Work starts on £370,000 history project

A unique opportunity to shape the future of history in the Western Isles is about to commence as a £370,000 project begins.

The Hebridean Connections project, which has brought together four local historical societies (Comainn Eachdraidh),  is starting the search for a Project Co-ordinator, who will be responsible for a team of four field officers.

The four societies involved are Great Bernera, Uig, Park and Kinloch, which have collected a vast archive of historical information covering their respective areas.

A total of £258,000 has been pledged by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) which has recently approved the business plan for the project.

The scheme involves the innovative use of digital technology; will safeguard historical archives and material; and will enhance the experience of visitors to Comainn Eachdraidh centres and enable access via the Internet. It will create social and family archives through various means including sound recordings, stories and songs, photographs, village histories, and cemetery records. This information will be enhanced by the inclusion of supporting information on archaeology, geography, social history, folklore and local knowledge.

People anywhere in the world, interested in finding out more about their Hebridean ancestry, will be able to access the `Hebridean Connections¹ database . The project will develop a user-friendly computerised interface which will allow users to look at a map of a local village, identify a particular croft and `zoom1 in. There, the user will be able to find out who lived there, see photographs of people and listen to recordings of stories about their lives.

The societies will raise over £15,300 towards the £370,800 project which is also receiving support from Western Isles Enterprise (WIE) of £77,500 and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (£20,000). The money will cover three years of the project but after that it is hoped that several part-time jobs will be created to be paid for by revenue generated from providing information services to visitors to the societies and the web-site.

The project co-ordinator will be responsible for the liaison between the project and the HLF; be responsible for ensuring the project budgets are maintained and approved; liaise with the software development contractors and ensure both budgetary and technical requirements are met.

Mr Donnie Macaulay, chief executive of WIE, said this would be a very rewarding post for someone with drive and enthusiasm who would get a chance to work in an Iomairt aig an Oir area. Among the qualities required will be experience with computers, Internet and multimedia technologies, knowledge of databases and office productivity software; a sensitivity to Gaelic culture; and both creative and report writing skills.

The overall aim of the project is to make widely available details of a history of settlement dating back some 6000 years. The main focus is on the great dispersal of population from the 18th century onwards which became more pronounced in the early 1900¹s and after the First World War. This took the Hebridean culture and Gaelic language to distant places where they are treasured as an inheritance of great worth.

The Comainn Eachdraidh movement began in 1977 and there are now around 24 such community groups active. These are already the first port of call for individuals tracing their roots; media representatives looking for historical information or images; and organisations such as the National Museum of Scotland, The School of Scottish Studies, and the General Registrar Office seeking  local information.

Basic parts of the Hebridean Connections database will be available free through discovery stations and the Internet. Further access to specific information would be on a fee basis and CDs would be compiled in line with customer needs.