Scotland

Kilchurn Castle at sunrise by MHoser - image CC BY-SA 4.0.

S e Wikimedia carthannas nàiseanta na Rìoghachd Aonaichte a tha airson brosnachadh na gluaiseachd cruinneil airson fhiosrachaidh fosgailte. Ann an Alba, obraichidh sinn le pàirtichean de dh’iomadh seòrsa airson luchd-amhairc cruinneil a thoirt dhan dualchas cultarach beart againn, agus airson comasan na litearras didseatach a leasachadh

Cropped Aberdeen panorama, by Alan Jamieson. CC BY-SA 3.0

Wikimedia UK works with a wide variety of partners in Scotland to give our rich cultural heritage a global audience through engagement with the Wikimedia Projects such as Wikipedia. We also work in partnership with the education sector to improve digital literacy skills, with a particular focus on information and data literacy.

Grayfriars by Grant McIntosh. CC BY-SA 4.0

Wikimedia UK is the national charity for the roon-the-warld Wikimedia apen knawledge muivement. In Scotland, we wark we a richt braid boorach o pairtner tae gie oor rich cultural heirskip a warld-wide audience, and tae heist up digital leeteracy kennin an skills.

Scotland Programme Coordinator

In 2018, Wikimedia UK hired a Programme Coordinator for Scotland, to reflect the growing demand for Wikimedia engagement in the country. With a remit to maintain and develop our partnerships and volunteer base in Scotland, Dr Sara Thomas supports our Scottish community including individuals and groups, Wikimedians in Residence, volunteer trainers, and the cultural and education sectors.

classroom, painting — The Geography Lesson or "The Black Spot" by Albert Bettannier. CC0

Wikimedians in Residence

Scotland has been host to six Residencies, and currently hosts two - Ewan McAndrew at the University of Edinburgh, and Dr Doug Rocks-Macqueen at the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Each Residency is unique, but bound by a common thread: to work as a bridge between the institution(s) and the Wikimedia community.

Greyfriars Church detail — Greyfriars Church. Brian Madill CC BY-SA 4.0

Partnership projects

Wikimedia UK engages with a range of different organisations across Scotland in a varied programme of partnership projects. These include Cultural and Heritage organisations, as well as Universities, Charities, and Community groups. We are particularly interested in reaching those communities and organisations outwith the Central Belt, those working in Scots and Gaelic, and those whose knowledge and voices are left out by structures of power and privilege.

coronation, queen, victorian, painting, sacrament — Queen Victoria Receiving the Sacrament at her Coronation by Charles Robert Leslie. CC0

Volunteers and community

Volunteers are at the heart of the Wikimedia projects, as a community-driven enterprise. In Scotland, we work to support a number of individuals and groups of volunteers engaging with open knowledge in general and the Wikimedia projects in particular.

Illustration to Robert Burns' poem Halloween by J.M. Wright and Edward Scriven.CC0

January Scots writing drive

14.01.2022
Katie Crampton

By Dr Sara Thomas, Scotland Programme Coordinator at Wikimedia UK Over the last 18 months we’ve been working with the … Continue reading “January Scots writing drive”

Towards a National Collection

21.09.2021
Katie Crampton

TOWARDS A NATIONAL COLLECTION: WIKIMEDIA UK AND PARTNERS WORKING TOWARDS INCREASED AND DIVERSIFIED ENGAGEMENT £14.5m awarded to transform online exploration … Continue reading “Towards a National Collection”

Thian Portrait of the artist Miss Harriet Carr

Virtual Volunteering with the National Galleries of Scotland

20.07.2021
Katie Crampton

Over the course of lockdown in Scotland, we’ve seen a variety of responses to the conditions of the pandemic reflected … Continue reading “Virtual Volunteering with the National Galleries of Scotland”

Women EmpowerED: Wikipedia Editathon

03.03.2021
Katie Crampton
- Academia
- Diversity
- Education
- Events
- Gender gap
- Higher Education
- Scotland

By Sarah Lappin, final year computer science and artificial intelligence student at the University of Edinburgh, and President for Edinburgh … Continue reading “Women EmpowerED: Wikipedia Editathon”

“Figure for Use at Drinking Parties”, Folio from a Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by al-Jazari. CC0 1.0.

Editing Wikipedia: Stars, robots and talismans honours course

15.12.2020
Katie Crampton

By Glaire Anderson, Senior Lecturer in Islamic Art at the University of Edinburgh. I have steered my students away from Wikipedia … Continue reading “Editing Wikipedia: Stars, robots and talismans honours course”

Happy Birthday Wikidata!

31.10.2020
Katie Crampton

It’s Wikidata’s 8th birthday today, and we’re incredibly proud of Wikipedia’s lesser known little sister. Twenty years ago an incredible … Continue reading “Happy Birthday Wikidata!”