheelchair.
• Guide dogs, hearing dogs and other recognised assistance dogs are admitted.

Find out more about our access information.