Gaelic origins of 100 objects in Scotland's national collection to 'set record straight'

The Gaelic roots and stories of 100 objects in the national collection are being recovered and reinforced in a project designed to “set the record straight” about their origins.

Gunpowder horns used by hunters in deer forests, a bi-lingual road sign from Skye and a handmade crogan - or earthenware pot - are among the items being reviewed in a new project launched by National Museums Scotland and Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, in Skye.

Dr Sarah Laurenson, Principal Curator of Modern and Contemporary History at NMS, said while many items considered national “treasures” originated in the Gàidhealtachd, the way the items were recorded when they entered the museum collection did not always fully reflect their importance and connection to Gaelic culture.

Two gunpowder horns used by hunters in deer forests (left and right of picture) and the cragan, or earthenware pot, which was a typical household item made and used across the Hebrides for hundreds of years. | Duncan McGlynn

Dr Laurenson said: “This was partly due to the fact that Gaelic scholarship was historically more focused on literature and folklore than material culture, but it also has a lot to do with the wider marginalisation of the Gaelic language during the period in which much of this material came into the collection.

“I look forward to the many fascinating new stories that this work will enable us to both learn and share about material in our collection.”

READ MORE: Why future of Gaelic language is in a perilous state

Other objects identified for the project - called Tha sgeul ri innse: there’s a story for the telling - so far include charmstones, paintings, a chanter, a silver punch bowl and a range of domestic objects.

The crogan being re-examined was typical of ceramics hand-made in the Hebrides for centuries, for use both inside and outside the home. A crogan in Gaelic is a ceramic jar or pot, often anglified to ‘craggan’.

The featured example, from Carloway in Lewis, entered the National Collection in 1881. At the time no information on the maker was collected – it took a chance meeting 100 years later for the maker to be identified.

Meanwhile, the bi-lingual roadsign from Skye is a replica of the version found at a junction of one of the island’s most popular tourist routes.

A replica of this bi-lingual roadsign in Skye, which marks a junction on a key tourist route on the island, is also included in the project. | Duncan McGlynn

Professor Hugh Cheape from Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, said: “We in Sabhal Mòr Ostaig are very keen to be associated with the project Tha sgeul ri innse and to support the initiative of curators to set the record straight and to recover the stories.

“The provenance of objects was always important in collecting for the National Museums but details of language might often go astray!

“There is no better time for exploring names of objects and origins with the current enjoyment of the richness of the culture of Gaelic Scotland and the vibrancy of the language.”

Funded by Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the project will update the records of the 100 chosen objects with a bilingual guide to 15 of them then produced.

Detailed research and community projects will be held in Lewis and Skye in April and May as part of the project, which is funded by Bòrd na Gàidhlig

Ealasaid MacDonald, Ceannard (CEO), Bòrd na Gàidhlig, said physical items provided a “unique view” into Gaelic culture and heritage.

She added: “Identifying these items in the National Museum’s collections will create an important access point for people who wish to learn more about Scotland’s Gaelic cultural influences and increase understanding of the role the Gaelic language and Gaelic communities have played in throughout Scottish history and still play to this day.”