The 19th century Napier Report, one of Scotland’s most important records of Highland life and times, has now entered the electronic age in a project undertaken by one of the more remote UHI Millennium Institute learning centres.

Jane Henderson, Mallaig Learning Centre manager, took on the task of putting the report online as a contribution towards Highland Year of Culture 2007.

For the first time, researchers and historians, and anyone interested in the political, and social climate of the time, can use the internet to access the Napier Commission’s report into the lives of crofters and cottars in the Highlands and Islands in the late 1880s.

The report’s four volumes and appendices went live on www.highland-elibrary.com last week, and the site has already attracted more than 500 hits.

The Napier report is often described as Scotland’s Domesday Book, the 1086 record of life in England. Lord Francis Napier was appointed by William Gladstone’s government to head The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Condition of Crofters and Cottars in the Highlands and Islands. It was a response to demonstrations against excessively high rents, lack of security of tenure on land that had been in families for generations, and the forced evictions of crofters.

The commissioners’ travelled around the region and set up courts to gather first-hand evidence from crofters, landlords and others who were familiar with the plight of the indigenous population. The final report was published in 1884 and led to the 1886 Crofters’ Holding Act.

Jane’s interest in the subject was born when she did her degree in the culture of the Highlands and Islands with UHI, the network of colleges and research centres throughout the region. Mallaig Learning Centre is part of Lochaber College UHI, one of the UHI academic partners.

With the help of Mark MacLean, IT support officer at Mallaig, and Fraser Grigor, chair of the Mallaig Learning Centre steering group, Jane set to work last year. She had a budget of £5,000 including a HYOC grant and a contribution from the Crofters Commission.

She is now applying for lottery funding to run a “Romance and Reality” travelling exhibition, based at Lochaber College UHI, to tell the story of the Napier Commission and the life and times of the era.

“This was a time when people were dying of starvation and there was forced emigration. Landowners were buying vast tracts of the Highlands and turning them into shooting estates, living a romantic version of Highland life,” Jane explained.

“The Napier Report is one of the nation’s most important historical records and it is important that it should be accessible online. It has been a time-consuming project, but hugely rewarding. The online report will be a great learning tool for anyone interested in the history of the period.

“And this could just be a beginning. We hope to add to the site in the future with other important historical documents.” Dr Iain Morrison, UHI head of lifelong learning, said: "This project is another exciting development at Mallaig Learning Centre, driven by people who are passionate about the community and region to which they belong. The 113 learning centres across the Highlands and Islands are all about creating innovative ways to increase opportunities for learning and this resource will prove invaluable for those with an interest in a significant part of our collective history."