North Yell Culture and Heritage Group SCIO

The North Yell Culture and Heritage Group SCIO was established in 2026.

The aims of NYCHG are:

to advance heritage and culture in North Yell, in particular by identifying, recording and maintaining built heritage sites with the aim to preserve and make these locations accessible to the local community and visitors in the area;
to provide and maintain a hub for the collection, storage and educational use of public cultural and heritage records and materials relating to North Yell and the people of the area, and in particular to support research on said records and materials by facilitating access to members of the community and visitors to the area; and
to promote such similar charitable purposes, objects or institutions in such proportions and manner as the Trustees think fit.

Nort Yell Development Cooncil (NYDC) an da Nort Yell Culture an Heritage Group (NYCHG) embark on twa new Cultural Heritage Projects

12 March 2026

NYDC is pairtnered wi da newly established SCIO NYCHG tae undertak twa new cultural heritage projects in Nort Yell.

Da first een, “Savin wir midder tongue” is pairt funded bi Museums an Galleries Scotland, wi match fundin fae NYDC. Lairnin fir Sustainability Scotland, Scotland’s UN University-recognised Regional Centre o Expertise on Education fir Sustainable Development, ir a project pairtner wirkin wi dem inaa. Da focus o da “Savin wir midder tongue” project is tae sustain da oral traditions, expressions an language o da community o Nort Yell. A very timely project, wi Shaetlan hivin juist been recognised as a language in its ain right laet last year. Da project will include baith da local community an its diaspora (fok wha hiv spread ir been dispersed fae dir hameland).

Da second een, “Listenin tae Nort Sea Communities” is funded troo da COAST-R Network. Da focus o dis project is tae capture da soonds o da environment o Nort Yell. Project pairtners fir dis is da University o Aiberdeen an da community o Greyhope Bay.

Baith o dis projects will focus on celebratin an recordin da vibrant intangible cultural heritage o Nort Yell through language an dialect, livin traditions, knowledge, oral traditions an music, as weel as da environment an landscape.

NYDC Director Michael Henderson said “hit’s been a priority o wirs tae keep livin da cultur an traditions o Nort Yell, an wir owerly blyde tae be wirkin wi dis noo.”

Ower da coorse o da projects da groups ir plannin tae record a number o roond table conversations on topics lik fishin an boat-biggin, makkin, Up Helly Aa, croftin an idder aspects o life in Nort Yell dat will become podcasts. ‘Capturin dis voices is essential,’ says Barry Nisbet, Chair o da NYCHG, ‘wir community members hadd a treasure o stories, heritage an history an wir aafil excited tae be able tae share an record as muckle as possible.’

Sonic postcards - a snapshot o recorded soond tae illustrate an aspect o life or da environment in Nort Yell, will be created an traded wi Greyhope Bay.

Da projects ir set ta keek aff on March 27^th at 7pm wi da Soonds o Nort Yell club room night at da Cullivoe Hall, a chance ta hae ‘a dram, some sangs, a scar o tottie soup an a fine yarn’. Den dey will culminate in September wi an event dat celebrates da wark o da projects an will encourage eens fae aa ower da wirld tae join da Nort Yell diaspora online. Dis’ll be held at da Sellafirth Community Hub, dat will o juist been refurbished. Pairt o dis facility will hoose a new digital heritage unit.

Mair information aboot da heritage projects an aa da wark NYDC does can be funn online at northyell.co.uk or on NYDCs Facebook page.

If you require ony additional information aboot dis twa new projects, an/or wish tae participate, please contact office@Nortyell.co.uk

North Yell Development Council (NYDC) and the North Yell Culture and Heritage Group (NYCHG) embark on two new Cultural Heritage Projects

12 March 2026

NYDC have partnered with the newly established SCIO NYCHG, to undertake two cultural heritage projects in North Yell.

The first, “Savin wir midder tongue” is part funded by Museums and Galleries Scotland, with match funding from NYDC. Learning for Sustainability Scotland, Scotland’s UN University-recognised Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development, are also a project partner. The focus of this project is to sustain the oral traditions, expressions, and language of the community of North Yell. This is very timely given that Shaetlan was recognised as a language in its own right late last year. The project will include both the local community and its diaspora (people who have spread or been dispersed from their homeland).

The second, “Listening to North Sea Communities” is funded through the COAST-R Network. The focus of this project is to capture the sounds of the environment of North Yell. Project partners for this are the University of Aberdeen and the community of Greyhope Bay.

Both projects will focus on celebrating and recording the vibrant intangible cultural heritage of North Yell through language and dialect, living traditions, knowledge, oral traditions and music and the environment and landscape.

NYDC Director Michael Henderson said “it’s been a priority of ours to keep the culture and traditions of North Yell alive and we are excited to be working with this now”

Over the course of the projects the groups plan to record a number of round table conversations on topics such as fishing and boat building, makkin, Up Helly Aa, crofting and other aspects of life in North Yell that will become podcasts. ‘Capturing these voices is essential-‘says Barry Nisbet, Chair of the NYCHG, ‘our community members hold a treasure of stories, heritage and history and we’re very excited to be able to share and record as much as possible.’

Sonic postcards - a snapshot of recorded sound to illustrate an aspect of life or the environment in North Yell, will be created and traded with Greyhope Bay.

The projects kick off on March 27^th at 7pm with the Sounds of North Yell club room night at the Cullivoe Hall, a chance to have ‘a dram, some sangs, a scar o tottie soup and a fine yarn’.

The project will culminate in September with an event to celebrate the work of the projects and will encourage attendees online from the diaspora of North Yell all over the world. This will be held at the Sellafirth Community Hub, which is currently being refurbished. Part of this facility will house a digital heritage unit.

More information about the heritage projects and all the work NYDC do can be found online at northyell.co.uk or on NYDCs Facebook page.

If you require additional information about either of these projects, and/or wish to participate please contact office@northyell.co.uk

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