Where
The village of Ceres, close to St Andrews.
What
The folk museum is in a former 17th-century tollbooth and weigh house with early 18th-century weavers' cottages. A modern extension dating from 1984 is across the road. There's also a small dungeon under the tollbooth.
Opened
1968 - the museum's 40th anniversary is this year.
Founders
The Mitchell family of Ceres gave the main property, then in a state of major disrepair, to the Central and North Fife Preservation Society in 1964. The society bought two additional premises for £50 and £500.
Collection
"It is essentially a rural collection, with all its 7,000 artefacts donated from people who have at some point been residents of the Fife area," says the museum's curator, Helen Urquhart. "The museum has a broad range of tinsmithing and coppering tools, as well as other craftsmen's items.
"There is also a range of domestic items and toys, a reconstruction of a weaver's cottage with a box bed and some paintings. There is a very fine textile collection, the pride of which is an 18th-century sackback dress."
Help at hand
Urquhart, a textile conservator by profession, joined the museum in November 2007 as its only employee, working part-time. There are also 10 trustees and 50 volunteers.
Budget
Mainly donations and entry fees. The museum has been supported by grants from Fife Council, East Lothian Museums Service, Historic Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Money from the Museums Galleries Scotland (formerly the Scottish Museums Council) has helped the museum upgrade the attic.
The museum has an active approach to local fundraising, operating an "Oats R Us" stall at the village's ancient free highland games - this year on 28 June. Annual visits About 4,000. Temporary exhibitions and extra events, such as a recent Drawing from History workshop aimed at 7-12 year olds, bring more in.
Highlights of the collection
"Our hobbyhorse is quite an iconic piece," says Urquhart. "It's a late 19th-century forerunner of a bicycle." There is also an important collection of weights and measures and a fine collection of paisley shawls, a few of which are on display, and antique patchwork quilts, which are not currently on show.
Sticky moment
"In 2003 the museum underwent a restoration in which radical work was done to underpin part of the buildings," says Winifred Harley, the chairwoman of trustees. "A visiting expert bumped his head on a low lintel and advised that it should be raised to improve the head height.
But when the contractors examined the gable wall of the weigh house, it was found to be dangerously unsafe and it had to be dismantled stone by stone. It was quite a scary sight to see them brushing away the original equivalent of concrete with their hands to remove the very large stones used in the original construction."
Current project
"It's our 40th anniversary this year," says Urquhart, "and our founder, a marvellous lady called Rachel Peterkin, is starting up an oral archive. We've applied for a grant to make a touchscreen that will link the voices to artefacts. What I'd like to do is to start a long-term conservation project focusing on the sackback dress, which is not on display at present."
The Fife Folk Museum is open from 15 April to 30 September
The village of Ceres, close to St Andrews.
What
The folk museum is in a former 17th-century tollbooth and weigh house with early 18th-century weavers' cottages. A modern extension dating from 1984 is across the road. There's also a small dungeon under the tollbooth.
Opened
1968 - the museum's 40th anniversary is this year.
Founders
The Mitchell family of Ceres gave the main property, then in a state of major disrepair, to the Central and North Fife Preservation Society in 1964. The society bought two additional premises for £50 and £500.
Collection
"It is essentially a rural collection, with all its 7,000 artefacts donated from people who have at some point been residents of the Fife area," says the museum's curator, Helen Urquhart. "The museum has a broad range of tinsmithing and coppering tools, as well as other craftsmen's items.
"There is also a range of domestic items and toys, a reconstruction of a weaver's cottage with a box bed and some paintings. There is a very fine textile collection, the pride of which is an 18th-century sackback dress."
Help at hand
Urquhart, a textile conservator by profession, joined the museum in November 2007 as its only employee, working part-time. There are also 10 trustees and 50 volunteers.
Budget
Mainly donations and entry fees. The museum has been supported by grants from Fife Council, East Lothian Museums Service, Historic Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Money from the Museums Galleries Scotland (formerly the Scottish Museums Council) has helped the museum upgrade the attic.
The museum has an active approach to local fundraising, operating an "Oats R Us" stall at the village's ancient free highland games - this year on 28 June. Annual visits About 4,000. Temporary exhibitions and extra events, such as a recent Drawing from History workshop aimed at 7-12 year olds, bring more in.
Highlights of the collection
"Our hobbyhorse is quite an iconic piece," says Urquhart. "It's a late 19th-century forerunner of a bicycle." There is also an important collection of weights and measures and a fine collection of paisley shawls, a few of which are on display, and antique patchwork quilts, which are not currently on show.
Sticky moment
"In 2003 the museum underwent a restoration in which radical work was done to underpin part of the buildings," says Winifred Harley, the chairwoman of trustees. "A visiting expert bumped his head on a low lintel and advised that it should be raised to improve the head height.
But when the contractors examined the gable wall of the weigh house, it was found to be dangerously unsafe and it had to be dismantled stone by stone. It was quite a scary sight to see them brushing away the original equivalent of concrete with their hands to remove the very large stones used in the original construction."
Current project
"It's our 40th anniversary this year," says Urquhart, "and our founder, a marvellous lady called Rachel Peterkin, is starting up an oral archive. We've applied for a grant to make a touchscreen that will link the voices to artefacts. What I'd like to do is to start a long-term conservation project focusing on the sackback dress, which is not on display at present."
The Fife Folk Museum is open from 15 April to 30 September