The Highland Archive Service is no stranger to recognition for its dedication to conserving the rich history of the Highlands and this week they received the news that they continue to meet the high standards required by the national governing body for archives.
Part of High Life Highland, the Highland Archive Service has achieved reaccreditation from the National Records of Scotland and the Scottish Council on Archives.
Archive Service Accreditation is the UK standard for archive services, looking at how an archive service acquires, preserves and provides access to collections over the long term, through the management of risks and by planning for change.
The Archive Service Accreditation panel has particularly praised the progress being made by the Highland Archive Service around digital preservation, making records more accessible to a wider audience and therefore preserved for the longer term.
Since its establishment in 1990, the Highland Archive Service has played a vital role in preserving and sharing the rich history of the Highlands. There are four sites operating across the region: the Highland Archive Centre in Inverness; Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre in Portree; Lochaber Archive Centre in Fort William and Nucleus: The Nuclear and Caithness Archives at Wick Airport (Nucleus), the latter holding its own sperate Accreditation.
Dedicated to collecting, conserving and making accessible records that reflect the history and diversity of the Scottish Highlands and its residents is at the core of what the Highland Archive Service does. People can access collections in person or through digital channels with lots of focus on reaching out to schools groups, community organisations as well as audiences worldwide.
Just last year the Highland Archive Service won the Record Keeping Service of the Year award at the Archive and Records Association (ARA) Excellence Awards.
John West, Director of Culture and Learning at High Life Highland said: “We are delighted to see the Highland Archive Service continue to be recognised as an Accredited Service. This is huge achievement for the entire team across all our sites and reflects the ongoing commitment to continually improving the service.”
Highland Archivist, Alison Mason said: “Alison Mason, Highland Archivist said: “It is fantastic to have the team’s hard work recognised in the feedback from the Archive Service Accreditation Panel. We were especially pleased with the recognition of our commitment to improving digital access to collections, making records more widely available to diverse audiences, and their praise for our innovative trainee recruitment, which highlights the value of local knowledge and strong community connections.”
The Scottish Council on Archives Director, John Pelan commented: “Many congratulations to Highland Archive Service for continuing to provide a first-class service for its users and stakeholders. This reflects the service’s commitment to the highest possible standards in customer and community-focussed archives management and development.”
