Our place. Our library. Our shared memory.
Ar n Àite is the digital heritage site of the Western Isles Library Service.
Libraries have always been places where stories are shared, not only through books but through photographs, maps, pamphlets, and local publications. Ar n Àite extends this role into the digital space, allowing people to explore these materials in new ways while keeping them rooted in the library context from which they come.
It brings together selected historical materials held within our libraries to tell small‑scale, place‑based stories from across the islands. These are materials readers can encounter in their local library, here shared more widely to support access, curiosity, and connection.
Ar n Àite compliments collections held elsewhere by offering a public window into the library’s own holdings, celebrating the everyday print culture, language, and images through which island life has been recorded and remembered.
At its heart, Ar n Àite is about:
- Place – the villages, islands, and landscapes we know
- Language – particularly Gaelic as a living and literary language
- Readers – past and present, and the meanings they bring to the material
A shared space for island stories
Ar n Àite is designed as a sustainable platform for collaboration between writers, readers, and partner organisations. By situating new creative responses alongside historic library materials, the site helps place contemporary island writing within a longer reading history.
You can browse our collections or explore using the search bar on the Home or Search page.
Background
Ar n Àite is a local history project run by the Western Isles Library Service. Our aim is to create a unique local history archive by digitising and sharing materials that reflect the culture of the Outer Hebrides.
Most of the material comes from our own archives but items have also been contributed by local partners and individuals.
The Western Isles Library Service team will continue to add further materials, and we welcome enquiries from users. Please use the Contact page to get in touch.