The Orkney News has produced a short film about the Hall of Clestrain for the John Rae Society, as part of a fundraising drive to aid the society’s ambitious plans to restore the building and site to its former glory. JRS President Andrew Appleby shows us around the Hall, explaining its history and significance, and the plans for the future which centre around construction of a new road dubbed John Rae’s Road to the Arctic. The film is sponsored by Adventure Canada and was filmed and edited by Martin Laird. It features original music composed about John Rae – Hudson Bay Man by Alison McMorland and Georgie McIntyre.

“Like the last Link of The North West Passage, which John Rae discovered, our Road to The Arctic emulates this. It’s the first solid link to The Hall of Clestrain’s restoration and John Rae’s too! It is the John Rae Spirit that energises us to restore his family home. There, I feel we can be totally in touch with his upbringing and ethos. The Arctic Centre in his name at Clestrain will enhance his amazing reputation, his stamina and intrepidness.” Andrew Appleby, President of the John Rae Society.

The Hall of Clestrain was not only the birthplace of the Arctic explorer John Rae, it was a significant landmark in its own right. Ships used the building as a navigation aid through the Hoy Sound, on the trade route between Stromness and Canada. Rae’s father was a recruitment officer for the Hudson Bay Company, and the young John Rae will have encountered visiting ships captains and crew, including First Nations people whom Rae respected and later learned much from during his Arctic adventures.

As the first significant step in the scheme to rebuild the Hall of Clestrain, a road must be built to bring construction equipment, and later as the main access route for visiting public. At the time of writing The John Rae Society has raised £61,000 of the £150,000 needed to construct the Road to the Arctic. To aid their efforts visit www.thejohnraesociety.com