Local History

This is a wide ranging collection which includes material relating to whaling, merchant service, crofting, shipwrecks and story tellers. There are some 1200 photographs in the associated archive.

Genealogical material, such as censuses and old parish records are kept on microfiche, and oral history recordings are kept on audio and video tape. There are about 25 audio recordings, some dating back to the 1950s. Video material showing local activities, including crofting, fishing, weaving and spinning has been recorded during the past eight years. 18 videos are available depicting aspects of local life and work.

Natural History

This collection mainly comprises archival material relating to local and foreign natural history. It includes transparancy slides relating to breeding birds, local mammals, rarer migrant birds, local flora and the Yell Coastline. There are also videos about the Harp Seal, Bobby Tulloch, Naturalist and the Simmer Dim. Photographs include the South Georgia Whaling Collection and Arctic Flora and Fauna.

Scientific papers include a collection of natural history books of local appeal and a file on flora and fauna of Yell. There are also papers, negatives and transparencies in the Booby Tulloch Collection.

Arts and Crafts

This is varied collection including audio and video recordings of local music, as well as a collection of watercolours by Dr H P Taylor and a collection of black and white photographs by Max Bruce. The audio recordings of local musicians range in date from the earliest in the 1950s to the present. Videos include 'The Music of Yell', which was produced by the Old Haa. Altogether there are about 14 videos relating to local music. There is also a small collection of videos on the work of local artists and craftsmen.