Highland archives boosted by host of new material
The Highland Archive Centre is constantly growing, with new deposits of material coming in all the time.
Once a collection is in our safe keeping, we create a detailed descriptive list, or catalogue, of exactly what is contained within that collection.
This allows us to allocate each item with a unique reference number so we know exactly what we have and so can direct customers to records relating to their area of research.
Some collections are vast, comprising many boxes, volumes, or files, and others are tiny, containing perhaps only one sheet of paper.
Over the past 12 months, the Highland Archive Centre has played host to two archive interns from Highland Council’s employability scheme who have helped us to catalogue a variety of collections. Their work has been instrumental in making these collections accessible to the public.
These collections include the following:
HCA/D1776 May MacDonald Collection: Although born in Govan in 1887, May was educated at Dingwall Academy and then trained as a teacher at Aberdeen. The bulk of the collection is made up of letters and postcards sent to May and others. As well as around 35 photographs there are some other interesting items such as pressed flowers, a sewing album and even some locks of hair.
HCA/D1777 Elma Kennedy and John E Kennedy Collection: This small collection relates to Miss Elma Kennedy. Elma received her MA degree from St Andrews University with first class honours before becoming a teacher in Skye. She then went on to be headmistress of Nairnside School. She collected antiques relating to the Highlands and left many of these items to the Inverness Museum on her death in 1959. There are also a few items relating to Elma’s brother John, including a sketchbook and a school jotter. John died in 1915.
HCA/D1843 Pauline Cushnie: Pauline (born on June 13, 1943) was a member of the Girl's Guildry, joining on November 21, 1954, and one of the first girls to be awarded the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award in the Highlands. This collection mainly relates to Pauline’s time in the Girl’s Guildry and her DofE achievements.
HCA/D1850 Hugh Miller, Surgeon: Mr Hugh Millar was born in Eyemouth, Berwickshire on July 21, 1899. He was a surgeon who moved to Inverness in 1929 and worked in the Royal Northern Infirmary for 35 years before his retirement. He served in both world wars as a surgeon in the Army Medical Services, attaining the rank of Captain, and he served as a consultant during the introduction of the NHS.
These collections have now been fully catalogued and can be viewed in our Searchroom.
If you would like to visit us to have a look through these or any of the records in our care, you can pop in during our opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 10am-4.30pm. There is no charge to come in and consult the records, however we are a charity and we do gratefully accept donations which allow us to continue to care for these fascinating collections.
