The “Radical War” or “Radical Rising” of 1820, also known as the Scottish Insurrection of 1820, was a week of strikes and unrest in Scotland that culminated in the trial of a number of ‘radicals’ for treason. National Records of Scotland (NRS) holds the trial records and to mark the 200th anniversary of this event, … Continue reading The “Radical Rising” of 1820
Locked Down: The Inveraray Jail album
NRS Conservator Jacqueline Thorburn is one of the team responsible for conserving items held within the NRS archives. Here, she tells us about a fascinating artefact of Victorian Scotland that she has worked on – a small book containing details and photographs of inmates of Inverarary Jail… Front cover and title page, before treatment This … Continue reading Locked Down: The Inveraray Jail album
Plastic Fantastic: Archives and Modern Materials
Plastics are a wonderful material for creating all manner of useful items but as NRS conservator Andy McFarlane explains, they can create difficult conservation challenges... Whatever image comes to mind when you hear the word “Archives”, I am pretty certain it will be of something old, pre-modern. “Modern” and “Archives” seem contradictory - they just … Continue reading Plastic Fantastic: Archives and Modern Materials
The “Radical Rising” of 1820, Part One
Conserving the Evidence of a Revolution NRS archivist Simon Johnson and conservator Jackie Thorburn recently collaborated on a six-month project to improve public access to the trial papers of the Scottish ‘Radical Rising’ of 1820. This facilitates our plans to mark the 200th anniversary of the Rising in September 2020. In the first of two … Continue reading The “Radical Rising” of 1820, Part One
#LockdownLearning – Preserving Your Papers
The National Register of Archives for Scotland (NRAS) was set up in 1946 to compile a record of collections of private papers in Scotland, to encourage their care and to make information about them available to researchers and others. Today, Dr Alison Rosie of NRAS provides some helpful advice on how you can preserve your … Continue reading #LockdownLearning – Preserving Your Papers
1320-2020 – 700 Years of the Declaration of Arbroath, by Dr Alan Borthwick
6 April 2020 is the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath - perhaps the most famous and important of Scotland's historic documents. Drafted in 1320, the Declaration is a powerful call for recognition of the Kingdom of Scotland's sovereign independence and it's a key treasure in the National Records of Scotland archives. The … Continue reading 1320-2020 – 700 Years of the Declaration of Arbroath, by Dr Alan Borthwick
From Arbroath to Edinburgh – The Declaration of Arbroath at 700
On 6 April, National Records of Scotland is celebrating the 700th anniversary of the most famous and iconic document in their collections – the Declaration of Arbroath. Linda Ramsay is responsible for preserving the Declaration of Arbroath for future generations. She told us that this world-famous document has been a constant in her life since … Continue reading From Arbroath to Edinburgh – The Declaration of Arbroath at 700
What is the Declaration of Arbroath?
On 6 April, NRS is celebrating the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath one of Scotland’s most iconic and famous historic documents and a key treasure in our archives. Ahead of the anniversary Dr Alan Borthwick – NRS head of medieval and early modern records - looks at the document’s long and surprising history and … Continue reading What is the Declaration of Arbroath?
A Lovely Gift
There are times when the conservator’s bench can be blessed by an object capable of tickling one’s imagination. That is what happened to me when a single section booklet from a Gift and Deposit collection in the National Records of Scotland materialised on my table: an 18th century recipe book from the papers of the … Continue reading A Lovely Gift
Conservation – A Volume 500 Years In The Making
From today until the end of November, a facsimile of the 500-year-old Halyburton Ledger will be on display and free to view at General Register House. Ahead of his free talk about the Ledger this Friday, NRS Conservator Peter Dickson tells us how he made a facsimile of the volume and what he learned about … Continue reading Conservation – A Volume 500 Years In The Making
