The Clan Macpherson has a long and proud history in the Scottish Highlands, and the oil paintings on display in the museum help to tell this story. In 1943, the contents of Cluny Castle, the historical home of the Chiefs of Clan Macpherson were put on sale. Following a worldwide subscription by members of the Clan Macpherson, not easy during the dark days of war, many of the principal relics were purchased, including several of the oil paintings that are on display. The museum, the first of its kind, was opened in 1952 and the collection of oil paintings has been added to over the years. Paintings in the collection include: 'Ewan Macpherson of Cluny', the Victorian Chief, by John A. Horsburgh; 'Eliza Gordon Macpherson of Cluny' by Sir John Watson Gordon; and 'Dr Cluny Macpherson', the inventor of the first workable gas mask, by Helen Parsons Shepherd.