Celebrating and preserving Scotland’s sports heritage

Project launched to uncover and protect sporting collections

A new project will celebrate Scotland’s sporting heritage and aim for a better understanding of it and the collections that exist across the country.

Museums, community groups, sports clubs and individuals are coming together with the Scotland Sporting Heritage Network for the launch of a scoping project, made possible through a grant from the National Heritage Lottery Fund.

They will work to discover, protect, preserve and celebrate the wide variety of Scotland’s sporting collections.

Hugh Dan MacLennan, director of the Scotland Sporting Heritage Network, who is overseeing the project, said: ‘We are delighted to receive this funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund that will really help us to understand the collections which exist in Scotland that tell the story of our rich sporting heritage.

‘Without this joint effort by all those involved to try and gain as much understanding and information as we can, we know there will be collections that are at risk of loss or destruction and, with them, the stories they tell. If you have a sporting collection, no matter what size or sport, please get in touch.’

It is hoped the project will also support Scotland’s sporting collections to be better understood and help identify the role sport plays in wider issues around health and wellbeing.

The research is being conducted by archive specialists Turnstone Consultancy.

Research lead Kat Petersen added: ‘Sporting heritage might be tidily boxed up in an archive or accumulating in a cupboard in your office or clubhouse.

‘However it is being stored or displayed, if you have any records or objects relating to sports in Scotland we would love to hear from you.’

If anyone is aware of any sporting collections which may be of interest, or at risk in some way, an online survey is available for completion. Contact turnstonearch@gmail.com for more information.

Further detail on the project can be found on the www. sportingheritage.org.uk website.

Above: Badenoch Shinty Memories Group, with Shinty Memories ambassador Donnie Grant MBE, front second left, with family and committee members.

A selection of books from the National Library of Scotland recording the history of a wide range of sports.

Hugh Dan MacLennan, director of the Scotland Sporting Heritage Network, is overseeing the project.