Key Information
Register:
NationalYear of Inscription:
2014Type of Heritage:
CollectionNominating Institution:
University of Edinburgh Library
The Carmichael Watson Collection: A Celtic Collector’s Folklore Odyssey
The Carmichael Watson collection in Edinburgh University Library, centred on the voluminous papers of the pioneering folklorist Alexander Carmichael (1832–1912) is, in terms of extent, scope, quality, diversity, and detail, one of the most significant collections of its kind in the world.
His field notes alone, comprising half a million words, are a treasure-trove offering unparalleled insights into an ancient, extraordinarily rich and diverse oral culture and collective memory now critically endangered as a result of the great historical transformations of the twentieth century.
