New museum opens in supermarket

Morrisons tailor-built the museum as part of its new supermarket building

Scotland's newest museum has opened in a unusual location.

The new museum at Johnstone in Renfrewshire is located inside a newly-built branch of the supermarket chain, Morrisons.

Johnstone Heritage Society set up the exhibition using a £29,100 grant from the Lottery Fund. Morrisons agreed to donate the space for a nominal rent.

The museum, which charts the town's history, will be run daily by five volunteers.

Morrisons tailor-built the museum as part of its new supermarket building.

It will pay particular attention to Johnstone's textile and engineering industries and craftmaking workshops, guided tours, talks and lectures will also be available.

'Groundbreaking step'

The society said it was hopeful that locals would drop in to see the exhibits while they were doing their shopping at the Napier Street branch.

Colin McLean, the heritage lottery fund's manager for Scotland, said it was a "groundbreaking step".

"Getting more people involved in their heritage is one of the main aims of the heritage lottery fund," he said.

"This has to be one of the most innovative ways we've come across of doing that, so we were delighted to give it our support.

"The museum will give a great deal of pleasure to local residents as well as contributing to their sense of identity."