Photograph collections

Each year, the Highland Archive Service receives new material, either transferred from The Highland Council or deposited by members of the public (and which is deemed to have archival significance, be worthy of permanent preservation and relates to the Highlands).

There are several collections that have been gifted to us by people who are unsure what else to do with them. As with all the collections in our care, when they arrive at the Archive Centre, they are initially assessed to see if there are any conservation issues; is the material in a fragile or damaged state? Is there evidence of mould growth or pests? Once our Conservator has given the all clear, the material will then be catalogued, given a unique reference number, housed in suitable archival boxes and folders and stored in one of our temperature and humidity controlled strong rooms. The collections are then safe and ready to be used. We may use them as part of one of our many public engagement activities or they can be requested by members of the public wanting to view them in the Archive Searchroom. These collections can vary in size and content and can contain glimpses of lives that may otherwise have been forgotten, had they not been passed into the care of the Highland Archive Service.

McLean family photographs

One such collection is HCA/D1570 McLean Family Photographs which consists of only 6 photographs. John McLean (1845-1922) worked at the pottery at Dores and lived at Pottery Cottage with his family. The pottery was known as Aldourie Pottery and was established around 1900 by Mary Watts (nee Fraser Tytler) whose family owned Aldourie Castle.  Mary married G F Watts, a well-known 19th century artist and after her marriage, she began to concentrate on art forms including pottery. It appears that the Pottery operated only for a few years, but the building stood until 1950. Dores Parish Hall is now situated on the site.  Pottery Cottage was demolished in the 21st century, prior to 2007 and in its place stands a modern bed and breakfast establishment known as Pottery House. The photographs show the pottery building and members of the McLean family.

The McLean family

A photograph of a dwelling from the McLean Family album

Mary Ann Mc Lean with two children, c.1915

With the McLean Family Photographs we know exactly where they came from and what and who they are photographs of, but this is not always the case with every item that is deposited with us.

J. Anderson Photograph Album

Another photographic collection, J. Anderson Photograph Album (HCA/D/1560), consists of one album dated around the late 19th to early 20th centuries. The album was in the possession of the depositor's parents, but it was unknown how they came to have it; it was believed to have been bought at auction, but where and by whom? This means, that little is known about the contents of the album or who the individuals photographed are. The only clue we have is a handwritten ‘J. Anderson’ on the inside cover. The description for the album reads ‘Photograph album of Highland scenes, events and people, late 19th early 20th Centuries’.

From the J. Anderson photograph album

From the J. Anderson photograph album

From the J. Anderson photograph album

From the J. Anderson photograph album

From the J. Anderson photograph album

Camp Morlich photographs

Another much loved and intriguing small collection contains a typed memoir and six photographs. It was originally posted to the ‘Township of Aviemore’ in 1979 before making its way to the Highland Archive Centre. The letter and the memoir were written by Lars J. Skarpnes from Norway and relates to his time working at a timber camp on the shore of Loch Morlich, Aviemore during World War I.

In 1918, Lars Skarpnes was a young sailor, aged 18, from Oslo. On one of his trips, his ship the ‘Sevilla’ was torpedoed on the 25 April whilst sailing in the English Channel en route from Cadiz, Spain to Bergen, Norway. Lars and his fellow survivors made it to shore at Torquay before heading up to London where they ended up in The Scandinavian Sailors Temperance Home which provided them with assistance. It was while he was here that Lars heard that the British Government were hiring Scandinavians to work in the timber industry in Scotland. Having survived two separate torpedo attacks, and not wanting to go back to sea, Lars and three of his fellow crew members signed up in May 1918 as they ‘felt a longing for a holiday ashore’. On arrival in Aviemore and the timber camp, Lars describes the overwhelming sense of chaos and ‘a seemingly planless bustling to and fro of soldiers in worn uniforms. These were Canadian Soldiers who had been wounded in France but now out of the trenches, able to still serve their country in the Highlands of Scotland’.

Memories of Norwegian soldiers training near Loch Morlich during the Second World War

Note sent with donated items by Lars Skarpnes

 In 1917 the British Government established Camp Morlich, on the shores of Loch Morlich, Inverness-shire. Camp Morlich (of around 70-80 workers) consisted of wooden barracks, a YMCA, a pub and shop for cigarettes and general provisions. The workforce came from a range of nationalities including Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Argentine, Turkish and Greek and with many different languages spoken Lars commented that ‘there is more difference between a Scot and a Cockney than between the Scandinavian languages’. 

A horse pulling a cart loaded with large logs across a wooden bridge at Camp Morlich, c.1917-1918

Soldiers at Camp Morlich, c.1917-1918

Soldiers at Camp Morlich operating machinery, c.1917-1918

On the 2 November 1918, Lars and his fellow crew mates began their journey home. It is not clear where he went initially but the letter he sent in 1979 came from Norway and the only clue as to his life after leaving Aviemore was in the final line of his letter where he mentions that thirty years in the Lighthouse Service were as happy as his time as a sailor.

Material is being handed over to the care of the Highland Archive Centre every week and any material we receive, if it relates to the life of Highland society, will be cared for and looked after for future generations. Discover how to add material to our collections for future generations here or contact us directly.