As part of Scotland’s Year of Stories (2022), Eden Court Highlands and the Highland Archive Service (High Life Highland) were awarded funding from Visit Scotland, the National Heritage Lottery Fund, and Museums Galleries Scotland for an inter-generational legacy project which sought to gather and permanently archive stories of the LGBTQ+ community in the Highlands & Islands.
Four drop-in sessions were held in August and September 2022 in Portree, Wick, Fort William, and Inverness where members of the LGBTQ+ community were invited to come along, contribute to a creative artwork, record their thoughts and stories, and help to shape a zine and exhibition (which toured back to all the venues of the gathering sessions). The project also aimed to encourage people to participate in recorded interviews about their lives and experiences to be added into the archive, increasing the diversity of the Highland Archive Service collections and ensuring a broader representation for future generations.
We continue to be keen to record interviews (either in person or online) with members of the community living in, or connected to, the Highlands. We would also love to receive written life stories/thoughts and documents or photographs which add to the story of the LGBTQ+ community in the Highlands. If you’re willing to share our story with us, or you would like to find out more, please contact the Highland Archive Service on archives@highlifehighland.com or the Engagement team at Eden Court Highlands.
