The material is in the archives of BBC Scotland, Edinburgh University's School of Scottish Studies and the John Lorne Campbell Collections, owned by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), on the island of Canna. The project is being co-ordinated by Sabhal Mor Ostaig, the Gaelic college in Skye, with Edinburgh University, the NTS and the BBC. The recordings include songs plus speech dating from the 1930s to the 1990s, from ancient folklore to casual conversations. The project has been described as "a 21st century gateway to the cultural legacy of the Scottish nation" by Gaelic singer Kenna Campbell. Patricia Ferguson, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, said at yesterday's launch: "I am delighted that through new technology we are able to preserve our heritage for new generations and, by doing so, encourage confidence in the future of both languages." Dr Margaret Mackay, director of the School of Scottish Studies Archives, said: "There is a wealth of story-telling, song tradition, place names and dialect from all over Scotland." She was delighted that much of it would be preserved for future generations. Hugh Cheape, vice-president of the National Trust for Scotland, said: "(This) offers a precious opportunity to bring into the public domain the lifetime's work of the pioneer sound recordist, John Lorne Campbell of Canna." A pilot project on Tiree features some 30 hours of material relating to the island from the early 1950s to the 1980s. The first phase of the project will last five years and cost just under £3m, with around half of the cost met by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Other major funders are the European Regional Development Fund, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and the Highland Council. A TREASURE trove of Gaelic and Scots audio material is to be saved for future generations through a £3m project launched yesterday It will produce an online digital archive of more than 12,000 hours of recordings in Gaelic and Scots, which have been stored on tape or even wax cylinders. The material is in the archives of BBC Scotland, Edinburgh University's School of Scottish Studies and the John Lorne Campbell Collections, owned by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), on the island of Canna. The project is being co-ordinated by Sabhal Mor Ostaig, the Gaelic college in Skye, with Edinburgh University, the NTS and the BBC. Full Herald article

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