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We are pleased to advise that tickets for our October online talks are now LIVE. This month, we have two exceptional speakers. On the 20...

The John Rae Society is delighted to announce that Cerys Matthews, MBE, musician, broadcaster, and writer, has joined the Society as a Patron. Cerys accepted...

The John Rae Society is delighted to welcome back to Orkney acclaimed historian Dr Rosalind Rawnsley. During her visit, Rosalind will give two public talks...

DOORS OPEN DAYS SATURDAY 13 – SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2025 Hall of Clestrain Join us as we celebrate Doors Open Days 2025 with FREE guided...

The Society are moving ahead with plans to renovate Hall of Clestrain, the birthplace of John Rae. As part of this, we want to know...

We are delighted to be launching our urgent £1.6m fundraising campaign to Save Hall of Clestrain at a special public event on Monday, December 16...

This season’s archaeology at The Hall has been extremely successful, with ancient buildings archaeologist Tom Addyman working with a team from Orkney Research Centre for...

Join us on Oct 26 and 27 to learn more about the Hall as experts work to uncover its secrets Built around 1769, Category A...

We are delighted to invite you to mark John Rae’s 211th Birthday at two events in Kirkwall on Monday September 30, 2024. At noon we...

‘Bloody wow’ is how one visitor to Hall of Clestrain summed up our Doors Open Days over the weekend (Sept 14 and 15). She was...

We are delighted to announce a confirmed grant of £248,600 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The grant will fund our Fit For the Future...

In an article in Press & Journal Sir Michael Palin gives an interview about his support of John Rae. Read the full article here: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/lifestyle/6448060/sir-michael-palin-celebrates-john-rae-orkney