Speaking Out: Recalling Women’s Aid in Scotland Exhibition at Highland Archive Centre, 7th March – 1st April To celebrate and mark the 40th anniversary of Scottish Women’s Aid, Speaking Out is gathering the unique stories of people involved with Women’s Aid throughout the years. This collaboratively curated exhibition features oral history recordings alongside material from… Read more »Read more

A really successful evening was had by all attending ‘The Patersons of Beauly’, an illustrated talk by Hugh Dan MacLennan and Dr Maggie Mackay at the Highland Archive Centre on the evening of the 9th February 2017. Family history and lore, an autograph book, sporting activities, music, photographs and military imperatives were all used to illuminate a story of… Read more »Read more

In this page from the Avoch Valuation Roll for the year 1889-90 (Ref: CRC/4/2/6) you can see several nicknames for fishermen tenants living in the parish of Avoch on the Black Isle. Common surnames at the time included Patience and Jack and nicknames like Dod, Tot, Bookie, Canky, and Rory were used. Valuation Rolls are an… Read more »Read more

To mark national Explore Your Archive week and Book Week (Scotland), we invite adults and children to visit the archive, view a display of specially chosen documents from our collections, and use them as inspiration for a short story, poem or illustration. Find out more and take part.Read more

This image from our collections (HCA/D1249/4/4/2) is an extract from a 14 page letter detailing one woman’s struggle in the French Resistance during World War Two – facing bombs, spies and raids on the house where she hid British airmen. The letter, dated 1 May 1945, provides a personal insight into events of the time and is… Read more »Read more

Clearing snow near the Loch Ericht Hotel, Dalwhinnie, 1947, (HCA/CI/10/10/2) The winter of 1946/47, nearly 70 years ago, was known as one of the Big Freezes and was harsh for the entire UK. High snowfall was recorded all over the country, with falls of 7 metres in parts of the Highlands, not to mention incredibly… Read more »Read more

We will be commemorating the 300th anniversary of the the 1715 Jacobite Uprising with a free event on Saturday 14th November. The speakers are Jim Miller, author and local historian who will present ‘Comforters of Rebellion’: Inverness in 1715 and Anne Fraser, Family Historian at Highland Archive Centre who will talk about ‘1715 – Highland Family Connections’. The talks will… Read more »Read more

Can you help us? What is the connection between actress Mabel Love and the Highlands? This signed postcard is of Mabel Love (1874-1953) dancer and stage actress of the late Victorian and Edwardian era. She appeared at Covent Garden as a solo dancer in various operatic ballets and also in numerous plays, pantomimes and musical… Read more »Read more

Train passing over Culloden Moor Viaduct, September 1951 (Ref: GB0232/D1284/1/14) This incredible structure, which crosses the River Nairn, was engineered by Murdoch Paterson and opened in November 1898 as part of the Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway. It remains the longest masonry viaduct in Scotland at a span of 1800 feet or 549 metres, has… Read more »Read more

Howden’s can trace its history to a Seed Shop opened by a Mr Fraser of Inverness in 1801, with its first advertising produced in 1808 and seed catalogues by the 1860s. The business moved from premises on the High Street, to a shop in Church Street and nurseries at Muirtown. The Church Street shop closed… Read more »Read more