Berneray Historical Society Project Worker

Overview

Dileab Bhearnaraigh, meaning Berneray's Inheritance, is the Gaelic name for our project, which aims to source, organise and digitise a wealth of material relating to the island's history.

We have secured funding from the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund to employ a project worker, Sue Wilson, on a full-time two-year fixed-term contract to carry out this work on behalf of the Comunn Eachdraigh (Historical Society).

There is a wealth of history which has been passed down through generations of Berneray folk, but which is now in danger of being lost due to demographic change and the fragility of Gaelic culture. This however coincides with increasing interest on the part of residents and visitors alike in the history and culture of Berneray, especially genealogical aspects.

Sue will:

1. Organise, record, catalogue and exhibit a wealth of archive material belonging to the Comunn Eachdraidh – ensuring its preservation and increasing and improving access to it.
2. Collect further archive materials from residents and contacts of Berneray. Some of this will already be on the island, some of it will come from elsewhere. We will also compile audio and visual interviews with residents to build further our community identity.
3. Exhibit the archives in a professional manner to increase the enjoyment of our heritage and to deliver some local events to increase our profile and that of our heritage.
4. Increase the skills of our volunteers through training and encourage wider involvement within this small island community, to ensure the sustainability of the project.

The Comunn Eachdraidh collection is housed in the Nurses' Cottage. The Society researches, archives and displays historical information for the benefit of visitors, comprising both locals and tourists. The facility is owned by Berneray Development Group, who over the last three years have offered tourist and natural history information alongside the historical displays. The Nurses' Cottage is staffed by volunteers and we normally receive around 600 visitors during the summer season. The feedback we have, both from a comments book and from a visitor survey we conducted during 2006, show a strong interest in Berneray's history, especially the genealogy aspect.

Sue reports directly to a project manager who will in turn report to the committee and members of the Comunn Eachdraigh.

Contacting Sue

Sue can be emailed at suewilson1@hebrides.net, or written to at:
Sue Wilson, Project Worker, Berneray Historical Society, Berneray, Isle of North Uist, HS6 5BD.

People can also visit Sue in the Nurses' Cottage on most days during working hours. Sue is especially interesting in hearing from people who:

1. Have some genealogical connection with Berneray
2. Possess content e.g. pictures, family trees, pertaining to Berneray residents
3. Possess other content pertaining to the history of Berneray

Documents

1. Press release: Berneray Explores Its History (28th January 2008)

Funder