'Centuries-old' Scottish traditions in danger of being lost to time

Culture and traditions that have shaped communities across Scotland are at risk of being permanently lost to time, according to researchers.

Experts at University of the West of Scotland (UWS) and Historic Environment Scotland (HES) have been working to explore the country’s Intangible Cultural Heritage – aspects of our culture which do not exist in physical form but are passed down through generations. This includes, but is not limited to, folklore, traditional music, oral history and practises such as peat cutting.

Unlike in many other countries, there is as yet no framework in place across the United Kingdom to ensure these traditions are preserved.

ABOVE: A workshop held as part of the project (c) Historic Environment Scotland

The Ar Dàimhean is Dualachas (Our Relationships and Heritage) project team – funded by the British Academy Early Career Network – are working with with communities to understand what intangible cultural heritage means to them and how they can be better supported in future by Scotland’s public bodies. Further work, including workshops and developing guidance, will be taken forward over the next year.

Project co-lead Dr Stephen Collins, a Reader in Performance at UWS, said: “The lack of a framework to protect intangible heritage in Scotland as created a series of problems.

“Firstly, economically. At the moment, a filmmaker can come into Scotland and use all sorts of cultural signifiers, without any requirement for payment, which could generate income for the communities.

“Then there’s the fact it creates the risk of people losing ownership of our own traditions and stories. A production company can present Scottish traditions in a way that prioritises the story they want to tell over reality – and this risks fictions overwriting fact.

“Blockbuster film and television productions set in Scotland can sometimes create take creative liberties, creating a false sense of what Scotland and its traditions are. It blurs the line between fiction and reality, making preservation all the more important.”

The project leads, Dr Collins, Dr Ben Thomas (HES) and HES’s Gaelic team, Catriona Morrison and Iain Craig, along with colleagues from Creative Scotland, initially delivered workshops on the Isles of Lewis and Harris; with a particular emphasis on Gaelic, and the culture that surrounds the language.

Bill Lawson of Seallam! who attended the workshops on Harris said “Time is not on our side. The sources of information, first-hand information, are disappearing so quickly. It came across nicely that people are realising the urgency of it.”

Dr Collins added: “We want to create a Scotland-wide network of best practice – to amplify the good work being done to safeguard intangible cultural heritage for the future.

“This will, of course, take time – but it’s something that is within our reach, and an important step forward as we look to preserve Scottish traditions.”

Catriona Morrison, Gaelic Language Policy Manager at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), said, "Scotland has an incredibly rich cultural heritage with roots that run deep through our history, our environment, our language, and our stories. Through these workshops we were able to collect and record invaluable insights into the Western Isles' intangible cultural heritage to give us a greater understanding and ensure we can protect elements of the language and traditions at risk of being lost.

"We will use what we learned in Lewis and Harris to develop best practice and to work with local communities to safeguard their intangible cultural heritage."

A final, online, community conversation workshop will run on Tuesday 28 November, 6.30pm - 8.30pm.  This will include an overview of conversations and learnings in the project thus far, and a chance for people to share their own thoughts about intangible cultural heritage and Gaelic.

Sign up to the online workshop using Eventbrite.

GÀIDHLIG

Tha cultar is seann nòsan a tha air coimhearsnachdan air feadh Alba a chumadh bho thùs, fo chunnart a bhith air an call gu maireannach, a rèir luchd-rannsachaidh.

Tha eòlaichean aig Oilthigh Taobh Siar na h-Alba (UWS) agus Àrainneachd Eachdradheil Alba  (HES) air a bhith ag obair gus Dualchas Cultarach Do-bheantainneach na dùthcha a rannsachadh -  taobhan de ar cultar nach eil an làthair ann an cruth fiosaigeach ach a tha air an aiseag sìos tro na ginealaichean. Tha seo a’ gabhail a-steach, ach chan eil e cuibhrichte ri, beul-aithris, ceòl traidiseanta, eachdraidh beòil agus cleachdaidhean leithid buain mhònach.  

Ao-coltach ri mòran dùthchannan eile, chan eil fhathast frèam-obrach oifigeil na àite air feadh na Rìoghachd Aonaichte airson dèanamh cinnteach gu bheil na seann nòsan sin air an gleidheadh.

The ar sgioba pròiseict Ar Dàimhean is Dualchas (Our Relationships and Heritage) – maoinichte le British Academy Early Career Network – ag obair còmhla ri coimhearsnachdan gus tuigse fhaighinn air na tha dualchas cultarach do-bheantainneach a’ ciallachadh dhaibhsan agus mar a ghabhas taic nas fheàrr a thoirt dhaibh san àm ri teachd le buidhnean poblach na h-Alba. Thèid tuilleadh obrach, a’ gabhail a-steach bhùithtean-obrach agus leasachadh stiùiridh, a thoirt air adhart thar na bliadhna a tha romhainn.

Thuirt co-stiùiriche a’ phròiseict, an Dr Stephen Collins, Leughadair ann an Gnìomhadh aig  UWS: “Tha dìth frèam-obrach a thaobh dìon air dualchas cultarach do-bheantainneach ann an Alba, air sreath de dhuilgheadasan a chruthachadh.

“Sa chiad àite, gu h-eaconamach. Aig an àm seo fhèin, faodaidh dèanadair fhilmichean a thighinn a dh’Alba agus a h-uile seòrsa de dhòighean cultarach a chleachdadh, gun riatanas  pàighidh sam bith, a dh’fhaodadh teachd-a-steach a ghinteadh do choimhearsnachdan.

“An uair sin, tha an fhìorachd gu bheil e a’ cruthachadh cunnart gum faod daoine seilbh a chall air ar traidiseanan is sgeulachdan fhìn. Faodaidh companaidh riochdachaidh sam bith traidiseanan Albannach a thaisbeanadh ann an dòigh a tha a’ toirt prìomhachas don sgeulachd a tha iad fhèin airson a lìbhrigeadh, seach fìorachd – agus tha cunnart an seo gum bi làmh an uachdar aig ficsean air fìorachd.

“Faodaidh riochdachaidhean fhilmichean mòra is telebhisean air an stèidheachadh ann an Alba ceadan cruthachail a ghabhail aig amannan, a’ cruthachadh ìomhaigh fhuadain de mar a tha Alba agus a traidiseanan. Tha seo a’ dèanamh na loidhne eadar ficsean agus fìorachd mì-shoilleir, a’ dèanamh glèidhteachas buileach nas cudromaiche.” 

Lìbhrig stiùirichean a’ phròiseict, an Dr Collins, an Dr Ben Thomas (HES) agus sgioba Gàidhlig  HES, Catrìona Mhoireasdan agus Iain Craig, còmhla ri co-obraichean bho Alba Chruthachail, aig an toiseach bùithtean-obrach ann an Eilean Leòdhais agus Na Hearadh; le cuideam sònraichte air Gàidhlig agus an cultar a tha mu thimcheall a’ chànain.

Thuirt Bill Lawson bho Seallam! a bha a’ frithealadh na bùtha-obrach anns na Hearadh: “Chan eil tìde nar fàbhar. Tha na tùsan fiosrachaidh, fiosrachadh tùsail, a’ dol à sealladh cho luath. Tha e math gu bheil daoine a’ faicinn cho deatamach ’s a tha e.”

Thuirt an Dr Collins cuideachd: “Tha sinn airson lìonra de dheagh chleachdadh a chruthachadh air feadh Alba – agus an obair mhath a tha ga coileanadh mar-thà a mheudachadh gus dualchas cultarach do-bheantainneach a chumail sàbhailte don àm ri teachd.

“Bheir seo suas tìde, gun teagamh sam bith – ach ’s e nì a th’ ann a ghabhas dèanamh, agus tha e na cheum cudromach air adhart agus sinn a’ coimhead ri traidiseanan na h-Alba a ghleidheadh.”

Thuirt Caitrìona Mhoireasdan, Manaidsear Poileasaidh Gàidhlig aig Àrainneachd Eachdraidheil Alba (HES):"Tha dualchas cultarach saidhbhir aig Alba a tha do-chreidsinneach, le freumhaichean a tha a’ ruith domhainn tro ar n-eachdraidh, ar n-àrainneachd, ar cànan agus ar sgeulachdan. Tro na bùithtean-obrach seo, bha sinn comasach air in-sheallaidhean luachmhor a thional agus a chlàradh do dualchas cultarach do-bheantainneach nan Eilean Siar gus tuigse nas fheàrr a thoirt dhuinn agus dèanamh cinnteach gum faod sinn eileamaidean den chànan agus de na traidiseanan a tha an cunnart an call a dhìon.

"Cleachdaidh sinn na dh’ionnsaich sinn ann an Leòdhas agus Na Hearadh gus deagh chleachdadh a leasachadh agus obrachadh leis na coimhearsnachdan ionadail gus an dualchas cultarach do-bheantainneach aca a dhìon.”

Clàraibh don bhùth-obrach air-loidhne a’ cleachdadh Eventbrite.