Privacy Policy

Linlithgow Museum is operated by Linlithgow Heritage Trust, a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO). We are committed to protecting your personal information and respecting your privacy.

This policy explains what personal information we may collect, how we use and protect it, how long we may keep it, and your rights under UK data protection law.

Who We Are

Linlithgow Museum
Linlithgow Partnership Centre
93 High Street
Linlithgow
EH49 7EZ

Scottish Charity No. SC017593

If you have any questions about this policy or how we use your personal information, please contact us at: enquiries@linlithgowmuseum.org

What Information We May Collect

We may collect personal information when you:

  • contact us with an enquiry;

  • sign up to our mailing list;

  • attend or book events and activities;

  • make a school or group booking;

  • volunteer with us;

  • apply for employment;

  • become a member of the organisation;

  • donate or loan objects to the Museum;

  • make a financial contribution to the Museum;

  • complete forms, surveys or feedback;

  • visit our website;

  • interact with us on social media; or

  • otherwise take part in the Museum's work and activities.

Depending on how you interact with us, the information we collect may include:

  • your name;

  • email address;

  • postal address;

  • telephone number;

  • contact preferences;

  • membership information;

  • volunteer or employment information;

  • information relating to event, school or group bookings;

  • details relating to object loans or donations;

  • stories, memories, photographs or historical information shared with us;

  • payment information, where applicable; and

  • website usage and technical information.

We aim to collect only the personal information that is necessary for our work and activities.

How We Use Your Information

We may use your personal information to:

  • respond to enquiries;

  • manage bookings, events and activities;

  • administer memberships;

  • recruit, administer and support volunteers and staff;

  • care for, document and research the Museum's collections;

  • manage object donations and loans;

  • send newsletters and Museum updates where you have chosen to receive them;

  • process financial contributions;

  • evaluate and improve our services, activities and website;

  • maintain appropriate records and provide performance information to our funders and partners; and

  • meet our legal, regulatory and contractual obligations.

  • If you subscribe to receive museum news and updates, your email address is stored in our Squarespace mailing list. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Where information is used for statistical or performance-reporting purposes, we will use aggregated or anonymised information wherever reasonably possible.

Our Lawful Bases for Using Personal Information

UK data protection law requires us to have a lawful basis for processing personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, we may process your information because:

  • you have given us your consent — for example, where you choose to receive marketing communications;

  • it is necessary for our legitimate interests in operating and developing the Museum, responding to enquiries, managing our activities and maintaining appropriate records, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms;

  • it is necessary to enter into or fulfil a contract with you; or

  • we are required to do so to comply with a legal obligation.

Different lawful bases may apply to different activities.

Where we process information requiring additional protection under data protection law, we will only do so where an appropriate legal condition applies.

Mailing Lists & Marketing

If you choose to sign up to our mailing list, we may send you information about Museum exhibitions, events, activities, news and ways to support our work.

You can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us directly.

We will not sell your personal information to third parties.

Museum Collections & Historical Records

Information about people may sometimes form part of the Museum's collections and associated documentation. This may include information relating to donors, lenders, previous owners, makers, subjects or people connected with objects and historical records.

Some of this information may need to be retained for long periods as part of the Museum's permanent collections documentation, provenance records or historical records.

Where appropriate and permitted by law, information may also be retained for archiving, collections management or historical research purposes.

Website Cookies & Analytics

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies. Some are necessary for the website to operate, while others may help us understand how visitors use the website or enable third-party features.

Further information about the cookies we use and how you can manage your preferences is available in our Cookie Policy.

Photographs & Video

We may take photographs or video at Museum events, activities and projects for purposes including documenting our work and promoting the Museum.

Where appropriate, we will provide information about photography taking place and seek permission where required. Particular care will be taken where children and young people are involved.

If you have concerns about an image of you being used by the Museum, please contact us.

CCTV

CCTV operates in parts of the Museum for security, safety and safeguarding purposes.

Recorded footage is accessed only where necessary and is managed in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.

Sharing Your Information

We will only share personal information where it is necessary and lawful to do so.

We may use trusted organisations and service providers to help us operate the Museum and deliver our services, including providers involved in:

  • website hosting and online services;

  • email communications;

  • payment processing; and

  • administrative or professional services.

Our website is hosted by Squarespace, which processes some personal information submitted through the website on our behalf. Online donations are processed securely through Stripe. Linlithgow Heritage Trust does not receive or store your full payment card details.

Where another organisation processes personal information on our behalf, we require appropriate safeguards to protect that information.

We may also disclose information where required by law or where necessary to protect the rights, property or safety of the Museum, our visitors, volunteers or others.

We may provide anonymised or aggregated information to funders and partner organisations for monitoring, evaluation and reporting purposes.

How Long We Keep Information

We keep personal information only for as long as it is reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and to meet any relevant legal, regulatory, contractual, financial, operational, collections-management or archival requirements.

Different types of information may therefore be retained for different periods.

Some collections and historical records may be retained permanently where appropriate.

Where information is retained as evidence of services or activities delivered under funding or service agreements, it may be retained for the period required by the relevant agreement.

Information that is no longer required will be securely deleted, destroyed or anonymised where appropriate.

Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal information. Depending on the circumstances, these may include the right to:

  • request access to the personal information we hold about you;

  • ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;

  • request deletion of your information;

  • request that we restrict how your information is used;

  • object to certain uses of your information;

  • withdraw your consent at any time where we rely on consent; and

  • request the transfer of certain information to you or another organisation.

These rights do not apply in every circumstance.

To make a request or ask a question about your personal information, please contact: enquiries@linlithgowmuseum.org

Complaints

If you have concerns about how we use your personal information, please contact us in the first instance so that we have an opportunity to address them.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent regulator for data protection.

Information Commissioner's Office

Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our activities, services or legal requirements.

Any updated version will be published on this page.

Last updated: August 2026