NMCT Grant Funded Project The Macdonalds of Waternish Alison Mason, Highland Archivist, High Life Highland Adult Learning | Archives | Arts | Leisure Facilities | Libraries | Museums| Music |Sport & Outdoor | Youth Work Overview • Background to the archive service • NMCT Application – archive conditions review • Conservation Survey • Digitisation • Conservation treatment examples • Future plans for the collection • Lessons learned Adult Learning | Archives | Arts | Leisure Facilities | Libraries | Museums| Music |Sport & Outdoor | Youth Work Nucleus: The Nuclear and Caithness Archives ▪ 4 Archive Centres providing access to documentary resources covering over 700 years of Highland history ▪ Dedicated Conservation Service Skye and Lochalsh Highland employing 2 full-time conservators Archive Centre Archive Centre ▪ Am Baile digital image archive relating to the Highlands and Islands Lochaber Archive Centre Visits in Person: 5,928 Attendances at Events: 8,244 Electronic Engagements: 726,558 Adult Learning | Archives | Arts | Leisure Facilities | Libraries | Museums| Music |Sport & Outdoor | Youth Work Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre • Archive Centre opened in 2009 • In Community campus comprising Portree High School, Archive, Library and Leisure Centre • Co-located in Elgin Hostel, also a residential hostel for school pupils • Staffing; 1 Archivist, 1 Archive Assistant Visits in Person: 495 Attendances at Events: 2229 Electronic Engagements: 115,927 Adult Learning | Archives | Arts | Leisure Facilities | Libraries | Museums| Music |Sport & Outdoor | Youth Work Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre • Area covered is Skye and Raasay, plus Lochalsh, Kintail and Glenshiel • Skye and Lochalsh NMCT application required review Archive Centre of environmental conditions, light exposure and security arrangements • Archive repository built to BS/PD5454 standard in 2009 • Benefitted from refurbishment of Elgin Hostel building in 2016 • 12 months of environmental monitoring readings supplied Adult Learning | Archives | Arts | Leisure Facilities | Libraries | Museums| Music |Sport & Outdoor | Youth Work • Waternish peninsula situated in the north west of Skye • Subject of inter-clan fighting between Macleods and Macdonalds • Lands passed to Macdonalds in the 19th century through sale and inheritance • Collection rescued by family solicitor from Waternish House which had fallen into disrepair in the 1970s • First batch of papers deposited in 2009 NLS OS 1st edition 6” map sheet IX Adult Learning | Archives | Arts | Leisure Facilities | Libraries | Museums| Music |Sport & Outdoor | Youth Work Macdonalds of Waternish • Resource for family history as crofters and estate staff, and their families appear throughout • Plans provide details of building refurbishments • Maps offer insight into farming methods and identify who occupies the crofts • Photographic archive compliments the collection • Life in the WW1 trenches vividly revealed in Allan Macdonald’s letters home Adult Learning | Archives | Arts | Leisure Facilities | Libraries | Museums| Music |Sport & Outdoor | Youth Work Waternish Collection Background • Significant parts of the collection were not accessible • Rent rolls and plans were in fragile state and completely unsuitable for production • Condition survey carried out over 2 day assessment • Total of 75 items identified Adult Learning | Archives | Arts | Leisure Facilities | Libraries | Museums| Music |Sport & Outdoor | Youth Work Access and digitisation • Submission included use of Am Baile to provide online access • Provision of Gaelic translation included • Scale of digitisation task not fully appreciated until task underway • Many items not easy to digitise without professional expertise Adult Learning | Archives | Arts | Leisure Facilities | Libraries | Museums| Music |Sport & Outdoor | Youth Work SL/D266/2/4 – Index of Farms • Originally sewn all along on four velum tapes • Sewing had deteriorated; the original leather and front board were missing. • Volume was re-sewn on linen tapes • The Library style binding is very close to original Adult Learning | Archives | Arts | Leisure Facilities | Libraries | Museums| Music |Sport & Outdoor | Youth Work SL/D266/38 –Ardmore Small Holdings Scheme • The plan was in six pieces with lots of tears • Following an ink the conservator carried out the repair with minimal moisture • The plan will be stored in a polyester roll Adult Learning | Archives | Arts | Leisure Facilities | Libraries | Museums| Music |Sport & Outdoor | Youth Work Proposed Outreach • Exhibition in Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre planned for summer 2020 • Am Baile online exhibition showing highlights from the collection to coincide • Mobile exhibition with boards, and some community curation to be run in Waternish Community Hall / tie in with workshops for school pupils • Proposed Portree High School Art department project looking at the “landscape” changes in the area Adult Learning | Archives | Arts | Leisure Facilities | Libraries | Museums| Music |Sport & Outdoor | Youth Work Lessons Learned • Requirement to detail archive storage conditions is an opportunity to review current practices • Digitisation needs careful consideration and should not be under-estimated • Changes to staffing and establishment may impact on your ability to deliver the project within the timescale • Conservation requirements may impact on ability to catalogue but an uncatalogued collection leads to unnecessary complications Adult Learning | Archives | Arts | Leisure Facilities | Libraries | Museums| Music |Sport & Outdoor | Youth Work Ian Murray Chief Executive High Life Highland 12-13 Ardross Street Inverness IV3 5NS Tel: 01463 663824 [email protected] www.highlifehighland.com Adult Learning | Archives | Arts | Leisure Facilities | Libraries | Museums| Music |Sport & Outdoor | Youth Work .