Museums And Archives

Hebrides People Visitor Centre (Northton Heritage Trust)

Northton Heritage Trust (NHT) has been running the Seallam! Visitor Centre in the township for the last 20 years. In 2022 The Trust was successful in buying all the land and buildings associated with the project (the Old Schoolhouse, Visitor Centre and some adjoining land) thus bringing everything into community ownership. Plans were then prepared to extend the visitor centre as part of the Islands Growth Deal, Destination Development Programme with the vision of creating a much needed world class visitor centre in Harris. The focus of the centre will be the people of Harris and St Kilda, telling their story, enabling family tree and heritage research together with Gaelic language learning. Bill Lawson has be collecting and collating the history and heritage of the people of Harris and the Outer Hebrides for over 40 years and has amassed a large collection of genealogical records, books and other exhibition materials which he has donated to NHT (the community) so the intention is to celebrate this amazing legacy by updating the exhibitions and enabling use of the resources for research and further study so that the intangible cultural heritage is not lost to future generations whilst also "kick starting" economic regeneration in south Harris and remote and fragile island community which has seen little investment in recent decades. Support from the HL will enable NHT to complete a capacity building development phase of work prior to embarking on the major capital build works which will deliver the new home for the project and all its offers. The development phase will allow us to assess and protect the Lawson Library so it can be properly and safely accessed for research and learning, build community engagement though enhancing volunteering opportunities and exploring new ways of having young people and older people involved in heritage work and take stock of the information we have so it can be used to inform the new exhibitions.