Corporate report

Dounreay heritage annual report 2018 to 2019

Updated 17 May 2022

Dounreay heritage strategy

The Dounreay Heritage Strategy was published in 2010 and is managed by the DSRL heritage officer with advice from a panel of external experts from Historic Environment Scotland (HES), National Museums Scotland (NMS), Highlife Highland (HLH) and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The Heritage Advisory Panel held its ninth meeting on 26 March 2019 in Nucleus: The Nuclear and Caithness Archives.

In February 2019, the Caithness Horizons Board took the decision to close the facility due to a number of reasons. Representatives from HES and NMS have offered to provide practical advice and guidance to the Caithness Horizons Board or the Highland Council, about issues relating to managing a museum. It is hoped that the facility will re-open under new management.

Key Activities for 2018/19

Collection of objects

• 37 objects were collected throughout the year;
• Photomultiplier electron tube
• Boron carbide pellets
• PFR demountable sub assembly spares
• Site emergency alarm button from DFR control room
• DFR postcard
• Formal card invites from Dounreay Director for DFR and PFR ceremonies
• Three authorised appointment cards for shift manager roles
• Various letters to G Blagden from 1950s and 1960s
• 1983 UKAEA nuclear safety course – programme of visits and lectures
• Attendance certificate for advanced reactor technology course
• Dounreay pen
• Two UKAEA key rings
• UKAEA screwdriver set
• Crane driver’s certificate dated 1981
• Caithness Glass bowl on wooden plinth for UKAEA winners of “Leaders in innovation” in 2005
• 2018 NDA mug
• Metal pin badge with DFR silhouette and “UKAEA Dounreay”
• UKAEA eraser
• Flexi armband
• DFR postcard dated 1962
• Densitometer for TLD film
• 20 finger thermoluminescent dosemeters (TLDs)
• TLD “chips” and glass annealing plate
• Two yellow plastic TLD badges
• Two brass TLD powder sieves
• Dosimetry services reference handbook - dated March 1999
• UKAEA house rent cards for 1975/76 and 1976/77
• House rent agreement
• Dounreay House Owners Association constitution
• ROC mug featuring ROC and Dounreay logos
• Johnson Controls coaster for advertising the Dounreay helpdesk
• Craft Apprentice signed competency certificate for electricity – dated 1977
• UKAEA Dounreay booklet “Design office abbreviations, symbols and statements”
• Industrial superannuation scheme booklet - dated 1973
• UKAEA clear plastic ruler which incorporates a sliding jigsaw puzzle about learning
• Leather wallet containing electrical safety rules dated 1999
• UKAEA wallet with inserts for small information cards

The closure of Caithness Horizons Museum in February 2019 means that there is no local display of Dounreay objects. The Highland Council is now responsible for the collections in the museum.

Recording history

A process to capture the memories of those leaving the site is in place and nineteen forms were completed and returned. The form has 5 questions.

Other activities

Knowledge sharing presentations

James Gunn, Heritage Officer, gave a presentation at the international industrial heritage conference held in Wick on 23 June 2018, entitled; “Dounreay: past, present and future”. It was jointly organised by Historic Environment Scotland, the Scottish Vernacular Buildings Working Group and the Scottish Industrial Heritage Society. Fifty attendees came from the UK and Japan.

James also gave a presentation at the Kingston University London, to the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) research network “Nuclear cultural heritage: From knowledge to practice”. The international seminar had 36 attendees from the UK, Russia, USA and Lithuania.

James took part in the 2019 Caithness International Science Festival by giving a public talk about the early years of Dounreay. It was held at Nucleus: The Nuclear and Caithness Archives and was attended by 40 people. V&A Dundee Museum of Design

The V&A Dundee museum opened on 15 September 2018 and various representatives from Dounreay were invited and attended the preview day. The museum features a model of the DFR sphere, which is on loan from Caithness Horizons and initially also featured work by four Dounreay apprentices who created a travel app called “Wilderness” as part of a country-wide design relay project for the V&A. The museum expects over 500,000 visitors in the first year.

The sphere also features in a book entitled ”The story of Scottish design” edited by Philip Long & Joanna Norman, printed by Thames & Hudson. There is a photo and a drawing of the sphere.

Film

Natalie Cubides-Brady, a film studies student, undertook filming at Dounreay and Caithness throughout 2018 as part of her studies. Entitled; “Beyond the north winds: A post nuclear reverie” it is due to be screened at a film festival in Switzerland in April 2019. Other international film festivals are being approached, including Edinburgh.

The film cannot be viewed until after various festival screenings take place, otherwise it will be disqualified. J Gunn and A MacConnell feature in the 25 minute film, which has a different approach to the usual Dounreay films.

Research studies

The University of the Highlands and Islands has two on-going doctoral studies that cover Dounreay and the nuclear industry. The thesis titles are:

“The Dounreay Nuclear Establishment and its impact on the Northern Highlands of Scotland”. This study will be finished in Summer 2019.

“Archiving a nuclear past: exploring the nuclear energy industry and its community impact in Britain.” Strategy

The NDA is intending to publish a national heritage strategy covering all its sites and it will be based on the learning experiences of the Dounreay heritage strategy.

James Gunn
Heritage Officer
Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd
e-mail: heritage@dounreay.com

20 May 2019