Public engagement project
Scotland’s Rivers and Hydro Schemes: The McClean and Berry Archives
This cataloguing project focusses on the archives of Captain William McClean and Dr John Berry, who have both had an enduring influence on the use of water in Scotland.
Active
October 2023
The McClean Hydrometric archive and the papers of ecologist John Berry are two of our collections linked by their unique and internationally significant importance to the history of Scotland’s water resources. The McClean archive contains the records of Captain William McClean, a pioneer in the development of systematic river flow measurements. His river gauging activity became standard practice across the UK and was influential in establishing a national water survey. Comprising some of the earliest data of its kind in the UK, it is an invaluable resource for understanding climate change and its impact.
Dr John Berry was an ecologist and biologist, becoming an advisor to the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board during the post-war years as they planned and constructed the major hydropower schemes across the Highlands. His notes and observations reveal much about the Highland environment in the last century and provide unique comparative data for research into the impact of the hydro schemes and climate change.
These two collections will be catalogued as part of a project funded by the National Archives through an Archives Revealed Cataloguing Grant. The project will run until 2025.