The main series of official records held at the Highland Archive Centre are those created by The Highland Council and its predecessors, the former Regional, County, District and Burgh Councils. Our main holdings are outlined below, you can also explore our online catalogue for more detailed searches.
The Counties of Inverness, Nairn, Ross and Cromarty, and Sutherland from the 18th century to 1975.
The Burghs of Cromarty, Dingwall, Dornoch, Fortrose, Grantown on Spey, Invergordon, Inverness, Kingussie, Narin and Tain from the 14th century to 1975.
The Highland Regional Council, 1975-1996.
The records of local government administration include:
Education records from the 1860s, including logbooks and admission registers for more than three hundred schools.
Poor relief records, 1845-1930.
Records of Highway Authorities, including turnpike trusts 1804-1890.
Property valuation rolls, 1868-1989.
Dean of Guild and Building Control plans and registers, 1890-1975.
Inverness Burgh records including High Court and Inverness County Sheriff Court process papers, 17th-19th Century.
Abridgements of Sasines for the Counties of Argyll, Caithness, Inverness, Nairn, Ross and Cromarty and Sutherland from 1781.
Police archives, 1858-1992.
Among the many hundreds of privately deposited archives in the care of the Highland Archive Service there are:
Estate and family papers including those of Baillie of Dunain from 1705, and those of Munro of Novar from 1670.
Business and industrial records including the records of the Caledonian Canal from 1800.
Church records including kirk session and presbytery records for parishes in the presbyteries of Inverness, Ross, Sutherland, Locharron & Skye, and Moray (part) dating from c.1640.
Inverness District Asylum records including patient records and staff registers from 1863 onwards.
Records of individuals, societies, and other local organisations.
Records relating to the history of tartan.
Maps and plans, including estate maps, Roy’s Military Survey, and extensive holdings of Ordnance Survey plans dating from the 1860s.
You can see our Topical Index for more information on the privately deposited collections we hold.
