HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS DIRECTORY
ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES Highland Archive Service
w highlifehighland.com/ archives-service
High Life Highland is responsible for four archive centres covering the Highland region in Caithness, Inverness, Lochaber, and Skye and Lochalsh. The archives held at these centres include records of official bodies, businesses, societies and individuals. They date from the 13th century to the present and include records of schools, poor relief, churches, businesses, and family and estate papers. The four centres are listed below.
Highland Archive Centre
Bught Road, Inverness IV3 5SS
01463 256444 archives@highlifehighland. com
Lochaber Archive Centre
Alexander Ross House, Achintore Road, Fort William PH33 6RQ
01397 707050 lochaber.archives@ highlifehighland.com
Nucleus: The Nuclear And Caithness Archive
Wick Airport, Industrial Estate, Wick, Caithness KW1 4QS
01955 602444 north.highlandarchive@ highlifehighland.com
Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre
Elgin Hostel, Dunvegan Road, Portree, Isle of Skye IV51 9EE 01478 614078 skyeandlochalsh.archives@ highlifehighland.com
Orkney Library & Archive
44 Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1AG t 01856 873166 e archives@orkney.gov.uk w www.orkneylibrary.org.uk The records held at Orkney Library & Archive include valuation rolls, electoral rolls and census schedules, Old Parish Registers (OPRs) and newspapers on microfilm, together with school records and photographs. The local studies collection is located in the Orkney Room – next to the searchroom – and encompasses material relating to Orkney and Shetland, plus some relating to Caithness. These include the Proceedings of the Orkney Antiquarian Society, local magazines such as The Orkney View and Living Orkney, and local directory Peace’s Almanac dating from 1864 to 1940. In addition there’s an online index to the Orkney register of sea-fishing boats, covering 1852–1968.
Shetland Museum And Archives
Hay’s Dock, Lerwick, Shetland ZE1 0WP
01595 695057 info@shetlandmuseum andarchives.org.uk
w shetlandmuseumand
archives.org.uk Shetland Museum and Archives has a large collection of Church of Scotland records, incorporating minutes of presbyteries, synods and kirk sessions from 1675 until the 20th century. The Photo Archive is home to approximately 60,000 images depicting the life, heritage and culture of the Shetland Islands, which you can explore via various themes ( photos.shetland-museum. org.uk). There’s also an online catalogue featuring more than 100,000 entries, and the collections section of the website has detailed guides to such topics as church records, estates, businesses and societies, and microfilm sources.
Tasglann Nan Eilean Siar (Hebridean Archives)
Lews Castle, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis HS2 0XS t 01851 822750 e enquiries@tasglann.org.uk w tasglann.org.uk/en
The Tasglann nan Eilean Siar website is the best place to get to grips with the Hebridean collections. Under the ‘Research resources’ heading there are source lists plus a series of thematic maps designed to help locate archives on particular subjects. Staff hope to soon add more online catalogues, but you can check what’s already available by visiting ica-atom. tasglann.org.uk.
FAMILY AND LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETIES Caithness Family History Society
w caithnessfhs.org.uk
The society has produced census collections and transcriptions of memorial inscriptions, and hosts the 2019 conference of the Scottish Association of Family History Societies on 27 April. Its members offer a look-up service.
Comainn Eachdraidh
w tasglann.org.uk/en/ heritage-groups
There are a large number of Comainn Eachdraidh (local historical societies) covering the different islands that make up the Hebrides. You can find more about each one via the map here.
Glengarry Heritage Centre
Glengarry Community Hall, Invergarry, Inverness-shire PH35 4HG
01809 501424 glengarryheritage@ outlook.com
w glengarryheritagecentre.com
The heritage centre is run by a local history association.
Highland Family History Society
info@highlandfamilyhistory society.org w highlandfamilyhistory
society.org
The society is based at the Highland Archive Centre (see earlier entry), and covers the historic counties of Inverness, Nairn, Ross and Sutherland.
Lochaber and North Argyll Family History Society
w lochaberfamilyhistory.org.uk
The society covers the region of Eastern Scotland including Ford William, Glencoe and towards (but not including) Mull.
t 01856 879207 w orkneyfhs.co.uk
Orkney Family History Society has an office in Orkney Library & Archive (see earlier entry) which is staffed by volunteers, holds meetings and publishes a quarterly magazine. The society’s website has members’ sections with births, marriages and deaths; census data; memorial inscriptions; and parish information.
Shetland Family History Society
a 6 Hillhead, Lerwick, Shetland ZE1 0EJ e research@shetland-fhs.org.uk w shetland-fhs.org.uk
Visit the society’s website to find out about latest projects and view research tips, useful links and a Shetland parish map. You can also check the opening times of the research centre in Lerwick.
Shetland Heritage Association
w shetlandheritageassociation.com The website of the Shetland Heritage Association has a map of members showing museums, groups and heritage attractions from all over the region.
Stornoway Historical Society
a 2 Cromwell Street, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis HS1 2DB
t 01851 702206 e info@stornowayhistoricalsociety.org.uk
w stornowayhistoricalsociety. org.uk
Stornoway is the main town of the Western Isles and the capital of Lewis and Harris. The society’s website has details of events and publications, and its links page lists other history groups and heritage attractions in the Western Isles.