Digital Heritage Projects
The UHI North, West and Hebrides Archaeology team specialises in digital heritage, exploring innovative ways to integrate digital techniques into heritage interpretation
The flagship project, the Uist Virtual Archaeology Project, was delivered by UHI North, West and Hebrides Archaeology staff, in partnership with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.
Uist Virtual Archaeology Project
Project Team
The award-winning project was led by Dr Emily Gal and Dr Rebecca Rennell, UHI North, West and Hebrides Archaeological staff, working with digital design team Peel Interactive.
The teams worked together with schools and other community groups to create realistic and immersive augmented reality reconstructions at five archaeological sites . The first site to be reconstructed and animated in 3D were the Bronze Age roundhouses and mummified remains at Cladh Hallan, South Uist which date to around 1500 BC. The reconstructions allow visitors to explore these sites, peel back layers and gain valuable interpretive insight that has never been possible before.
The Uist Unearthed app has been downloaded over 7800 times since launching in 2021. More widely the project has helped support a growth in visitor numbers to archaeological sites across the Outer Hebrides. Overall, the project directly engaged more than 11,000 people in Uist’s archaeology, through the app, exhibitions, engagement activities and pop-up events.
In 2022, the project's groundbreaking contributions to heritage interpretation were recognised and commended by the Council for Archaeology at the Archaeological Achievement Awards. The Uist Virtual Archaeology Project won in three categories: Public Dissemination, Archaeological Innovation, and the overall Outstanding Archaeological Achievement Award.
Support
The Uist Virtual Archaeology Project was supported by the Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund, a new programme of projects which will invest almost £9 million in the Highlands and Islands to provide more and better-quality opportunities for visitors to enjoy natural and cultural heritage assets. The Fund was led by NatureScot and was part-funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Alongside the Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund, the Uist Virtual Archaeology Project has also received funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Crown Estate Ward Funds, Stòras Uibhist, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and UHI North, West and Hebrides giving the project a total value of over £400,000.
To find out more about the project, please follow the dedicated project pages:
Download the app
Coming soon...
More recently, the Archaeology team have been working to develop a new project, which will see the creation of innovative digital heritage interpretation at six archaeological sites across Barra and Harris. This project will build on learnings and experience from previous digital interpretation work in Uist, and to continue developing interpretation embedded in the rich archaeological landscapes of the Outer Hebrides.