Collaborative Doctoral Award - West Harris / Duais Dhotaireil Cho-obrachail – Taobh Siar na Hearadh

Project Outline / Fiosrachadh mun Phròiseact

In 1925 four landless cottars began an illegal occupation of machair land on the west coast of the Isle of Harris/Taobh Siar na Hearadh. As a direct consequence, in 1930 the British Government bought several estates in the area to create smallholdings. In 2010 these estates were purchased by their community. This is a unique historical trajectory for community landowners, but also one potentially of great importance in national and international contexts.

The West Harris Trust (WHT) is a leading example of the transformational benefits of community land ownership, with the area recording a 45% increase in population since it was established in 2010 . As a community-based charity striving to regenerate an area experiencing long-term decline, The Trust's main aims and objectives are to facilitate greater economic opportunity and wider social provision within the distinctive local Gaelic cultural heritage. Alongside the drive to establish successful community ownership, however, wide-ranging globalised processes are also at work as a result of which West Harris has become a particularly extreme example of overtourism and its consequences. Therefore, whilst WHT’s aims focus upon land and community as central to its mission, the vulnerability of West Harris to overtourism means that the heritage/tourism binary is particularly challenging in the area. This PhD will take a comprehensive perspective on these processes and challenges, investigating what kind of future heritage the people of West Harris might choose for themselves to promote community resilience, sustainability, and self-confidence. The Trust has a long history of collaborative relationships with public, private, and third-sector groups and organisations. It has hosted several students on work experience and ScotGrad placements, the most recent of which, in 2022, aimed to strengthen the use of Gaelic in the community and make it more resilient. WHT will bring the experience gained from such collaborative supervisions to this project and, crucially, build on an established, successful partnership with the UHI Centre for History.

Working with the resident community and adopting an interdisciplinary approach, this project seeks to uncover the interconnections and braidings of history, heritage, and community development in the locality. To help strengthen WHT’s aim ‘to build a sustainable future for our community’ the researcher will investigate:

• the local history and landscape history of the buyout;
• the interaction of changing landownership patterns, culture, and heritage;
• ways in which indigenous worldviews might help to shape sustainable heritage futures within a community ownership context.

These objectives underpin a project engagingwith fundamental historical and cultural processes in recent Highland history, working at the intersection of heritage and community development, and taking a novel ‘from below’ approach. To further this the successful candidate will  work with and learn from a highly experienced community development professional and then disseminate their knowledge to the WHT team. This singular focus will enable the PhD to make a distinct contribution to:

• The growing literature on community buyouts which has hitherto adopted a more ‘top down’ perspective;
• global networks of researchers studying community ownership;
• national conversations about future land reform legislation and its impact on local communities.

In particular, the PhD will inform and advance WHT’s mission to tackle social exclusion and to add to our understanding of the insights indigenous cultures might bring to the development of future heritage. Working collaboratively, the student, WHT, and local community will create an online archive, a set of digital artefacts, and a final exhibition, thus addressing the needs of the communities of practice and interest (Hughes, 2022) who are the likely main users of this future heritage asset.

The research materials from which this impact derives comprise three elements:

• the nationally significant, but seldom scrutinised records of the acquisition and management of the estate by the Department of Agriculture;
• the collective memory of the everyday experience of the Department’s management régime;
• action research to identify community perceptions of future heritage.

When drawn together, this research will uncover key aspects of the past, present, and future of the management experience of the estate. The student will be expected to place insights gained from more formal archival research in dialogue with the collective memory of the more quotidian experiences of the West Harris community, using both living reminiscences and earlier recordings in local and national repositories, in particularTobar an Dualchais. Such a proposed synthesis of written and oral material has seldom been attempted in Highland historiography.

Identification of future heritage will utilise an action research Photovoice method using participant photography to unlock hidden perspectives on the historic and lived landscape. We anticipate that these novel approaches, when interwoven with the distinctive historiographical side of the project, will help to build and enhance a fresh sense of future heritage ‘from below’.

These ethnographic approaches and methodologies will both illuminate the complexities inherent in public narratives of the trajectory to community ownership and overtourism, and pinpoint those aspects of future heritage which may be  significant to the West Harris community. Consequently, it is vital that the student is a fluent Gaelic speaker.

This PhD closely aligns with the research strategies of UHI and both Centres. Through the work of Robertson and colleagues, the Centre for History leads research on critical heritage studies within UHI. Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (SMO), Scotland’s National Centre for Gaelic, has long-established expertise investigating local communities’ changing sociolinguistic identities, as well as indigenous nature/culture perspectives.

Both Centres also share aspirations with WHT to make use of collective memories of places and their embodied culture in order to enhance community wellbeing and to craft future heritage. The partnership extends opportunities for stakeholder engagement, and adds perspectives on community development to our understanding of wider public history. It represents an exciting, innovative research partnership of citizens, local stakeholders, and academics. Working together, the Trust and UHI aim to help their community and, ultimately, other local communities, to understand, articulate, and develop what is considered heritage, where it is, and to whom it belongs.

Fiosrachadh mun Phròiseact

Ann an 1925 thòisich ceithir chotairean as aonais fearann a’ gabhail seilbh mhì-laghail air talamh machaire Taobh Siar na Hearadh. Mar thoradh air an seo, ann an 1930 cheannaich riaghaltas Bhreatainn grunn oighreachdan anns an sgìre airson lotaichean. Ann an 2010 chaidh na h-oighreachdan seo a cheannach leis a’ choimhearsnachd. ’S ann car às an àbhaist a tha an t-slighe eachdraidheil seo airson uachdarain-choimhearsnachd, ach dh’fhaodadh e bhith gu math cudromach ann an coitheagsan nàiseanta agus eadar-nàiseanta.

’S e sùileachan air leth a th’ ann an Urras Taobh Siar na Hearadh, a’ dearbhadh nam buannachdan an lùib coimhearsnachd a bhith a’ gabhail seilbh air fearann dhaibh fhèin. Thàinig fàs de 45% air sluagh an àite bho chaidh a stèidheachadh ann an 2010. Mar charthannas-coimhearsnachd a’ strì ri sgìre ath-bheòthachadh a tha air dol-sìos fhuiling fad ùine mhòr, tha e san amas aig an Urras a bhith a’ brosnachadh barrachd chothroman eaconamach, cho math ri solarachadh sòisealta nas fharsainge, taobh a-staigh dualchas Gàidhlig sònraichte an àite. A thuilleadh air an t-strì ach am bi seilbh na coimhearsnachd soirbheachail, ge-tà, feumar a bhith mothachail dha pròiseasan farsaing saoghalachaidh a dh’adhbhraicheas gu bheil Taobh Siar na Hearadh a-nis na eisimpleir de dhroch bhuaidhean a dh’èireas an lùib cus turasachd. Mar sin, ged a tha fearann agus coimhearsnachd aig teis-meadhan amasan an Urrais, tha an suidheachadh cunnartach anns a bheil an sgìre ag adhbhrachadh gu bheil co-chur de dhualchas agus de thurasachd gu math dùbhlanach an sin. Bidh am PhD seo a’ gabhail sealladh uile-ghabhaltach air na pròiseasan agus air na dùbhlain ud, a’ beachdachadh air dè seòrsa dualchais anns an àm ri teachd a dh’fhaodadh muinntir Taobh Siar na Hearadh taghadh air an ceann fhèin gus coimhearsnachd sheasmhach, làidir, mhisneachail a thogail. Fad ùine mhòr tha an t-Urras air a bhith a’ co-obrachadh le buidhnean poblach, prìobhaideach, agus treas-ìreach. Tha e air aoigheachd a thoirt dha grunn oileanach air greis-ghnìomhachais agus ScotGrad cuideachd. A’ ghreis-ghnìomhachais as ùire, ann an 2022, bha sin ag amas air cleachdadh na Gàidhlig a bhrosnachadh anns a’ choimhearsnachd ach am biodh i seasmhach. Bidh an t-Urras a’ cur an eòlais a fhuair iad bho stiùiridhean co-obrachail den leithid seo gu feum anns a’ phròiseact seo, agus, gu dearbh, togaidh iad air a’ chaidreachas eadar iad fhèin agus Ionad na h-Eachdraidh OGE: bonn-stèidh a tha air a bhith soirbheachail mar-thà.

Le bhith ag obair le muinntir na coimhearsnachd ann an dòigh eadar-roinneil, bidh am pròiseact seo a’ feuchainn ris na deifir cheanglaichean agus na deifir thoinneamhan a rèiteachadh eadar eachdraidh, dualchas, agus leasachadh coimhearsnachd na sgìre. Gus amasan an Urrais a dhaingneachadh ann a bhith ‘a’ cruthachadh coimhearsnachd a mhaireas’, bidh an neach-rannsachaidh a’ sgrùdadh

• eachdraidh na sgìre, agus eachdraidh a’ chruth-thìre, coicheangailte ris an iomairt-cheannachd;
• atharrachaidhean ann am pàtrain seilbh an fhearainn, ann an cultar, agus ann an dualchas, agus a’ bhuaidh a th’ aca sin air a chèile
• deifir dhòighean anns am faod seallaidhean dùthchasach cuideachadh le bhith a’ dealbhadh dualchas a mhaireas ann an oighreachd a tha an seilbh na coimhearsnachd.

Tha na h-amasan seo mar bhonn-stèidh dha pròiseact a ghabhas gnothaich ri pròiseasan eachdraidheil agus cultarach a th’ air a bhith bunaiteach air a’ Ghàidhealtachd thairis air na bliadhnachan a chaidh seachad. Tha am pròiseact a’ gabhail gnothaich ri dualchas agus ri leasachadh coimhearsnachd còmhla, a’ gabhail sealladh ùr-ghnàthaichte ‘bho nìos’. Gus seo uile a chur an gnìomh, obraichidh an neach-tagraidh soirbheachail còmhla ri – agus ionnsaichidh iad bho – sàr-eòlaiche leasachaidh-coimhearsnachd proifeiseanta, agus an uair sin craobh-sgaoilidh iad an t-eòlas a fhuair iad dha sgioba an Urrais. Leis an fhòcas shònraichte seo, cuiridh am PhD gu mòr ri:

• litreachas fàsmhor mu iomairtean-ceannachd coimhearsnachd a tha gu ruige seo air seallaidhean ‘bho nuas’ a ghabhail;
• lìonraithean eadar-nàiseanta de luchd-rannachaidh a’ sgrùdadh seilbh-coimhearsnachd;
• còmhraidhean nàiseanta mu leasachaidhean laghan-fearainn anns an àm ri teachd, agus a’ bhuaidh a bhios aca air coimhearsnachdan sgìreil.

Gu seachd sònraichte, cuidichidh agus leasachaidh am PhD feallsanachd an Urrais ann a bhith a’ feuchainn ri cur às dha às-dùnadh sòisealta. Nì e feum cuideachd le bhith a’ tuigsinn nan seallaidhean a dh’fhaodadh a bhith aig cultaran dùthchasach ann a bhith a’ leasachadh dualchas a mhaireas. Tro cho-obrachadh, cuiridh an t-oileanach, an t-Urras, agus a’ choimhearsnachd tasglann air-loidhne, clàr de nithean didsiotach, agus, mu dheireadh, taisbeanadh. Mar sin, freagraidh iad air na feumalachdan a bhios aig coimhearsnachdan pragtaig agus coimhearsnachdan ùidhe (Hughes, 2022), an fheadhainn as coltaiche a nì feum den ulaidh dhualchais a tha seo anns an àm ri teachd.

’S ann à trì eileamaidean a thig an stuth-rannsachaidh às a bheil a’ bhuaidh seo a’ tàrmachadh:

• clàraidhean Bhòrd an Àiteachais mu mar a chaidh an oighreachd a cheannach agus a stiùireadh, clàraidhean fìor chudromach aig ìre nàiseanta, agus gu ro thric air an leigeil seachad;
• cuimhne na coimhearsnachd mun eòlas làitheil a bh’ aca mu bhith fo stiùir a’ Bhùird;
• rannsachadh gnìomhail mu bheachdan na coimhearsnachd a thaobh dualchas a mhaireas.  

Nuair a thèid seo uile a thoirt còmhla, leigidh an obair-rannsachaidh ris dhuinn na cùisean as cudromaiche coicheangailte ri stiùireadh na h-oighreachd, an-dè, an-diugh, agus a-màireach. Tha sinn an dùil gun dèan an t-oileanach co-chur den eòlas a fhuair iad bho obair-tasglainn fhoirmeil agus de chuimhne an t-sluaigh mun bheatha làitheil a bh’ aca anns an sgìre, a’ dèanamh feum de chuimhneachain dhaoine beò agus clàraidhean na bu thràithe ann an tasglannan ionadail agus nàiseanta, gu sònraichte ann an Tobar an Dualchais. Cha b’ ann tric a chaidh co-chur mar seo fheuchainn roimhe ann an rannsachadh eachdraidh na Gàidhealtachd. 

Thèid dualchas a mhaireas a shònrachadh le dòigh-rannsachaidh PhotoVoice (rannsachadh gnìomhach), a’ dèanamh feum de dheilbh-foto luchd-compàirt gus seallaidhean falaichte air a’ chruth-tìre mar a bha e an-dè agus an-diugh a thoirt am follais. Tha sinn an dùil gum bi na dòighean-rannsachaidh ùr-nodha seo, air am fighe leis an taobh shònraichte eachdraidheil den phròiseact, a’ cuideachadh ann a bhith a’ cruthachadh agus a’ cur gleans air beachdan ùrail mu dhualchas a mhaireas ‘bho nìos’.  

Bidh na seallaidhean agus na dòighean-obrach eitnografach seo a’ cuideachadh ann a bhith a’ mìneachadh an iomadach toinneamh an lùib sgeulachdan poblach mun t-slighe a dh’ionnsaidh seilbh-choimhearsnachd agus cus turasachd, agus a’ sealltainn gu dè na taobhan de dhualchas a mhaireas a dh’fhaodadh a bhith cudromach dha coimhearsnachd Thaobh Siar na Hearadh. Mar thoradh air an sin, tha e deatamach gum bi an t-oileanach làn fhileanta sa Ghàidhlig.  

Tha am PhD seo a’ leantainn gu dlùth ri ro-innleachdan rannsachaidh OGE agus an dà ionaid. Tro obair an Robasdanaich agus a cho-oibrichean, tha Ionad na h-Eachdraidh bhos cionn obair-rannsachaidh mu dheidhinn sgrùdaidhean critigeach mu dhualchas taobh a-staigh OGE. Tha eòlas fada aig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Ionad Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig ann an Alba, ann a bhith a’ sgrùdadh atharrachaidhean ann am fèin-aithne shòsio-chànanaich choimhearsnachdan ionadail, cho math ri seallaidhean dùthchasach air nàdar agus air cultar.  

Tha an dà Ionad air an aon ràmh ris an Urras a thaobh a bhith ag ùisneachadh cuimhne choitcheann mu àiteachan, agus a’ chultair a tha freumhaichte annta, gus soirbheas nan coimhearsnachd a thoirt air adhart, agus dualchas a mhaireas a dhealbhadh. Tha an caidreachas a’ leudachadh chothroman dha luchd-compàirt a bhith an sàs ann, agus, le seallaidhean ùra mu leasachadh coimhearsnachd, cuiridh e ris an tuigse a th’ againn mu eachdraidh phoblaich anns an fharsaingeachd. ’S e seo caidreachas-rannsachaidh air leth, beòthail agus ùr-nodha, de shaoranaich, de luchd-compàirt, agus de sgoilearan. Leis a’ cho-obrachadh tha e san amharc aig an Urras agus aig OGE a bhith a’ cuideachadh na coimhearsnachd aca, agus gu dearbh choimhearsnachdan ionadail eile, gus an cuid dualchais – agus càite bheil e agus cò leis a tha e – a thuigsinn, a chur an cèill, agus a thoirt air adhart.

Eligibility / Freagarrachd

Applicants should demonstrate a strong academic record, according to the SGSAH expectations for funding, and would normally have:

• A first or upper second-class hons degree in a relevant discipline,
• A postgraduate Masters Degree in a relevant discipline and/or demonstrate equivalent, relevant professional experience.
• It is essential that the student is a fluent Gaelic speaker.

Bu chòir don luchd-tagraidh cùrsa-acadaimigeach làidir a shealltainn, a-rèir dùilean SGSAH airson maoineachadh, a’ gabhail a-steach mar bu trice: 

• Ceum ann an raon-eòlais freagarrach aig ìre 1 air neo 2:1;
• Ceum Maighstireachd iar-cheumnach ann an raon-eòlais freagarrach agus/air neo eòlas freagarrach proifeiseanta aig an aon ìre;
• Tha e deatamach gu bheil an t-oileanach làn fhileanta sa Ghàidhlig.

Funding Details and Eligibility / Fiosrachadh mu Mhaoineachadh agus mu Fhreagarrachd

Funded through the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Collaborative Doctoral Award (CDA). The CDA scheme sits within the Scottish Graduate Schools for Arts & Humanities Doctoral Training Programme. 

The 3½ year studentship covers:

• Tuition fees each year – Home (UK) fee rate.
• Annual stipend of around £18,500 per annum (for full-time study).
• Funding for research training.
• Part-time study is an option, with a minimum of 50% of full-time effort being required.
• Study by distance is not available – funding conditions require the candidate to live within a reasonable travel time of their HEI or collaborative organisation.
• The successful candidate will also be required to spend 6–18 months at the collaborative organisation, in the Outer Hebrides.

This studentship is open to UK and non-UK applicants, but fee costs are covered at Home UK fee rate only, although there may be funding available to cover the full international tuition fee and this will be discussed at interview. If funds are not available, the candidate would need to be able to meet the difference between Home UK and international fee rates each year. 2023/24 fee information is available on our website. 

To be classed as a Home (UK) student, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or
• Have settled status, or
• Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
• Have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an international student.

Maoinichte tro Duais Dhotaireil Cho-obrachail (CDA) an AHRC, tha an sgeama CDA seo am broinn Prògram-trèanaidh Dhotaireil Sgoiltean Iar-cheumnach na h-Alba airson Ealain agus Dhaonnachdan.  

Mairidh an t-oileanachas 3½ bliadhna, ’s e a’ toirt a-steach: 

• Cìsean-teagaisg gach bliadhna – a-rèir cìsean na RA (cìsean dachaigh).
• Dligheadh bliadhnail mu thimcheall £18,500 gach bliadhna (airson sgrùdadh làn-ùine).
• Maoineachadh airson trèanadh-rannsachaidh.
• Faodar roghainn sgrùdadh pàirt-ùine a ghabhail, ’s e a’ feumachdainn 50% den obair làn-ùine air a’ char as lugha.
• Cha ghabh sgrùdadh aig astar a dhèanamh – tha na feumalachdan-maoineachaidh ag iarraidh gum fuirich an t-oileanach taobh a-staigh astar-siubhail reusanta bhon HEI aca, no bhon bhuidheann cho-obrachail.
• Feumaidh an t-oileanach soirbheachail 6–18 mìosan a chur seachad cuideachd aig a’ bhuidheann cho-obrachail anns na h-Eileanan Siar. 

Tha an t-oileanachas seo fosgailte do luchd-tagraidh bhon RA agus taobh a-muigh na RA, ach thèid cosgaisean nan cìsean a chòmhdachadh aig ìre cìsean dachaigheil na RA a-mhàin. Dh’fhaodadh gum bi maoineachadh ri fhaighinn gus a’ chìs-teagaisg eadar-nàiseanta gu lèir a chòmhdachadh: dheidheadh bruidhinn mun seo aig an agallamh. Mur a h-eil maoineachadh ri fhaighinn, dh’fheumadh an t-oileanach dèiligeadh ris an diofar eadar ìrean-maoineachaidh dachaigheil na RA agus ìrean-maoineachaidh eadar-nàiseanta gach bliadhna. Chithear fiosrachadh mu chìsean 2023/24 air an làraich-lìn againn.  

Gus a bhith na oileanach Dachaigheil (RA), feumar na slatan-tomhais a leanas a ruigsinn: 

• A bhith na shaoranach Nàiseanta RA (a’ freagairt fheumalachdan-fuirich), air neo
• A bhith le ìre shocraichte, air neo
• A bhith le ìre ro-shocraichte (a’ freagairt fheumalachdan-fuirich), air neo
• A bhith le cead-fuirich no a thighinn a-steach gun chrìoch.

Mur a h-eil an t-oileanach a’ coilionadh nan slatan-tomhais ud, dheidheadh beachdachadh orra mar oileanach eadar-nàiseanta.

How to Apply / Mar a nì thu tagradh

Applicants should submit a CV plus a (maximum) 2-page letter outlining why they are interested in – and what they would bring to - this project. Please submit your application in English and send to: iain.robertson@uhi.ac.uk and alison.macwilliam@uhi.ac.uk

Please note that the application deadline is Friday 30 June 2023, 5pm BST.

Feumaidh luchd-tagraidh CV a chur a-steach, le litir dhà-dhuilleig (air a’ char as fhaide), ag innse carson a tha ùidh aca sa phròiseact, agus gu dè bheireadh iad dhan phròiseact. Nach cuir sibh do thagradh, anns a’ Bheurla, a dh’ionnsaigh: iain.robertson@uhi.ac.uk agus alison.macwilliam@uhi.ac.uk.

Thoir an aire gur e Dihaoine 30 Ògmhios 2023, 5f BST, ceann-latha an tagraidh.

More Information / Barrachd Fiosrachaidh

Informal enquiries about the project are welcome – iain.robertson@uhi.ac.uk or ds.smo@uhi.ac.uk

General queries about the application process - gradresearch@uhi.ac.uk

You can learn more about Research at UHI by visiting our website.

Bhiodh fàilte ro cheistean mì-fhoirmeil mun phròiseact: iain.robertson@uhi.ac.uk neo ds.smo@uhi.ac.uk.

Ceistean farsaing mu phròiseas an tagraidh: gradresearch@uhi.ac.uk.

Ionnsaichidh tu barrachd mu Rannsachadh aig OGE le bhith a’ tadhal air an làraich-lìn againn.