City’s archives team to navigate Aberdeen Harbour Board Collection

27 June 2019

Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Archives are set to catalogue the archives of Aberdeen Harbour – a history that spans nearly 900 years – thanks to funding from Archives Revealed, it has been announced today (Tuesday 25 June).

The Archives Revealed programme, which is supported by the National Archives, the Pilgrim Trust and the Wolfson Foundation, transforms access to archives for a wide range of users.

Aberdeen Harbour has been central to the economy of the North East of Scotland for many centuries and is nowadays famous as the hub of the UK energy industry.

The funding from Archives Revealed will allow Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Archives to employ a project archivist to create a multi-level description of the collection that will be available through the archive’s online catalogue.

The collection will be made publicly accessible for the first time, bringing together records currently held by the business and those already in the City’s collections.

This project will catalogue the historical records of Aberdeen’s Harbour Board at a time when a major expansion of the harbour is underway.

The Lord Provost of Aberdeen Barney Crockett said: “The history of the City of Aberdeen and the development of the harbour are so intimately linked that they are very much part of the same story.

“The award from Archives Revealed is very timely, with 2020 being the “Year of Scotland’s Coasts and Waters” there will be significant scope for promotion and public engagement to showcase this incredible collection.”

Chris Bain, External Affairs Director at Aberdeen Harbour Board, said: “We are delighted that the City Archivists have received this funding, and are looking forward to seeing the project progress as a result. For nearly 900 years, Aberdeen Harbour has played a vital role in the prosperity of the city and wider region and bringing our history to life for the public is very important as the Harbour expands its operations and reaffirms its role in the local and national landscape.”

Dr Valerie Johnson, Director of Research and Collections at The National Archives, said: “Cataloguing is the key to revealing archival material that can be used in countless ways by individuals and communities. Today we are delighted to announce funding for the cataloguing of nine highly significant and diverse collections, enabling greater access to our collective heritage and allowing people to gain a deeper insight into the past.”

Georgina Nayler, Director of The Pilgrim Trust said: “The Pilgrim Trust is proud to support the cataloguing of nine inspiring archive collections through the Archives Revealed programme. The archival material that they contain will be valuable to both researchers and the public and we are looking forward to seeing wider audiences engage with these newly available collections.”