New £10.5m archive centre opens to public

THE new £10.5million Highland Archive and Registration Centre in Inverness will open to the public today.

The centre includes an archive conservation unit, a dedicated family history centre, a ceremony suite and office accommodation.

In addition, specialist atmospheric and environmental controls have been installed to safeguard the storage of parchment, paper and records in other formats, enabling the return of archives to the Highlands which had previously been stored in Edinburgh.

The complex replaces the archive service provided at Inverness Library in Farraline Park and the registration service at Moray House, Bank Street, Inverness. Highland Council convener Sandy Park said: “This magnificent 21st-century facility is the key to providing a safe and fitting home for our very important archival heritage, and I am delighted that it is being completed in the Year of Homecoming.

“Not only will we be able to provide a great facility for people searching their family history and Highland roots, but, with the moving of the registration service from Moray House, we will be able to provide much better facilities for the public in greatly enhanced surroundings.”