Two new Scottish online research archives were made public this month: sites and structures established for the defence of Scotland in the First World War are available through RCAHMS and property records from 1885 have been made available through the NRS.
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) writes:
Hundreds of sites and structures established for the defence of Scotland in the First World War are explored in an extensive audit of the conflict’s built heritage, published today (9th February). It reveals previously unknown details of many aspects of our wartime heritage, including top secret anti-invasion defences prepared around Edinburgh in case of enemy attack.
The audit, commissioned by RCAHMS and Historic Scotland, has unearthed an enormous amount of new and additional information, allowing the records of 830 buildings and places to be created or updated – more than double the number expected at the outset.
All of the records – which feature hundreds of modern and historical photographs of sites – are available to view online on the RCAHMS Canmore database. Among the records that have been added to or improved in the audit are:
- 239 hospitals – ranging from village halls to vast hospitals that are still in use today
- 64 air stations, 30 of which had not been included in Scotland’s record of sites before the audit. This is a mix of seaplane bases, fixed wing bases and airship stations
- 39 prisoner of war camps over the period of the conflict with Scotland’s main site being at Stobs near Hawick. The others ranged from Edinburgh Castle to the more modest Miners’ Cottages on Raasay
- anti-invasion defences in 39 places, with the majority of them located around Edinburgh and East Lothian
- 20 firing ranges with just over half known to have remains of the original site
- 15 barrack and military accommodation sites, the most notable being Edinburgh’s Redford Barracks, still operational today
- 11 naval dockyards and naval bases, including sites used by the US Navy in Invergordon and Inverness
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, welcomed the audit’s findings. She said: ‘As we prepare to commemorate 100 years since the start of the war, I hope people will use this research to learn more about this important period and contribute any information they have so we continue to piece together a fuller picture of Scotland’s role. I also welcome the fact that Historic Scotland will recognise the significance of some of these assets through designation, helping to ensure they are safeguarded for future generations.’
Allan Kilpatrick of RCAHMS said, ‘Scotland was on the front line during WWI. St Kilda was bombarded by a German U-boat and Edinburgh was bombed by a Zeppelin. The naval bases on the Forth, Cromarty and Scapa Flow were essential to protect Britain’s navy and her shipping. Large parts of the landscape were transformed by structures designed to repel any invasion or attack, and it is remarkable just how many WWI remains can be still be seen today. Having these records online and in one place, provides a perfect starting point for further study.’
The National Records of Scotland (NRS) writes:
Property records covering the whole of Scotland in 1885 have been made available via ScotlandsPeople giving historians and genealogists an excellent resource for researching late Victorian Scotland. The Valuation Rolls comprise over 77,000 digital images taken from 144 volumes and include 1.4 million index entries. Visitors to the ScotlandsPeople website and Centre are now able to search Valuation Rolls covering the years 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915 and 1920 – often providing valuable information about the inter-census years.
Tim Ellis, Registrar General and Keeper of the Records of Scotland, said: ‘The Valuation Rolls of 1885 are a wonderful quarry for people wanting to find out more about the lives and homes of their Victorian ancestors – or for those who are interested in the rich stories and characters of that period. The National Records of Scotland is committed to continuously improving and enhancing its services, and I’m delighted that we’ve now been able to make these fascinating records available online through our ScotlandsPeople website.’
The Valuation Rolls can be searched along with statutory registers, old parish registers, Catholic registers, census records, wills and testaments and coats of arms’.
RCAHMS News: LINK
RCAHMS CANMORE Database: LINK
NRS News – Valuation Rolls News: LINK
Scotland’s People: LINK
