News 
Culture Minister Welcomes Innovative Web Project
21 October 2009
An innovative new website is bringing together important records from two of Scotland’s most comprehensive historic archives. With its place-based search facility, users can create detailed interactive maps using global browsing technology.
ScotlandsPlaces (www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk) will be launched tonight (Thursday, October 22) in Inverness by Culture Minister Mike Russell. A joint partnership between the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) and the National Archives of Scotland (NAS), it uses geo-mapping software developed by the University of Edinburgh.
Website users can enter a Scottish place name, county or parish to start their search before drilling down through a selection of map layers, including Ordnance Survey maps, to refine their search area. Once located, areas can be plotted on a geobrowser (such as Google Earth) with the relevant archive information pinpointed on the map. By clicking on each point, details of the archive links appear below the map search area.
NAS information includes plans, official land ownership documents, medical officer of health reports and tax rolls – which in turn can be studied in fine detail – while RCAHMS information includes place descriptions, photographs, plans and drawings of buildings and landmarks, and associated materials and archaeological information.
The setup of the ScotlandsPlaces website means that additional, place-related information can be easily included as more partners come onboard.
Launching the project website, Minister for Culture Michael Russell said:
“This innovative website draws on a wealth of information from two of Scotland’s national collections, showcasing the benefits of our public bodies working in close partnership.
“The site already hosts a vast range of information but it is just the start and I encourage other organisations from the heritage and archive sectors to join up and share their data. I am sure this unique resource will be appreciated by many as they access our nation’s rich stories of people and places over the years.”
RCAHMS education & outreach manager, Rebecca Bailey said: “This is a free public resource that will appeal to anyone with an interest in Scotland’s geography and history or in Scottish ancestry. No matter where in the world you are, this website will allow you to locate any place in Scotland and immediately view what additional archive information exists.
“As an educational resource it will add immense scope to local history projects or research into Scotland’s past. It will also have great appeal for those people trying to unlock their own histories or the stories of their communities.”
Head of NAS, George Mackenzie added: “We’re delighted to be launching this website in Homecoming year, because it will be of interest to Scots abroad as well as at home. The site brings genuine archive material about places in Scotland right to your home so you can research your past or plan future trips. The information in ScotlandsPlaces is official, authentic and permanent.”
Importantly, ScotlandsPlaces draws on live data so that as new information is added to the digitised collections of either RCAHMS or the NAS, it will be accessible via the website.
The next phase of the project will bring in more partners and data to the site. ScotlandsPlaces project manager, Ashley Beamer said: “The technology we are using for ScotlandsPlaces is based on making information as accessible as possible. RCAHMS and the other partners uphold this principle by using ‘open source’ technology wherever possible, which means that our innovations can be used by others who are also interested in public access and web technology.”
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Notes to Editors:
1) RCAHMS is the National Collection of materials on Scotland’s built environment that connects people to places across time. It:
• Is the first port of call for information about the built environment of Scotland, from prehistory to the present
• employs expert staff and cutting edge technology to make its collections easy to access
• makes accessible a wide range of resources from maps and manuscripts to photographs, for people interested in Scotland’s culture and heritage
• is Scotland’s National Collection for information and materials on the built environment
• records the changing landscape of Scotland and collects materials relating to it
• involves people in discovering and investigating Scotland’s environment
2) NAS, an agency of the Scottish Government, is the official archive for government, parliament and the courts in Scotland. It:
• gives access to the nation’s records, connecting Scots at home and abroad to their past and strengthening their sense of identity at a family, community and national level
• provides legal customers with improved access to the public registers and records in support of Scotland’s property market
• helps operate the Scotland’s People service for family history which encourages inbound tourism and builds on the Homecoming legacy
• operates the Scottish Register of Tartans, promoting worldwide interest in this iconic product and providing the industry with a focus for marketing and development
• makes official records available for public consultation, promoting good governance and allowing citizens to hold government accountable
• supports learning by school pupils and others through a range of education services that increase understanding of our national culture and history
