National Trust for Scotland begin ‘Project Reveal’

THE National Trust for Scotland have started work on one of Scotland’s biggest ever heritage projects.

The Project Reveal team are set to update records so that every single piece of the extensive collection is recorded, all over Scotland.

Employing 26 people, the £1.3 million ‘Project Reveal’ is a huge undertaking expected to last 20 months, and to cover every single property in the care of the Trust, from the huge Culzean Castle in Ayrshire, to the humble home of geologist Hugh Miller in Cromarty.

The Project will see experts photograph and record each of the Trust’s 100,000 artefacts. The team hope to not only learn a lot about the pieces which are on display but also discover ‘hidden gems’ which will give an even greater insight into the country’s history and heritage.

National Trust for Scotland Chief Executive Simon Skinner said: “This is a huge project, both for the Trust and for the heritage of Scotland. It will mean we know so much more about the many treasures in our care, and this information will help us as we strive to share Scotland’s spectacular scenery, amazing history and unforgettable experiences with more visitors, in more engaging and relevant ways.”

Wendy Turner, Project Manager for Project Reveal said: “This is an unusual project within the cultural sector because the majority of our collections are on display within historic houses, castles, cottages and workshops, and much of the inventory work will take place in full view of our visitors. We are revealing not just our collections, but our working methods as well. We fully expect the teams to ‘reveal’ hidden treasures and to uncover new stories about our collections.”

Teams have started work at Brodie Castle near Forres, Pitmedden Garden in Aberdeenshire, Newhailes in East Lothian, the Hill House in Helensburgh and Culzean Castle in Ayrshire.

They will be blogging about their work as they go – keep up to date with the latest news at www.nts.org.uk  #ProjectReveal.