Public asked to help identifiy thousands of mystery photographs of Scotland's heritage

This image of a croft on the isle of Berneray was taken in 1983 - but where exactly was the building and who owned it? | JPIMedia

From men sitting in smokey pubs, to crumbling crofts, playing children and everyday street scenes, the digital archive of Historic Environment Scotland gives a long gaze into the country’s past.

The collection gives insight into what life was like throughout the decades with pub interiors, fashion trends and interior design choices all documented by Canmore, the digital catalogue of the HES collection.

This shot of a typical afternoon at The Old Toll Bar in Glasgow in 1982 is one of the new additions to the archive of Historic Environment Scotland. | Other 3rd Party

Also included are extensive records of Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as Scotland’s new towns with a new batch of photos of major archaeological excavations at sites such as Skara Brae in Orkney now added to the archive.

But with more than 5,000 of the new batch of online images captioned as unidentified, it is hoped the public will be able to add to the details of where and when they were taken.

Lesley Ferguson, Head of Archives at HES, said: “These archives give a unique perspective on civic planning in the 20th century including the development and growth of Scotland’s new towns, while the images of excavations showcase the sites that helped archaeologists unlock the secrets of Scotland’s past – from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages.

This beautiful shot of Our Lady of the Isles monument on South Uist is now deposited with Canmore, the digital catalogue of Historic Environment Scotland archives. | Other 3rd Party

“Unfortunately, we don’t know where some of these historic photographs were taken and that’s why we are asking for the public’s help. Perhaps there’s a photo of your street, or your local pub, or even the flat you lived in as a student.

Help us discover more of Scotland’s past by visiting Canmore and letting us know if you recognise any of the places documented in these archives.”

The Canmore catalogue has been greatly expanded after more than 170,000 items from the HES archives were digitised in the last 12 months.

The new online records include negatives and images from Scottish Development Department (SDD) which was formed in 1962. The archives showcase rural and urban Scotland in the 1970s and 1980s, from farms in Orkney to large estates in Fife and city tenements.

Does anyone know where this house is? | Other 3rd Party

Approximately 14,000 prints were also digitised from personal research and work by prominent archaeologists such as Dr Euan Mackie, Roger Mercer and Vere Gordon Childe, with the oldest image dating from around 1927.

The Canmore catalogue now holds more tha one million archives in total.

A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director