Scotland’s Sounds Directory: Collection Information

This is a new online directory that represents collections from organisations participating in our network, Scotland’s Sounds. We hope this will help people to explore what sound collections exist and how to access them, as well as show the diversity and value of these rich collections to researchers, sound enthusiasts and the general public.

This is a work in progress a present, if you want your own sound collections to be a part of our directory please contact us to request a Collection Information form.

Directory

Scotlands Sounds - Collections

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There are currently 20 Entries in this directory
Bells of Scotland

Sound Collections: Sound recordings of bells. Field-gathered actuality of ringing bells, recorded in context, across Scotland.
Number of items:currently 98 (as of 15/8/20)
Formats: Digital sound files.
Contents: Environmental sounds; Soundscapes; Bells; Churches; Community; Place.

Organisation Information:
The purpose of Bells of Scotland is to link the communities of Scotland, through the sounds of their bells. Within any community the sound of a bell can make someone feel a sense of place, and a collection of such sounds could create a collective sense of home for many people. This also works across the world, without language. Such sounds are unique in modern times, as they have been unchanged for many decades, as have the feelings associated with them. A communal sense of place, and belonging, recognisable to all.
Access to Collections: Online
Contact Details:
bellsofscotland@gmail.com
https://soundcloud.com/bells-of-scotland

Comann Eachdraidh Sgire Bhearnaraidh {Bernera Historical Society}

Sound Collections:
Bernera Oral History Archive
A limited number of records made by local people since the year 2000 recording the stories and history of Bernera in Gaelic. Includes stories passed down through family, local oral traditions and descriptions of life growing up on Bernera.
Number of items: 50
Formats: Compact Discs
Contents: Oral History; Interviews; Spoken Word; Gaelic; oral traditions;

Organisation Information: Bernera Historical Society is based on the small island of Great Bernera on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis with the aim to collect and preserve the cultural heritage of the island. The collection includes genealogical and crofting records for the island, including photos; Iron Age Artifacts from the Iron Age Village at Bosta, and a limited sound collection of local people telling the history and stories on Bernera in Gaelic. The society runs the accredited Bernera Museum and the Bosta Iron Age House., and is run by volunteers and managed by a Trust.
Access to Collections: On-site.
Contact Details: Bernera Historical Society, Bernera Museum, Bernera Community Center, Breaclete, Bernera, Isle of Lewis, HS2 9LT.
01851 612331
berneramuseum1@gmail.com
berneramuseum.wixsite.com/website
Opening Hours normally Monday to Friday 12pm to 4pm during the summer. Please check website for up to date information.

Greentrax Recordings Ltd

Sound Collections:
Celtic Collections
Ceilidh Bands; Groups; Scottish Tradition Series; Gaelic Songs; G2 Label; Robert Burns; Pipe Band and Solo Piping
The Scottish Tradition Series from the archives of the School Of Scottish Studies are amongst the finest of their kind, and the range continues to expand annually. The G2 label allowed further diversification and resulted in the unique Keltik Elektrik and Salsa Celtica releases, more recently Jiggin' The Blues featuring Frankie Gavin, plus other unusual albums. The licensing of the Culburnie label brought to the Company the immense talents of Alasdair Fraser and other artists. The Celtic Collections Series is a mid-price range of albums, culled mainly from the Greentrax back catalogue but including such original gems as Sandy Bell's Ceilidh. There are some very strong sellers in this series, which provides excellent value for money and are quality albums.
Number of items: 450+
Formats: Digital sound files; Compact Discs; Cassettes
Contents: Oral History; Music & Song; Spoken Word.
Visitors to the Greentrax office are amazed at the incredible mix of Scottish music the company has released. The CD booklets adorn three of the office walls. This amazing array of talent includes folk singers and groups, Gaelic singers, singers & songwriters, ceilidh bands, pipe bands, solo pipers and various other instrumental music, both traditional and contemporary.
The Scottish Tradition Series from the archives of the School Of Scottish Studies are amongst the finest of their kind, and the range continues to expand annually. The G2 label allowed further diversification and resulted in the unique Keltik Elektrik and Salsa Celtica releases, more recently Jiggin' The Blues featuring Frankie Gavin, plus other unusual albums. The licensing of the Culburnie label brought to the Company the immense talents of Alasdair Fraser and other artists. The Celtic Collections Series is a mid-price range of albums, culled mainly from the Greentrax back catalogue but including such original gems as Sandy Bell's Ceilidh. There are some very strong sellers in this series, which provides excellent value for money and are quality albums.

Organisation Information:
Greentrax Recordings Ltd has established itself as Scotland's leading traditional music recording company, with a well-earned worldwide reputation. The company was launched in 1986 by former police inspector Ian Green, and 2011 marked our 25th anniversary. During this period Greentrax has released some 500 albums, and the current catalogue features approximately 450 items - a remarkable achievement which Ian Green is extremely proud of! The Greentrax Recordings catalogue includes the Greentrax, G2, Celtic Collections and Culburnie labels, plus Grian Music Publishing. Culburnie Records is licensed by Greentrax for the World, excluding North America and Spain (Alasdair Fraser continues to manage Culburnie USA).
While the press has always been generous in its praise of Greentrax, Scottish Televison also featured Ian and the company's achievements in their Artery series. In 2005 Ian was presented with The Hamish Henderson Award for Services to Scottish Traditional Music at the Scots Trad Awards, which automatically placed him in The Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. In 2006 Ian was very proud to accept an Honorary Doctorate from the Royal Scottish Academy Of Music & Drama (Glasgow), also for services to Scottish traditional music. Various other awards have been bestowed on Greentrax, and each year Greentrax artists feature prominently in the Scots Trad Music Awards.
The Scottish Tradition Series from the archives of the School Of Scottish Studies are amongst the finest of their kind, and the range continues to expand annually. The G2 label allowed further diversification and resulted in the unique Keltik Elektrik and Salsa Celtica releases, more recently Jiggin' The Blues featuring Frankie Gavin, plus other unusual albums. The licensing of the Culburnie label brought to the Company the immense talents of Alasdair Fraser and other artists. The Celtic Collections Series is a mid-price range of albums, culled mainly from the Greentrax back catalogue but including such original gems as Sandy Bell's Ceilidh. There are some very strong sellers in this series, which provides excellent value for money and are quality albums.
Access to Collections: Shops; Online; On-site.
Contact Details: Cockenzie Business Hub, 23 Edinburgh Road, Cockenzie, East Lothian EH32 0XL
01875 814155
www.greentrax.com
info@greentrax.com

Live Life Aberdeenshire Museums Service

Sound Collections:
The John Junner Collection
In 2019 Live Life Aberdeenshire Museums Service acquired the John Junner Collection. John Junner (1920-2009) was the son of headmaster Colin Kirkness Junner and Margaret. He followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming headmaster of Strathy Primary School and latterly headmaster of Strachan Primary School, Aberdeenshire, where he worked from 1966 until his retirement in 1985. He was a highly respected village dominie who chaired Strachan Village Hall Committee for many years. Interested in music technology and musical instruments, he was a first-class musician, particularly on the fiddle. He was also an acknowledged authority on the music of James Scott Skinner (1843-1927), Banchory’s dancing master, violinist, fiddler and composer. John Junner once toured Northern Ireland, providing piano accompaniment for the leading interpreter of James Scott Skinner’s music, Bill Hardie, a descendant of Matthew Hardie (1755-1826), Scotland’s greatest luthier. Junner was interested in sound, its mechanical production and reproduction on various machines. Over the years he collected sounds, recording local musicians and singers during the 1940s and ‘50s. His musical collection pre-dates the Folk Revival of the 1960s and ‘70s and consequently is unique.
The John Junner Collection of traditional music is vast and varied, containing cassette tapes, 78s records, reel to-reel tapes, wax cylinders, and musical equipment and instruments. It includes live recordings of sessions undertaken by John Junner and other musicians at his former home in Aberdeenshire, which were were transmitted live on Radio Scotland. There are also other recordings taken from BBC Scotland transmissions from the 1950s to the ‘90s.
Number of items: 6,500
Formats: Musical recording equipment and instruments; Cassettes; Open Reels; Vinyl Discs; Shellac Discs; Wax Cylinder.
Contents: Music & Song; Scottish traditional music from 1940s to '90s

Organisation Information:
Aberdeenshire's cultural and sports services are operated by Live Life Aberdeenshire on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council. The purpose of Live Life Aberdeenshire Museums Service is to enhance the quality of life of Aberdeenshire people and visitors to Aberdeenshire, by providing and enabling inspiring and challenging learning experiences that support the delivery of Lifelong Learning through the collection, preservation, interpretation of, and community engagement with real objects in the Museums Service's collections.
Live Life Aberdeenshire Museums Service has eclectic and diverse collections which encompass the length and breadth of the history of north-east Scotland - farming, fishing, whaling, archaeology, Scottish traditional music recordings - which demonstrate the country's unique contribution to cultural and economic development worldwide.
Access to Collections: On-site;
Contact Details: The Discovery Centre, Mintlaw Industrial Estate, Station Road, Mintlaw, AB42 5EE
01467 536544
museums@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
www.livelifeaberdeenshire.org.uk/museums/
Twitter: @abmuseums

National Library of Scotland

Sound Collections:
Music Collections including: Dean-Myatt Collection; Jimmy Logan Collection
Archive Collections including: Scotland's Record; Scottish Decolonisation Project; Moving Image Archive Oral History of Film & Cinema.
Sound collections at the National Library of Scotland span the range of collections held by the Library. The majority of recordings are held as part of the Music collections, and are largely published music sound recordings on wax cylinder, shellac 78rpm disc, vinyl, tape and CD, varying in style from classical, jazz, Scottish traditional and folk music and popular music. The most significant collection in the music collections is the Dean-Myatt Collection, over 10,000 items including many rare and unique Scottish music recordings from the early 20th Century. There are a number of smaller mostly tape or digital collections held as part of archive collections in the library. These are mostly spoken word collections, oral histories, off-air and master radio recordings and poetry. The Library also holds a number of published audio collections, such as audiobooks and language tapes deposited by publishers over the years.
The Library also leads the Scotland's Sounds network and through the Unlocking Our Sound Heritage project can provide access to thousands of digitised collections held by collections across Scotland and other parts of the UK.
Contents: Oral History; Interviews; Radio; Music & Song; Environmental Sounds; Spoken Word; Scottish Music; Scottish Song; Classical Music; Scottish Politics; Comedy; Gaelic; Gàidhlig; Scots; Accents; Radio; Broadcasts; Social History; Local History; Language; Wildlife; Art; Theatre; Performance; Literature; Poetry; Science; Film; Cinema; Working Lives; Industry; Industrial Relations
Number of items: c.65,000
Formats: Digital sound files; Compact Discs; DATs; Minidsics; Cassettes; Open Reels; Vinyl Discs; Shellac Discs; Wax Cylinder;

Organisation Information:
The National Library of Scotland is the largest library in the country, with more than 31 million items held in trust for the Scottish people. We preserve the memory of the nation with collections that span the centuries, from earliest times to the digital age.
The Library is the successor to the historic Library of the Faculty of Advocates, founded in Edinburgh in the late 17th century. Since 1710 the Library has had the right, under successive Copyright Acts, to acquire a copy of all books published in the United Kingdom. As a result, we hold extensive and varied collections of printed material, including maps, music, newspapers and magazines as well as books. We also have large manuscript and archive collections documenting the lives of Scots at home and abroad. Our digital content is growing every year, particularly through electronic legal deposit and our curation of the national moving image and sound collections.
Our role is to both safeguard and to share the knowledge held in our collections for current and future generations. We are committed to providing easy access to our physical and digital content, and to delivering services that are open and available to all. We support learning and research, and promote understanding and enjoyment of our collections through a rich programme of exhibitions, events, and outreach activities.
Access to Collections: On-site
Contact Details: National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EW and National Library of Scotland at Kelvin Hall, 1445 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8AW
+44 (0)131 623 3700
enquiries@nls.uk
www.nls.uk ; www.nls.uk/using-the-library/kelvin-hall ; www.nls.uk/collections/music/collections
Twitter: @natlibscot and @nlskelvinhall
Instagram: @natlibscot

National Museums Scotland

Sound Collections:
WEA (Workers’ Educational Association) Salt of the Earth: A Scottish Peoples’ History Project Collection.
Collection of oral history interviews conducted over a period of three years from 1998 – 2001 with funding provided by the National Lottery Charities Board. The project was devised to collect oral history material through tutor led adult education initiatives and construct a picture of life in 20th century Scotland from the perspectives of ordinary people. Over 450 people were involved in the project across 43 geographical locations, generating the oral history archive and also a publication and videos.
NMS (National Museums Scotland) Scottish Life Archive Oral History Collection
Collection of oral history interviews conducted by NMAS/NMS social history curators between 1968 and 2009 covering subjects relating to their collecting, research and exhibition priorities. Interviewees were either donors of artefacts to the collections or employees of a particular occupational group that curators were researching in order to enhance the information available about related artefacts in the collections.
Number of items: 500
Formats: Digital sound files; Minidiscs; Cassettes; Open Reels.
Contents: Oral History; Interviews; Music & Song; Work and Industry: Agriculture; Glass making; Society and Family: 20th century Scotland; Sport and Leisure; Food and Agriculture: 19th and 20th Century Scotland; War and Conflict: Scottish Women's Land Army experiences; Scottish Women's Timber Corps experiences; World events; Migration.

Organisation Information:
At National Museums Scotland, we care for collections of national and international importance, preserving them, interpreting them and making them accessible to as many people as possible. We work with museums and communities across Scotland and beyond, introducing our collections to a much wider audience than can physically visit our museums, through partnerships, research, touring exhibitions, community engagement, digital programmes and loans.
Our collections are a legacy which we look after on behalf of everyone in Scotland. Our wealth of objects represent everything from Scottish and classical archaeology to applied arts and design; from world cultures and social history to science, technology and the natural world.
We have four museum sites: the National Museum of Scotland and National War Museum, in Edinburgh, the National Museum of Flight, in East Lothian and the National Museum of Rural Life in East Kilbride.
Access to Collections: On-site.
Contact Details: National Museums Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
0300 123 6789
info@nms.ac.uk
www.nms.ac.uk and Scottish Life Archive
Twitter: @NtlMuseumsScot
Instagram: @nationalmuseumsscotland

New Lanark Trust

Sound Collections:
New Lanark Oral History Archive.
Oral history records of former 20th century millworkers at the New Lanark Mills. These were recorded in the 1980s and give rich insight into the lives and work of the people of New Lanark from the early 20th century through to the closure of the mills in 1968.
Number of items: 50
Formats: Digital sound files; Cassettes; Open Reels;
Contents: Oral History; Interviews; Spoken Word; New Lanark Cotton Mills, Industry, Social lives of millworkers, Education of millworkers.

Organisation Information:
New Lanark Trust is the Registered Scottish Charity responsible for New Lanark World Heritage Site. The Trust's purpose is to: Conserve New Lanark's heritage, site and environs; Contribute socially and economically to the area; and evolve to stay relevant to our people and the world. The Trust values are that it is authentic, responsible, industrious and ambitious, in line with its heritage, and in particular, the ethos of the site’s most famous owner, Robert Owen. New Lanark was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 for its outstanding universal value in relation to its architectural authenticity, technological developments, and reforms of Robert Owen. The Trust holds an extensive archive relating to the history of New Lanark. This includes a large collection of oral history recordings relating to former millworkers who worked at New Lanark from the early 20th century until the closure of the mills in 1968.
Access to Collections: On-site
Contact Details: New Lanark Mills, Lanark, ML11 9DB
01555 661345
trust@newlanark.org
www.newlanark.org
Search Room (access to collections) open Monday - Friday 9-5 by appointment
Some collection material available online at www.ehive.com
Twitter: @newlanarkwhs
Instagram: @newlanark

OurStory Scotland

Sound Collections:
OurStory Scotland Collection
OurStory Scotland audio recordings are archived at the National Library of Scotland (Archives and Manuscripts). They comprise principally full-length oral history recordings with individuals or couples, group recordings, and shorter recordings on particular themes. Where the recording is recorded with video, the recordings are archived at the Moving Image Archive of the National Library of Scotland. The OurStory Scotland Collection is a national archive of hte LGBTQ+ community in Scotland.
Number of items: The Collection currently comprises 40 full length oral history recordings, but this number is growing as our work is continuing. We have many other recordings that we are preparing for archive.
Formats: Digital sound files
Contents: Oral History; Interviews; Spoken Word. The OurStory Scotland Collection focuses on the life stories of the LGBTQ+ community in Scotland. In addition to traditional full-length oral history recordings, we have recordings on particular themes, identities, locations and events. Questions of gender and sexuality are central to our recordings. Particular projects have included Queer Stories and Love Out of Bounds (supported by the former Scottish Arts Council and later Creative Scotland), OurSpace (the title of our 2008 exhibition at Kelvingrove), Moving Bodies and Coming In.

Organisation Information:
OurStory Scotland, establsihed in 2002, is a Scottish Charity (SCIO) run wholly by volunteers dedicated to collecting, archiving and presenting the life stories of the LGBTQ+ community in Scotland. We have developed a range of methods of collecting these stories, archival procedures to preserve the heritage of our community, and themes for storytelling and presentation.
Access to Collections: Online
Contact Details: OurStory Scotland, Archives and Special Collections, The Mitchell, North Street, Glasgow, G3 7DN
info@ourstoryscotland.org.uk
www.ourstoryscotland.org.uk
A small sample of our recordings can be accessed on our YouTube channel
Twitter: @OurStoryScot

Perth & Kinross Archive

Sound Collections:
Alyth Story Box (ACC19/29): local history, personal reminiscences and songs recorded by local children and adults for the Alyth Story Box Project, 2017-2019.
Mosaic of Alyth Oral Histories (ACC17/01): oral history recordings of three people who grew up in Alyth during the Second World War, recorded 2009
Perth-shire Memories (ACC11/52): oral history recordings of people who lived and worked in the glens of Perth-shire, recorded 1985-2011.
Perth & Kinross Sound Archive (PKSA): Perth & Kinross Sound Archive: oral history recordings of people who lived in rural Perthshire, recorded 1985-1986.
Perth Burns Club (ACC10/21): audio recordings, 1980-1993 and audio-visual recordings, 1994-1996 of meetings, made at various places in Perth, including the Salutation Hotel.
We also hold individual recordings within larger collections, including the life story of John McEwen (1887-1992), forester and activist; Abernyte Heritage Group Oral History Project (ACC10/11)
Number of items: Estimated 100-200 individual recordings - exact number not known
Formats: Digital sound files; Compact Discs; Minidsics; Cassettes; Open Reels;
Contents: Oral History; Interviews; Music & Song; Spoken Word; Local history; folklore; farming; fishing; forestry; rural crafts and industry; Scots language and dialect; Robert Burns poetry and music; Burns addresses; land ownership; World War Two

Organisation Information:
Perth & Kinross Archive holds the historical records of Perth and Kinross Council and its predecessors, dating from the twelfth century to the present day. It also hold a large number of collections relating to local people, families, businesses, organisations, societies, institutions and estates. The records are freely available for researchers visiting in person and a paid research service is also available.
Access to Collections: On-site
Short films of Perth & Kinross Sound Archive are available on our YouTube channel
Contact Details: AK Bell Library, 2-8 York Place, Perth, PH2 8EP
01738 477022
archives@culturepk.org.uk
www.culturepk.org.uk/archive-local-family-history
Facebook: @PerthKinrossArchive
Twitter: @PerthKinrossArchive

Playback Recording Service for the Blind

Sound Collections:
Various magazine interviews and some relevant to social work care for the blind from 1976 some items of general interest, interviews, Ken Dodd, Harry Secombe, Jimmy Logan, Rikki Fulton, Jack Milroy, Ronnie Corbet, Joe Loss, James Last and many others including interview with Tom Sutherland a Beirut Hostage.
Number of items: 4,800
Formats: Memory stick/download; Digital sound files
Contents: Oral History; Interviews; Radio; Music & Song; Environmental Sounds; Spoken Word.

Organisation Information:
Playback is an organisation who has been recording Audio material for blind people since 1976, mainly newspapers magazines and book library, sadly only part of the service available in our archive is some Magazine features recorded for our audio magazine 'Playback' its not all available on line as yet but a sample of the past two years is available at www.play-back.com Archive material can be requested from fraserp3@virginmedia.com as yet we have been unable to produce a print database.
Access to Collections: By Request; Online
Contact Details: Playback c/o Peter Fraser, 17 Gullane Street, Partick, Glasgow, G11 6AH
0141 776 3395 / 07771 867874 studio 0141 334 2983
fraserp3@virginmedia.com or playback@btinternet.com
www.play-back.com

Political Song Collection

Sound Collections:
Janey Buchan Political Song Collection
Workers' Music Association Archive
The Political Song Collection is a repository for materials concerning political song (formerly known as the Janey Buchan Political Song Collection). It was initiated by a deposit from Janey Buchan of material she had amassed throughout her life reflecting her avid interest in the confluence of politics and culture. In 2011 the Collection was deposited with the University of Glasgow on long-term loan. Since Janey’s death on 14 January 2012 the collection has continued to accrue new materials, which prompted the name change. These have been mainly small deposits from a variety of individuals involved in political song including the Ron Tendler Collection and a large deposit on behalf of John Jordan, the late President of the Workers’ Music Association in 2018 which forms the basis for the Workers’ Music Association Archive.
Number of items: 252+
Formats: DVD; Digital sound files; Compact Discs; Cassettes; Vinyl Discs
Contents: Oral History; Interviews; Music & Song; Spoken Word; Political song; Protest song; Political song within the Scottish Folk Revival; The Workers' Music Association and the music of Alan Bush; The music of Alastair Hulett; Irish rebel songs.

Organisation Information:
The PSC is a major archive of political song, songs of social justice and other holdings from the fields of politics, social studies and the performing arts. The Collection comprises print, manuscript, audiovisual and digital media, from the 18th century to the present day. The Collection is housed at the University of Glasgow and is open to all - anyone can arrange to consult the Collection by appointment. An ever-growing selection of the archive's holdings have been digitised and are freely available online via our digital catalogue. A large number of the Collection's holdings, particularly those centred on Political folk song, are Scottish in origin or content.
Access to Collections: Online; On-site.
Contact Details:The Political Song Collection, History of Art Resource Centre, School of Culture & Creative Arts, 7 University Gardens Glasgow, G12 8QH
0141 330 2067
Neil.McDermott@glasgow.ac.uk
Janet Buchan Collection recordings listing
www.gla.ac.uk/schools/cca/research/music/projectsandnetworks/psc/
Twitter: @political_song

Royal College of Nursing

Sound Collections:
RCN oral history collection
Research project original archives include: Complementary and Alternative Medicine in British Nursing Practice; Channel Islands Occupation WW2; Glasgow Royal Infirmary School of Nursing 1938-45; Health and Health Inequalities and the Queen's Nursing Institute for Scotland; District Nursing on the Isle of Lewis ; Perceptions of change: an oral history of District Nursing in Scotland, 1940-1999; Contact, Contagion and Communication: The Role of the Nurse in Relation to Tuberculosis (TB) 1930-1970; Yorkhill Nurses League Oral History Project; Learning Disability Nursing (UK and Ireland); Comparative Study of Nurses' Training in the 1930's & 40's & 2008.
Access copies of the research projects: The History of Nursing in an English Urban Region from 1919; Mental Health Nursing Oral History Project
A collection of oral history interviews with nurses, nursing leaders, Department of Health, National Health Service and Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members and staff from across the United Kingdom and some from overseas. All of the individuals have some vital connection to nursing and relate information about themselves and their careers and experiences in nursing and relevant social history. Interviews include comments about nursing as a profession politically or historically and some refer to important developments, changes or events in nursing and society.
There are over 700 recorded interviews in this growing collection. In addition, several external project deposits take the total available for research to over 900. The date given in each catalogue record is the range of dates discussed during the interview and may represent either the individual's birth date or the start of their career, not the date of recording. Most of the interviews were originally recorded on cassette from the mid-80s onwards, some on minidisk and more recently digitally as mp3 or wav files. Where possible the RCN Archives has converted these to wav files, with mp3 copies and created transcriptions.
Number of items: 750
Formats: Digital sound files; Minidsics; Cassettes; Open Reels
Contents: Oral History ; many social history topics, military and political history (focus on WW2 and modern defence nursing), education (general and nursing), pay and working conditions, healthcare organisations (e.g. NHS), hospitals healthcare roles (hospital and community), healthcare treatments and programmes, trade union activism, travel and working abroad, immigration, nursing specialisms, women and leadership/career development, diversity in nursing.

Organisation Information:
Established in 1916, the RCN is a UK membership organisation of more than 450,000 registered nurses, midwives, nursing support workers and nursing students in 2020. We are both a professional body, carrying out work on nursing standards, education and practice, and a trade union.
Our members work in a range of health care specialties and settings in the NHS and independent sectors. We also have members based overseas, and members who are retired. Around 35,000 nursing students are members.
We are governed by an elected Council of 17 members which delegates the running and management of the organisation to our Chief Executive & General Secretary. Our President is a member of RCN Council.
We are a Royal Charter body registered with the Privy Council since 1929 and, because trade unionism is not our sole activity, we are on a special register of trade unions which means our rules differ slightly to other trade unions.
We have one of the largest specialist nursing libraries in Europe and the only solely nursing archive. The archive contains corporate and personal papers collections, including records from past nursing organisations. The archive also houses a substantial oral history collection and collections of nursing images, badges, medals and other personal items.
Access to Collections: On-site
Contact Details: Royal College of Nursing Library and Archive Service, 20 Cavendish Square, London, W1G 0RN
0345 337 3368
rcn.library@rcn.org.uk
www.rcn.org.uk/library
Collection access information: https://www.rcn.org.uk/library/books-journals-and-databases/special-collections/oral-history-collection
Collection catalogue: https://archives.rcn.org.uk
Instagram: @rcnlibraries

Scottish Fisheries Museum

Sound Collections:
Murray Craig Oral History Collection
The audio collection comprises interviews with fishermen and other members of the Scottish fishing community undertaken by museum staff and volunteers. It also includes material recorded privately and donated to the museum, plus a smaller number of recordings of public broadcasts. The majority of the collection is available in digital format although there are some recordings in older formats including those for which the museum does not hold the copyright.
Number of items: 150
Formats: Digital sound files; Compact Discs; Cassettes; Open Reels
Contents: Oral History; Interviews; Radio; Music & Song; Spoken Word.
The recordings cover many aspects of life and work at and around the sea such as: fishing, fishing methods, boats, boat-building, fish trading, fish processing, factory work, community life, fishery management, fisheries science and aspects relating to the history of the museum. There are a small number of recordings of poetry and song.

Organisation Information:
The Scottish Fisheries Museum tells the story of fishing in Scotland, and the people involved in the industry, from earliest times to the present. Situated in a wonderful collection of historic buildings on the harbour of a small and beautiful fishing port, we are a charitable trust which has become a national institution with an international reputation.
Since it was established in 1967, the Museum Trust has collected artefacts connected to the history of fishing from all around the coasts of Scotland, including audio and oral history recordings. The entire collection cared for by the Scottish Fisheries Museum is a Recognised Collection of National Significance, awarded by Museums Galleries Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government.
Access to Collections: Online; On-site
Contact Details: St Ayles, Harbourhead, Anstruther, Fife, KY10 3AB
01333 310628
enquiries@scotfishmuseum.org
www.scotfishmuseum.org
www.castingthenet.scot
Twitter: @scotfishmuseum
Instagram: @scotfishmuseum

Scottish Jazz Archive (SJA)

Sound Collections:
Phil Croal Collection - a digitised collection of photographs, posters, and audio recordings relating to Scottish jazz promoters, Platform between the years 1971 - 1980.
The Norrie Thomson Collection - a collection of private and commercial recordings of Scottish musicians and bands.
Scottish Jazz Oral History Collection - a growing body of filmed interviews featuring pioneers of the Scottish jazz scene produced by Haftor Medbøe on behalf of the Scottish Jazz Archive.
Number of items: 1000
Formats: Digital sound files
Contents: Oral History; Interviews; Music & Song;

Organisation Information:
Scottish Jazz Archive (SJA) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Association (SCIO), SC049270, regulated by the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSRC) for the purposes of:
Advancing heritage by identifying, collecting, cataloguing and digitising materials, and the production of filmed oral histories relating to the history of jazz in Scotland through the preservation and curation of tangible cultural artefacts foundational to current practices in the field.
Advancing education by raising awareness and providing access to the history of jazz in Scotland through a permanent and publicly accessible online educational resource and through public events including talks and exhibitions."
Access to Collections: Online; On-site.
Contact Details:
0131 455 6038
jazz@napier.ac.uk
scottishjazzarchive.org
Twitter: @jazzscottish
Instagram: @scottishjazzarchive

Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches

Sound Collections: The Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches website contains material from three sound collections: the School of Scottish Studies Sound Archive; the National Trust for Scotland's Canna Sound Archive Collection; and BBC Radio nan Gàidheal. The School of Scottish Studies (University of Edinburgh) was established in 1951 to collect, archive, research and publish material relating to the cultural life, folklore, and traditional arts of Scotland. The material from the Sound Archive which is available on the Tobar an Dualchais website comes from all over Scotland and its diaspora. The Sound Archive is a very rich repository of the oral tradition and it is also invaluable for its range of dialects and accents in Gaelic and Scots. There are almost 40,000 of the School’s recordings on the website. The Canna Sound Archive Collection is a unique treasure trove of recordings made by folklorists John Lorne Campbell and Margaret Fay Shaw. Over 2,000 recordings of songs and stories from Gaelic speakers in Scotland and Nova Scotia recorded in the 1930s, 40s and 50s are available online. The output from BBC Radio nan Gàidheal’s programmes on the website is diverse and includes interviews with people on topical subjects and also items from days gone by. National Mod recordings, the earliest going back to 1946, also feature on the site. In addition, there are recordings of Gaelic church services of different denominations which were recorded in different parts of Scotland. The website has around 7,000 recordings from Radio nan Gàidheal.
Number of items: 50,000
Formats: Digital sound files
Contents: The website encompasses many aspects of the culture and heritage of Scotland and its diaspora. Material available includes folklore, songs, music, history, poetry, traditions, stories, poetry, and information on traditional occupations and ways of life, including those of Scottish Travellers.

Organisation Information: Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches is a collaborative project which was set up to preserve, digitise, catalogue and make several thousand hours of Gaelic and Scots oral recordings available online. The material on the Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches website comes from three sound collections: the School of Scottish Studies Sound Archive; BBC Radio nan Gàidheal; and the National Trust for Scotland's Canna Sound Archive Collection. All of the recordings provided by them have been digitised, and the cataloguing and permissions’ work is ongoing. Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches has also undertaken projects and activities based on the online material, including: the provision of educational resources from pre-school to higher education; community engagement with areas and islands from which the recordings originate; working with Faclair na Gàidhlig to add previously unrecorded Gaelic words and phrases sourced from the website to its dictionary of Scottish Gaelic; the delivery of short courses for people with an interest in Scotland’s unique cultural heritage; and the production of CDs and transcriptions.
Access to Collections: Online
Contact Details: Tobar an Dualchais, Fàs, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Sleat, Isle of Skye, IV44 8RQ 01471 888601
Access to Collections: Online
Contact Details:
www.kistoriches.co.uk www.tobarandualchais.co.uk
Twitter: @TobarDualchais
Instagram: @tobar_an_dualchais

Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (TRACS)

Sound Collections:
Traditional Arts Oral Archive
Our collection offers a combination of resources focused on music, storytelling, dance, the People's Parish project and the Gifting Every Child project. The oral tradition and intergenerational passing on of songs and stories are in decline in our ever-increasing digital world. However, our collections presents new opportunities to engage larger audiences with traditional arts through digital mediums for future generations. We aim to display the variety and vibrancy of Scotland's traditional arts scene.
Number of items: 40
Formats: Digital sound files
Contents: Music & Song; Spoken Word; Storytelling, music, songs for children

Organisation Information:
TRACS brings together the Traditional Music Forum, the Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland and the Scottish Storytelling Forum to showcase Scotland’s rich cultural heritage, and to improve the knowledge, practice, development and advocacy of traditional arts in a contemporary world, making them more accessible to all.
TRACS leads, in consultation with the Forums, on shared advocacy, policy development, strategic relationships, programme initiatives and promotion, involving different aspects of Scotland’s traditional arts, culture and languages.
TRACS operates in a uniquely collaborative way appropriate to the diverse networks that underpin Scotland’s arts of tradition locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
Access to Collections: Online
Contact Details: 43-45 High Street Edinburgh EH1 1SR United Kingdom
0131 652 3272
arianna@tracscotland.org
www.tracscotland.org
https://tracscotland.org/our-resources
Twitter: @ScotStoryCentre
Instagram: @scottishstorytellingcentre

University of Aberdeen, Museums & Special Collections

Sound Collections:
The University has two major collections of oral history recordings: MS 3620 University of Aberdeen’s Oral History Archive and MS 3769 Lives in the Oil Industry. Other collections may also contain some sound recordings.
The University of Aberdeen Oral History Archive (MS 3620) began in 1985 as part of the Aberdeen University Quincentenary Project. There are interviews with former students, staff and other individuals connected with the University. The archive contains nearly 200 interviews with over 170 individuals connected with the University.
Lives in the Oil Industry (MS 3769) is a collaboration between the British Library's National Life Story Collection and the University of Aberdeen. The project collected the experiences of those who had first-hand experience of the North Sea Oil and Gas industry in the twentieth century. There are almost 200 interviews totalling approximately 800 hours of recordings.
Number of items: c.400 individual oral history recordings.
Formats: Digital sound files; Compact Discs; Cassettes; Open Reels
Contents: Oral History ; Education; Oil & gas

Organisation Information:
The Special Collections Centre is home to the University’s historic collections of books, manuscripts, archives and photographs.
Access to Collections: On-site
Contact Details: Special Collections Centre, The Sir Duncan Rice Library, Bedford Road, Aberdeen, AB24 3AA
Tel: +44 (0)1224 272598
speclib@abdn.ac.uk
www.abdn.ac.uk/special-collections
Sound Collections resources factsheet - https://www.abdn.ac.uk/special-collections/documents/SLA_PDF/qghcol009.pdf
Twitter: @uoacollections

University of Dundee Archive Services

Sound Collections:
Oral History Project
An ongoing project recording the memories of people who have lived and worked in Dundee and the surrounding area. Musicians, jute workers, academics, designers and poets are just a few of those whose experiences have been captured so far.
Number of items: 139
Formats: Digital sound files
Contents: Oral History; Interviews; Music & Song; Spoken Word; Jute Industry; Dundee and India Music; The Arts Design; Architecture; Comics; Publishing; Journalism; Sport and leisure; Education; The University; Family life; Poetry; Fashion; Electronic games; Photography; Retail; Disabilities Medicine; Working life; Politics; Armed Services; Academia;

Organisation Information:
UoD Archive Services manages and maintains the University of Dundee's manuscripts, records and special collections. We hold material relating to the University and to individuals, industry and organisations in the Tayside area and beyond. We promote the use of the collections to support the University's aims of research, teaching and learning and are actively engaged with local communities.
Access to Collections: On-site
Contact Details: Archive Services, Culture & Information Tower Building, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 4HN
01382 384095
archives@dundee.ac.uk
www.dundee.ac.uk/archives
Twitter: @UoD_Archives_RM

West Dunbartonshire Council

Sound Collections:
Clydebank Oral History Youth Opportunities Project 1982; Dumbarton Local History Interviews 1980s / 1990s; Dumbarton Quality of Life Project 1970s; Singer Strike 1911: Glasgow Labour History Workshop interviews 1988; Blitz Remembered: Clydebank Blitz 75th Anniversary 2016; Accessing and Exploring our Heritage oral history project 2017
A collection of oral history recordings held in the local history and archive collections of West Dunbartonshire Council. These recordings are the result of specific oral history projects run by Dumbarton and Clydebank District Libraries at the time and latterly by West Dunbartonshire Council Heritage Department. The recordings date from the 1970s to the current day.
Number of items: 145
Formats: Digital sound files; Compact Discs; Cassettes
Contents: Oral History; Interviews; Radio;Music & Song; Industry and social history.

Organisation Information:
West Dunbartonshire Council’s Arts & Heritage department sits within Libraries & Cultural Services and is responsible for the care and management of the Council’s Museum, Archive and Local History collections, many of which are unique to West Dunbartonshire and of significant historical importance.
The collections, which date from 1373 to the present day, comprise the records of West Dunbartonshire Council and its predecessor bodies along with a range of private collections which reflect social and economic activity in the area over the last 400 years. Consisting of archives, photographs, fine art and objects including the Singer Archive, a Recognised Collection of National Significance and a unique collection of documents relating to the Clydebank Blitz of 1941. Written reminiscences and oral histories relating to the Clydebank Blitz, the Singer Factory, shipbuilding and other industries of the area are also held.
Access to Collections: On-site
Contact Details: Library and Cultural Services HQ,19 Poplar Road, Broadmeadow Industrial Estate, Dumbarton, G82 2RJ
01389 608965
local.studies@west-dunbarton.gov.uk
https://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk
Search our collections: http://adlib.west-dunbarton.gov.uk
Twitter: @WDCHeritage

Wick Voices

Sound Collections:
The Wick Voices collection aims to preserve as many stories as possible for posterity - therefore the recordings cover all aspects of life and work, in and around the heritage town of Wick in the most northerly county of Caithness. The collection is on-going with recordings being added on a weekly basis. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, we are encouraging people to record their 'lockdown reflections' so that we have a record of experiences and emotions felt during lockdown. These recordings are available for current and future generations.
Compilations of audio clips, supported by photographs from The Johnston Photographic collection, which is held in trust by The Wick Society, are being made into online videos. The compilations are centred around specific themes such as Shops, Island life, Operation Snowdrop, A Gutter's Life and Schooldays. Wick Voices seeks to preserve as many memories as possible through digital recording and archiving technology.
Number of items: 250
Formats: Digital sound files
Contents: Oral History; Interviews; Spoken Word; childhood, school days, town, village, farm, employment - farming, fishing, nuclear industry, oil and gas industry, renewable energy, history, leisure, entertainment, Christmas, New Year, shops, snow, Island of Stroma, John O Groats Mill, historical buildings.

Organisation Information:
Wick Voices is the Oral History Section of The Wick Society. The ambitious project, set up in 2016 and run by a small team of volunteers, seeks to preserve as many memories as possible, through digital recording and archiving technology.
Collectively our reminiscences are a treasure trove of life experiences, nostalgic, educational, moving, entertaining and always interesting. With the Wick Society at the hub of the project, we believe it helps to promote interest in our shared heritage. Wick Voices is a truly intergenerational project working closely with school pupils and older family members, not only collecting stories from the heritage town of Wick but from the surrounding area too. Our recollections enrich the lives of those around us and they help the next generation share in our sense of belonging.
This is social history in its most natural form - as told by the people who have lived it.
The extensive collection is available online.
Access to Collections: Online; On-site
Contact Details: Wick Voices, Wick Heritage Museum, 18-27 Bank Row, Wick, Caithness, KW1 5EY
07732 175708
wickvoices@icloud.com
www.wickheritage.org
Twitter: @wickvoices