Franklin’s Scottish Tartans Museum is taking another step into a new era as the longtime executive director and business manager, James and Kathie Akins, begin their retirement.
In their honor, Franklin Mayor Stacy Guffey recognized the Akins with a special proclamation for their impact on the town at the Town Council meeting on Tuesday.
“Jim and Kathie have given nearly 15 years of blood, sweat, and tears to the Scottish Tartans Museum. They began as volunteers and helped bring the museum back from the brink of closure, then guided it through COVID and Hurricane Helene,” said Mayor Guffey. “The museum is an important part of Franklin’s fabric, our heritage, our culture, and what makes our town a special place to live in and visit. I’m personally grateful to Jim and Kathie for everything they’ve done for Franklin.”
The couple officially retired on August 15 and are in the process of selling their Franklin home to be closer to their children in Georgia.
In the meantime, current board members stepped into the Akins’ role as day-to-day managers working daily with staff, vendors and partner organizations while welcoming museum visitors and gift shop customers.
Peaks and valleys
When the Akins joined the Scottish Tartans Museum & Heritage Center as volunteers, it looked as if their hard work would be a personal step in promoting their heritage and hometown tourism economy.
But like their ancestors, they faced peaks and valleys.
When Jim joined the museum as a trustee in 2013, it wasn’t long until changes at the organization led him to offer his time leading organization as its executive director.
Of course, challenges were on the distant horizon. COVID and Hurricane Helene’s impact on tourism could have driven the museum out of business, but Akins’ leadership, a dedicated board, and an invested employee base kept the organization alive.
Today, the Museum and gift shop stand out as a unique tourist attraction in western North Carolina.
According to several tourism sources, heritage tourism is a growing trend among travelers and it benefits Franklin to offer something that pairs with its gem and mineral history.
A unique museum
Currently, there is no other Scottish museum worldwide specifically devoted to curating tartan history. The Tartans Museum opened in 1988 by the Scottish Tartans Society as a satellite of the Society’s principal tartan museum in Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland. It was originally located in the Highlands, and moved to Franklin in 1994.
The museum boasts some rare and unique finds for anyone seeking to learn about Scottish heritage and the culture’s impact on the world. It is, according to curator Cara Pace, “a walk through Scottish history from 5,000 years ago to the present.”
Just some of the must see items include:
- Tartans taken by American astronauts into space,
- A comparison of Scotland’s 1320 Declaration of Arbroath and the United States 1776 Declaration of Independence,
- Nearly 600 different tartans on display,
- Examples of Scottish weapons,
- A rare piece of tartan dating back to 1725,
- For Scottish history lovers, the museum displays a Kingussie-style kilt, the second ever made,
- And, a rare copy of the “Vestiarium Scoticum”, one of the most fascinating—and controversial—books in the history of Scottish tartan. There are only about 50 left in the world.
The museum and gift shop are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. It now will stay open later on days when there are special events downtown. Entrance to the museum is $5 for adults and $3 for children. The gift shop specializes in Scottish-made products and Celtic items.
Pictured top, left to right: Kathie Akins, James Anderson who retired from the board this year, and Jim Akins.
