The museum also pays honour to the famous people that have originated from the town.

AC/DC fans across the globe will be delighted to know that at last the man born Roland (Bon) Belford Scott on the 9th July 1946 in Kirriemuir has been honoured.

At present the museum is just recently established and it hopes to increase its exhibits , when I recently visited the museum on the 30th June 2001 I was delighted to see the cover of Highwaty to Hell proudly on display, and the interactive touch-screen computer show on the history of Kirriemuir mentioning Bon.

The museum is however in search of early pictures and photographs of Bon Scott's early childhood in Kirriemuir. If any fan of Bon Scott or AC/DC has relavant information or pictures the museum would be delighted to hear from you.

The museum can be contacted at
Kirriemuir - Gateway to the Glens Museum
The Town House,
32 High Street,
Kirriemuir,
DD8 4BB
Scotland
UK

Telephone - 0 (44) 1575 575479
or via e-mail at kirriegateway@angus.gov.uk

The display will continue until August 20, finishing a week after AC/DC tribute band Hell’s Bells’ show at Kirriemuir Town Hall.

www.thecourier.co.uk

The Scottish Herald recently published a newspaper article relating to Kirriemuir and Bon Scott.
Click to read the article

We salute you—Visitors Steve Devon, from Glasgow, and Amanda Ralph, from the US, with the rock at the museum yesterday.

POP ART has been taken a step forward in Angus with the release of rock art for sweet-toothed fans of one of the area’s legendary musical sons.

As part of the exhibition at Kirriemuir’s Gateway to the Glens museum celebrating the life of AC/DC star Bon Scott, world-renowned artist Eddie Summerton has produced a limited edition rock with reference to Kirrie-born Bon.

With ‘let there be rock’ lettering running through it, the unusual item also ties in perfectly with the town’s sweetie-making tradition and is already being snapped up at the museum.

It is 25 years since the AC/DC star’s tragic death and the display at the museum celebrates the career of the rock giant with a host of objects, many lent by enthusiastic fans from around the world, including rare vinyl albums, photographs, programmes and posters.

The display runs until August 20.

The sugary commission was something out of the ordinary for Mr Summerton, who has exhibited paintings, sculptures and sound works from the Far East to the west coast of America.

He has received numerous awards and scholarships and his work can be found in private and public collections in Europe, South Korea and the USA.

He is currently a lecturer in fine art at the University of Dundee.

Source www.thecourier.co.uk

KIRRIEMUIR LAUNCHES SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO ITS OWN ROCK STAR

An Angus town has unveiled a sweet tribute to its own rock legend.

As part of a summer of celebrations of Kirriemuir-born Bon Scott of AC/DC, the shop at the town's Gateway to the Glens museum will be stocking a limited edition candy rock with the words, "let there be rock" running through it.

The artwork is the brainchild of Eddie Summerton, who lives locally and has exhibited paintings, sculptures and soundworks from the far east to the west coast of America. He was inspired by Kirriemuir's long tradition of sweet-making after designing flyers for the Bon Scott exhibition, as well a sound installation featuring AC/DC fans chanting "Angus! Angus!" in homage to the Australian-based band's guitarist Angus Young. He hopes visitors will also pick up on the subtle double-meaning around Bon Scott's birthplace.

It is 25 years since the AC/DC star's tragic death and the display at the museum celebrates the life of a rock giant.

It features a host of objects, many lent by enthusiastic fans from around the world including rare vinyl albums, photographs, programmes and posters.

The display runs until August 20, but with a limited edition of only 400 sticks of rock on sale at £2 a time, fans would be well-advised to make an early visit.

Mr Summerton, who is a fine art lecturer at Dundee University, has received numerous awards and scholarships and has work in private and public collections in South Korea, Europe and the US.

http://www.thisisnorthscotland.co.uk

From around the world, fans of AC/DC and their late lead singer, Bon Scott, have been enquiring about a commemoration of this legendary rock musician in Kirriemuir.

There have been numerous famous men and women associated with Kirriemuir, but few are as well known throughout the world as Bon Scott.

What is not as obvious is that his interest in music could be said to reach back to his birthplace and his father?s involvement in traditional music in the town.

Ronald Belford ?Bon? Scott was born on July 9, 1946.

Bon?s family lived in Kirriemuir and his father Charles Scott worked in the family bakery in Bank Street and was also in the local pipe band.

In 1952, when Ronald was six years old the family emigrated to Australia, where Bon ? as he was soon nicknamed ? grew up.

He first joined pop-rock band, The Spektors and later played with The Valentines but it was with a young rock band from Sydney, led by two fellow Scots, Angus and Malcolm Young that he found fame.

AC/DC were to become one of the most famous rock groups in the world and it is a testament to their success that the recently released DVD ? Family Jewels (described as a definitive history of the band) ? has been hugely successful.

It is 25 years since Scott?s tragic death in February 1980, and the display at the museum celebrates the career of this notable figure and will feature a host of objects, many lent by enthusiastic fans from around the world including rare vinyl albums, photographs, programmes and posters.

During the time the display is open, the museum would like to continue to develop its own collection of images, objects and stories about Bon Scott and his family here in Kirriemuir.

If anyone remembers the Scotts, or Kirriemuir pipe band, they are asked to get in touch with the museum and share their memories.

Artistic visitors to the museum during the display will be able to design their own album cover for display in the museum and fans can test their knowledge of Scott while new visitors develop their knowledge of this fascinating man and his music.

The display opened on Saturday and continues until August 20.

Source www.forfardispatch.co.uk

The Kirriemuir museum today started its display in tribute of one its most famous sons. Over the summer the museum is displaying a small exhibition in memory of Bon Scott till the 20th August. Although limited by the size of the building the museum has on display early photographs of Bon as a small child as well as a lot of interesting AC/DC memrobelia that was kindly lent by Neil McDonald.

Although the town is always more known for its connection to the authour of Peter Pan (J.M. Barrie) at least over the next few summer weeks visitors will learn about how a town in the county of Angus in Scotland was the birthplace and home of Bon and his family in his early years.

http://www.angus.gov.uk/history/museums/kirriemuir/default.htm

Great Scott

Rock fans have given an enthusiastic response to a new exhibition celebrating Kirriemuir's famed musical son Bon Scott. The life of the AC/DC singer is being commemorated in Kirrie's Gateway to the Glens museum, 25 years after the musician's tragic death.

The museum has also appealed for further information about the Scott family and the Kirriemuir Pipe band, of which Bon's father, Charles, was a member.

14 May 2005 (Press and Journal)

The short but hard-rocking life of legendary musician Bon Scott is being commemorated in his Angus birthplace.

A celebration of the man and his music has long been called for in his Kirriemuir home and by fans of heavy-metal band AC/DC.

Scott, who was the band's lead singer until his untimely death at 34, is the subject of a summer-long tribute at the Kirriemuir Gateway to The Glens Museum. His interest in music can be traced back to his Angus roots and his father's involvement in traditional music in the area.

Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott was born on July 9, 1946. His father, Charles, worked in the family bakery in Bank Street and was also a member of the local pipe band. In 1952, the family emigrated to Australia.

The fledgling rock star's first foray into the music world was with pop-rock band The Spektors and, later, with The Valentines.

But it was with a young rock band from Sydney that he found fame.

Led by two fellow Scots, Angus and Malcolm Young, AC/DC were to become one of the most famous rock groups in the world. It is a testament to their success that the recently released DVD, Family Jewels, which has been described as a definitive history of the band, has been a massive hit.

The exhibition at the museum celebrates the career of Scott, who died in February 1980.

The exhibition opens to the public today and runs until August 20.

AN INTERNATIONAL link has been forged to help Angus pay homage to the memory of one of its famous sons.

Artefacts relating to rock legend Bon Scott, frontman and lyricist of AC/DC, will wing their way across the globe for an exhibition in Kirriemuir being staged on the 25th anniversary of his death.

Australian devotees of the band’s singer, who was born in the Wee Red Town, have agreed to back moves to raise his profile in his home country.

The support was harnessed by Aussie ex-pat Darren Hill, who has returned to his adopted home of Forfar after attending a memorial service at Scott’s grave Down Under.

Darren was visiting family in Perth, Western Australia, where he was born and raised, when he decided to pay his own respects to his music hero.

The lifelong AC/DC fan was one of an estimated 700 people of many nationalities who gathered at Fremantle Cemetery, on the outskirts of Perth, last Saturday, exactly a quarter of a century since Scott died.

“It was just by luck that my trip coincided with the memorial service, but I would not have missed it for anything,” Darren said yesterday.

“There were people aged from six to 70 there, brought together by this one, very talented person and their admiration for him.

“A pipe band played under perfect blue skies and it made for a very emotional day.

“When people found out I lived five minutes from Bon Scott’s birthplace in Scotland, they thought it was brilliant.

“It then got me thinking about just how big the following is for this guy in Australia and wondering if folk in Angus knew about his roots.

“Do people here know that the band he fronted sold an estimated 150 million albums and is the fifth biggest-selling rock band of all time, behind The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and the Eagles?

“Without Bon Scott, there would not be the AC/DC we know today. He really kicked them off and his is a life we should be celebrating.”

Darren, who runs Kookaburra’s restaurant outside Forfar, said the county’s connection with the music icon was one to be proud of and is keen to see it trumpeted.

He struck up a friendship with Doug Thorncroft, one of the biggest collectors of AC/DC memorabilia in Australia, who is behind a fan club in Perth.

Doug has agreed to send part of his collection to Kirriemuir for a display to be staged in the town’s Gateway to the Glens Museum, possibly in May.

“There isn’t a lot in the council’s collection relating to Bon Scott, but I want to get as much stuff together as I can for an exhibition,” Darren said. “Hopefully it will bring people into the area and help to educate local folk about someone born on their doorstep.”

Gateway museum curator Fiona Guest said Darren was among a number of people who have contacted her, wanting to provide material for a tribute display.

“The family of Bon Scott have been very kind and have given us lots of information and some photos, but we don’t have many artefacts as such,” she said.

Born Ronald Belford Scott on July 9, 1946, in the Roods, Kirriemuir, he attend primary school in the town for a year, before he and his parents emigrated to Australia. The hard-drinking singer was found dead in a car in London.

www.thecourier.co.uk

See also www.angus.gov.uk

Pic thanks to Rising Power

Dundee Courier & Advertiser - Saturday 13th October 2001

New show may rock museum

Fiona prepares for a weekend of heavy listening.

Kirriemuir residents will have the chance to view an exhibition with a difference at the Gateway to the Glens museum next week.

On Monday (15th October) photographs of former AC/DC front man Bon Scott's time in the Wee Red Town will go on display for the first time.

Museum curator Fiona McKenzie said the new exhibition would also provide an opportunity for residents to hunt themselves down in Scott's old school photographs.

Scott was born in Kirriemuir in 1946 and lived there with his family until they emigrated when he was six.

"This exhibition really ha come about as a result of a number of wonderful photographs that have come from Bon Scott's mother whi is alive and well in Australia" said Fiona.

"We have also got a photograph of him at Reform Street School in about 1951. We are hoping that we will be able to encourage people who may have been in his school to come along and identify themselves in the photograph."

The exhibition will also include items relating to two other famous Kirrie folk - Violet Jacob, author poet and artist, and the botanist Major George Sheriff of Ascreavie.

"We wanted to display the photographs and thought it would be nice if we could link him (Bon Scott) in with two other famous locals who have got slightly different backgrounds from the rock star," said Fiona.

Violet Jacob was a member of the Kennedy-Eskine family who was born at the House of Dun, and she lived in Kirriemuir from 1936 until her death in 1946.

George Sheriff is probably the least recognised of the three although he is fairly well-known locally," added Fiona.

He made some amazing botantical discoveries in the Himalayas and created an unbelievable garden at Ascreavie."

Sheriff came to Kirrie in 1950 and remained there until 1967.

The exhibition will open on Monday and will run until Saturday November 17.

Report by Alexis Smith

Dundee Courier & Advertiser - Saturday 10th November 2001