The island’s cultural attractions are being highlighted in a tour by the Cabinet minister responsible for culture.

Ernest Peets, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport, said the whistle-stop visits to notable sites were designed to highlight the importance of knowing about Bermuda’s history.

Dr Peets added: “If we are to protect, preserve and promote broader awareness about our cultural legacy, it’s important for us all to learn as much as we can about our heritage.”

He was speaking after he visited the Carter House Museum in St David’s, an example of early domestic architecture.

A government spokeswoman said the programme showed Dr Peets’s “commitment to viewing Bermuda’s museums, art galleries and historical landmarks, with a goal of engaging with those who oversee and manage these institutions”.

Dr Peets said: “I want to express my thanks and appreciation to the St David’s Historical Society and the Carter House team for their gracious welcome.

“Visiting the site transports you to the 17th century with its historic appearance. It's surrounded by endemic trees and plants from that time, including the Bermuda palmetto, which is prominent throughout the property.”

Dr Peets added: “It was an incredibly informative tour and I learnt so much about how the earliest settlers in Bermuda used what they found to build their homes, moving from palmetto thatched mud and stud to limestone in the 1600s.

“As we outlined in our National Cultural Heritage Policy, it’s important for us all to learn as much as we can about our heritage, and Carter House and the Cabben is a living museum and one of our cultural gems.

“It’s also critical that our community support these institutions, many of which are charitable organisations as they contain a wealth of information about our historical roots.”