This small scale research project consistsed of a series of workshop events held in the Outer Hebrides and associated field research relating to archival resource synergies emerging in the communities of Benbecula, South Uist, and Eriskay. The workshop themes were Oral Tradition, Deserted Settlement and Visual Legacy. Invitations were extended to local heritage and history professionals and organisations, as well as a small number of academic partners with links to the island communities named. It was hoped that each workshop event would facilitate discussion and knowledge exchange by interested parties specifically serving the archive resources relating to cultural heritage of the communities of Benbecula, South Uist, and Eriskay. This was to be the case.  

The workshops took place in August and September 2007 and in each of the three workshop symposia style events, lively and stimulating discussion took place following a series of informal presentations and more interactive hands-on opportunities engaging with museum and archive resources. Details of these events can be found by clicking on the workshop theme pages links above. Further details will be added as the analysis of the events is written up and disseminated here.

A key objective of the project was to undertake informal discussion around a set of thematic concerns relating to island heritage and the specific potential for knowledge exchange and partnership in relation to the documentary and visual archives of the area.  This has been achieved. 

The second goal of providing reflections on this discussion, including some edits of the recording of the events are being worked on by both myself, and my colleague from the School of Media, Language and Music, Mr Tony Grace.

The project began in July 2007 and ran for 5 months. Further details can  be obtained from Kathryn A Burnett (kathryn.burnett@uws.ac.uk).