Based in Inverness with a North Highland branch in Wick, Highland Council Archive is responsible for locating, preserving and making accessible documents relating to all aspects of the history of the geographical area of the Highland Council. The Archive Service has a key role in enabling the Council to fulfil its statutory duty to make proper arrangements for the preservation and management of its own records, those of its predecessors, and other records which have been placed in its care.

Archives are the records of official bodies, companies, societies and individuals which have been identified as being worthy of permanent preservation. Because they form a unique record of our past, archives need to be preserved in secure and environmentally controlled conditions.

The Highland Council Archive holds documents dating from the 15th century to the present day, including official archives and privately-owned records. The majority of them can be consulted in its searchrooms for a wide variety of purposes, including local and family history.

The Highland Council Archive holds the records for the former counties of Sutherland, Ross and Cromarty, Inverness-shire and Nairnshire dating from 1890 and the 11 burghs within those counties, the earliest of which dates from 1455. Holdings include Local authority archives, School and Education Records, Poor Relief Records, Valuation Rolls, Estate and Family Archives, Business and Solicitors Records, Records of Societies and Associations, Maps and Plans, including full set of 2nd edition Ordnance Survey sheets, c 1899-1905, Sasine Registers, Will registers, Harbour and Turnpike Trusts, Shipping Registers, and Tartan Archive.

Established in 1995 at Wick Library, the North Highland Archive provides an archive service for the Caithness area and holds a range of records relating to Caithness. As a branch of The Highland Council Archive Service, it is responsible for locating, preserving and making locally accessible documents and other records relating to the history of Caithness.

The Highland Council Archive is currently in the process of establishing an area archive centre in Lochaber. As a branch of The Highland Council Archive Service, the Lochaber Area Archive will be responsible for locating, preserving and making locally accessible documents and other records relating to the history of Lochaber. The Lochaber Area Archive will be located within Lochaber College (http://www.lochabercollege.co.uk/) in Fort William.

The Highland Council Archive welcomes the donation of archives from individuals and organisations. Documents may also be deposited on indefinite loan, in order that they may be made available to the public, whilst ownership is retained by the depositor

The Highland Council Archive offers the following services to owners of records: (i) documents will be preserved in acid-free materials and stored in secure conditions; (ii) minor repairs and preservation work will be undertaken where possible; (iii) closure periods to ensure confidentiality of sensitive material and copying restrictions can be arranged. Archive material can be: of any age, from several centuries old to something that was created yesterday; one document or hundreds of boxes of documents; in any format – paper, parchment, notebooks, bound volumes, maps, photographs, video, digital files. Surveys of records, whether held by Council officials or private owners are undertaken. Archive staff will provide professional advice on the preservation and conservation of archival collections.

Exhibitions of archival material can be arranged at appropriate venues, and members of staff are available to give talks at external venues on the work of the Archive Service, and related subjects.

The Highland Council Archive is responsible for advising Highland Council Services on the management of their records and offering assistance as to their care and storage.

See also Dornoch Digital Archive