Stories behind museum's Gaelic objects to be told in new project

Independent

28-02-2025

Objects including gunpowder horns and a modern island phonebook featuring nicknames are to be reappraised in a project aiming to reveal the stories behind their Gaelic links.
The project will identify 100 items held in the National Museums Scotland collection, with the initial aim of updating and improving records to reflect their connections to Gaelic history and culture.
From those 100 objects, 15 will be selected to be highlighted in an online resource with both English and Gaelic language content.
Objects being considered include a bilingual road sign from Skye, powder horns from the 17th-19th century, and a modern phonebook from Ness on Lewis, which raised funds for the Ness Community Association and shows nicknames as well as formal names and addresses.
This helps to identify people where there are many shared first and surnames, as well as providing insights into local stories, shared histories and jokes within the community.
Dr Sarah Laurenson, NMS principal curator of modern and contemporary history said: 'The Scottish collections of National Museums Scotland strongly reflect the material heritage of the Gaidhealtachd, and many of what came to be perceived as the 'national treasures' originated there, but the way many of them were recorded when they came into our collection in the past did not reflect their connection with or importance to Gaelic culture, history and tradition very well, if at all.
'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.'
The project, titled Tha sgeul ri innse: there's a story for the telling, is being launched during Seachdain na Gaidhlig (World Gaelic Week).
It is led by National Museums Scotland in collaboration with Sabhal Mor Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture which is located in Skye, and the project is funded by Bord na Gaidhlig.
Other objects identified for further study so far include a chanter, charm stones, a silver punch bowl, paintings and a range of domestic objects.
Professor Hugh Cheape, of Sabhal Mor Ostaig, said: 'We in Sabhal Mor 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.'
Ealasaid MacDonald, chief executive of Bord na Gaidhlig, welcomed the project.
She said: 'Physical items, artworks and tools created in and used by Gaelic communities provide a unique view into our culture and heritage.
'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.'