Scottish heritage film archive

About Carney Heritage Productions

We are the producers of this new authentic Scottish heritage digital film archive from 1890s to the present day

Scottish Heritage on Film

About & history

Our philosophy seeks to harness our rich Scottish heritage. We cater for all those who are proud of their Scottish ancestral past. Our unique validated footage already meets the requirements within education, research, and personal family history enrichment. We have just launched our library of clips within the health care sector. Providing a new and unique digital dementia reminiscence therapy accessible 24/7. In providing this we enrich peoples life, health and wellbeing.

In a period of 34 years we have recorded over 530 hours of Scottish heritage on digital film. We have featured 4,340 different ordinary people telling their story about their past THIER way. We do not use actors but feature people who can tell the authentic Scottish heritage stories. The story of the ordinary Scottish people have been mostly forgotten by history and historians. We want to give them their voice within Scotland’s heritage story.

Knowing more about our past develops a stronger sense of cultural pride which connects people together.

Our vision is to celebrate who we are through the storytelling of our Scottish ancestor’s authentic past life and work. History has a way of being selective in what it presents to us. From our unique story telling of the past lessons can be learned about the present and future. We want to allow all those with Scottish ancestors to get to know their ancestors way of life and work just a wee bit better. Researchers of world ethnology will find new resources available to them to ponder and use.

Carney Heritage Productions

From then to now

Project started

I identifying that our Scottish ancestors past heritage had been almost totally ignored in the past. That motivated me to capture the backstory of my own rural Aberdeenshire ancestors. This focus on my own Aberdeenshire Scottish ancestors also reflected the ancestral past of many other parts of Scotland. My authentic work turned out to have international appeal and diverse interest and use in today’s societies. It all started because I was culturally proud of my ancestors and I wanted to find out more about them by allowing them to tell their story their way.

1989

The story of the ordinary person

After we had recorded about 100 hours of footage we realised that nothing like this had ever been recorded before. What we had recorded was a vital part of Scottish history not told by historians but told by the real experts our ancestors telling it as it was. The camera did not dominate what we did, but it was the people who were the most important criteria, We have captured a time period from the late 1800s to the present day. I have delivered talks about what we were doing to thousands of people all keen to find out more about who they really are.

1992

Better editing and recording systems

Because of demand for our first video we updated our reel to reel editing facilities and bought our own VHS camera in 1996. From that time onwards we realised that in order to make our unique footage available on a world stage we had to utilise state of the art technologies in filming, editing, archiving and presenting our work. We prioritised spending the little profit we gained from selling videos and DVDs on contemporary technologies.

1996

Technology update and step change

Modern digital cameras were bought over time. Another five topic videos and DVDs were produced and these were sold in our e commerce shop to thirteen countries. This endorsed our initial belief that people with Scottish ancestry are like me proud of their ancestral past. This was all done on a part time basis and was funded by myself. During the day I was a lecturer in hospitality, tourism and heritage management at The Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. By this time I had presented many academic papers at conferences nationally and internationally. I also had been playing guitar in a band since the 1970s. Today in 2025 I am still playing and entertaining folk.

1999

Dr doric a world first

In 2003 I was awarded a PhD by public output. This was for the work I was doing in recording our Scottish culture. I was the first academic to feature the Doric which is a dialect of the Scots language. Doric was my first language. This highest academic qualification also showed the traditional academics that the ordinary person is important within higher education and Scottish society. I can tell you that many traditional academics still look down their noses at the status of the ordinary persons story and their language. They don't know the power of cultural pride. The traditionalists have let the ordinary person down for decades by not telling their story as an important part of oor Scottish heritage and history.

2003

National and international trading was normal for us

We had now produced and released 6 topic films now all in DVD format. By this time through business sponsorship we had been supplying Historic Environment Scotland with validated educational resources which they made available to every Scottish school through their educational portal. We have continued to do this for twenty years. All these milestones are impressive and again shows the power of the ordinary persons past story within todays diverse social needs. It is not just me celebrating our cultural past but thousands of other people around the world. Their response to our work has been very satisfying.

2005

Full time work within the archive

The archive kept growing each year and following my retirement in 2008 I have worked full time on the project. We are always trying to secure sponsorship which is very difficult to do. So if you share my pride in our Scottish ancestors or know a business with strong Scottish connections then get in touch about sponsoring opportunities for this unique project. We started also to develop our offer to local businesses to record their story on film. This proved successful and was an income generator for the company. This helped to keep the project alive financially. Creating an archive is 100% cost based. That is why no other organisation is producing new material about our rich heritage. The ordinary persons story about their life, work and contribution and their role in making us what we are today is a story worth telling.

2008

Change yet again caught up with us

DVDs by 2018 were no longer an acceptable consumer commodity or profitable concept. As a result we stopped producing and selling our titles. This stopped all income generation for us. Like any business the pandemic in 2020 had serious implications for us. We stopped filming during this time and I perfected our clip data base and had time to sort out all my files. I had to consider how I could fund the project as my personal capacity to continue funding after 34 years was something our family could not afford.

2019

My dementia story

Over the years of our Scottish heritage business we have had different types of feedback. This has been from local people, national people and international people. Some of that feedback came from people who had family members who had dementia. They told us how our clips brought their loved ones out of their dementia condition for periods of time. The DVDs took them back in time to a period they could remember and associate with. I am also an entertainer and I do musical therapy for different dementia and Alzheimer groups. I also do presentations about the past to some of these groups. Staff and professionals in dementia care all agreed that our stories about the past had a positive impact for people with dementia and alzheimer's. From that point we started to develop clips produced to meet the requirements of people living with dementia and their carers. The clips can also provide badly required respite for the carer,

2021

Digital downloads for our heritage customers and people living with dementia

Today in 2025 we have just launched our customised digital downloads called “A picture house of my past memories” for people living with alzheimer's and dementia and their carers. There are fourteen different topic related clips within our first phase. We have also launched our collection of sixteen digital download clips for our Scottish heritage customers. This is called "Get to know your Scottish ancestors a bit better". We hope these new clips and provision will satisfy the needs of world audiences for our unique Scottish heritage films and our reminiscence therapy for dementia and alzheimer's care..

2025

Our new suite of unique Scottish heritage digital downloads

Get to know your Scottish ancestors better through our new suite of unique Scottish heritage digital downloads which shows you how YOUR Scottish ancestors lived and worked. They will bring you closer to YOUR past and enable you to walk in your ancestors footsteps. This authentic Scottish heritage film archive with over 530 hours of footage all digitised is complemented by our stills archive with over ten thousand stills started in the 1980s. It has a reputation for unique storytelling about Scotland’s rich heritage. Clips through business sponsorship have been made available to every Scottish schools as validated educational resources for the past twenty years. This has been through a partnership with Historic Environment Scotland. Content from the archive has featured in national and international tv programmes. All these users give our archive brand a significant reputation.

Our latest collection of digital clips are available as digital downloads from our SHOP. Carney Heritage Productions digital downloads come in various lengths and have various price point. They will also offer a choice of theme/ topic which will help you to get to know more about your ancestors. The legacy our ancestor left us is such a valuable asset. Their achievements are showcased in these authentic clips featuring ordinary people telling their story their way about their past. Showing how life and work actually happened.

Ordinary rural people telling their story their way

Satisfying diverse contemporary requirements

Our unique archive clips are used by visitor attractions helping to tell their story and offering visitors choice that brings their dated static exhibits to life. Family historians source our clips to bring the dynamic of film to their family tree. We have retailed topic footage to thirteen countries world wide. Our clips also feature in world leading archive houses. Further and higher education also use our footage as research resources for their courses. Don Carney has presented many academic papers nationally and internationally about this unique Scottish heritage film archive. So the ordinary persons story is making a significant contribution and impact to present users. The utility of our digitised clips has a bright and exciting outlook for future generations of people interested in and who have Scottish ancestry in their blood.

Our Scottish heritage film and stills archive- an authentic account of our Scottish past

Our Scottish heritage film and stills archive is a unique collection of digitised heritage footage and stills all linked to a searchable computer data base. The material captures the cultural identity of the ordinary man and woman’s account of his/her life and work from 1890s -today in Scotland. The digital Scottish heritage clips allows you to connect with, and enables you to walk in the footsteps of your Scottish ancestors. This heritage archive by Carney Heritage Productions also enjoys the highest academic, educational, curatorial and dementia care and user endorsements.

Cherished memories of our past within our still archive

This unique cultural archive is an authentic account of our Scottish past capturing on film a rare insight into Scotland’s heritage. The Carney Heritage Productions archive has 530 hours of footage about how life was from 1890s –today in rural Scotland. Don Carney was proud of his ancestors and that inspired him to produce this unique digital film archive.

Our Scottish ancestors tell their real story

Our Scottish ancestors tell their real story in their own way. All this started in the late 1980s when Don hired a video camera and his heritage journey had began. What he captured was the ordinary persons past achievements. The commentary featured the Doric dialect which can be understood by any English speaker. The Doric was Dons first language and has served oor north east of Scotland ancestors much longer than English has done. It is still the dialect of many parts of Aberdeenshire.

Aberdeenshire is home to the Doric dialect and my first language

It is one of the few things which distinguishes us from other locations within the world. Don is continually asked to deliver after dinner talks and do presentations of his work to thousands of people. Aa deen in the Doric if curse.

Innovation has necessitated self funding the project

Don has produced and managed this archive himself and his innovation has necessitated self funding of the project from his own savings. Producing a new digital Scottish heritage archive is a high cost activity. That is why no other organisation does such work. Dons pride in his ancestors are his motivation to do so. They must have their voice recorded in oor Scottish history. As an innovator in the heritage field and the producer of something new he does not fit into any contemporary establishment funding criteria. If you think like Don that saving oor Scottish heritage is important become one of our sponsors.

Ordinary people share the same things

Carney Heritage Productions footage captures the fact that ordinary people share the same things and our footage has been retailed to most parts of the world for people to enjoy. This highlights the fact that where ever we are we are ” Ah Jock Tamsons’ Bairns”. We can turn on the television tonight and see a programme featuring people who live on the banks of the Ganges river doing their washing on a stone. This is similar to the technique used here in Scotland during the 1930s. Washing was done by rubbing the clothes not on a stone but on a washboard. Both processes are similar and both processes share the same outcome.

Wash day around the world was a shared and common experience before electricity

We feature 21 century technology

We feature 21 century technology for filming editing and distributing our footage. All the footage within this Scottish Heritage film archive is future proofed as a result of this strategy. We have edited our 530 hours into 2400 individual clips. Each clip has its own computer data base. This allows all the digitised clips to be easily accessed. All our 10,000 stills are also digitised. This digital archive is the only new heritage asset which has been developed in recent times. The work of digitising an hour of footage takes 5 hours to do. It has taken Don 3250 hours of work to digitise the archive.

Meet Dr Don Carney (Dr Doric)

Farming background

This Scottish Heritage on Film archive was created because I am lucky enough to have been brought up on Drumnaheath Farm Leylodge Kintore in Aberdeenshire where over 300 years of my ancestors have lived. As someone who is culturally proud I wanted to capture on film the contribution the ordinary Scottish people in my community have made to Scottish life.

Drumnaheath farm where I and 300 years of my ancestors lived

Dr Doric

Through my unique work in Scottish heritage, as a result of his project, I was awarded the first PhD of its kind in the world featuring video capture of heritage and speaking the Scots language utilising the Doric dialect. As we say in Aberdeenshire using the Doric “thats nae bad”

People are interested in their past

I have presented several dozen academic papers and academic text on the work I have done in capturing heritage on film at many national and international academic conferences. I have featured on five television programmes in America and many documentary type television programmes in the UK about my work. Each time I released a new DVD they competed in the top ten DVD charts of the north east of Scotland with Star Trek, Daniel O’ Donnell, Disney productions and the pop stars of the time. This shows that my style of presenting authentic Scottish heritage, all filmed in the North East of Scotland has a diverse local, national and international audience all interested in our rich Scottish culture.

Our clips enjoy international distribution

Our digital download platform is now available

We at Carney Heritage Productions took the decision to produce digital downloadable clips. These are now available from our secure shop. Customers have a selection of topics and themes to choose from. Users can also search our data base for clips that they would wish to purchase. This gives the the opportunity to have clips unique to their requirements.

Go to our shop for our latest downloads

Digital downloads are available 24/7 to suit the following requirements.

We supply clips as

1. educational resources for Scottish schools, colleges and universities Link
2. visitor attraction inputs to complement your present offer Link
3. corporate resources for recording your companies history Link
4. family history footage to enhance your ancestral background and family tree. Link
5. as validated stimuli for alzheimer’s and dementia reminiscence therapy which can be used by professional or family carers 24/7 Link
6. business sponsorship packages including clips for people living with dementia and their carers. Link
7. customised digital downloadable clips from our archive listing to meet your requirements
If you want more information on this please contact us

The heritage of your Scottish ancestors

Clips from our unique Scottish heritage film archive can show you how YOUR Scottish ancestors lived and worked. They will bring you closer to YOUR past and enable you to walk in your ancestors footsteps. Our unique clips capture content which relates from the late 1800s to the present day. The clips feature many aspects of life and work of the ordinary person. It is a new digital heritage resource which enjoys world distribution. Our clips can also be used within education and research about Scotland's past cultural identity.State of the art technologyWe use 21 century technology to capture edit and deliver our digital downloads. The clips can be accessed 24/7 on your iPhone , tablet, computer and can be shown on your smart tv.

Dementia Reminiscence Therapy

We have seen for our selves the devastating impact dementia and alzheimer's has on families. As a result, we as award-winning Scottish heritage film makers recognised the power our clips, about the past, can have for people living with dementia and alzheimer's. We have over three years researched developed and perfected a library of validated dementia reminiscence clips called "A picture house of MY past memories". These clips find the places where past memories hide for people living with dementia. They help them reconnect with their past and who they are. This provides hope and support 24/7 and brings some respite to the carers also from the continual challenges of dementia and alzheimer's.

The dynamic of film for academic and scholarly inputs and visitor interpretation

Our Scottish Heritage film archive clips can be used within all types of academic research and scholarly activity. Academia now has access to a new dynamic film archive hitherto not available by any other provider. This can develop new and exciting learning opportunitiesThey can also be used by any visitor attraction. They can bring enjoyment, entertainment and authentic Scottish heritage to your visitor experience. We offer a menu of choice with our clips. We can have any language of the world on the clips to appeal to any visitor. We can bring to life your static displays and help you provide new inputs for returning visitors to enjoy. Our clips can be used within hand held devices offering the visitor a selection of clips that are of interest to them.

Your companies story is worth capturing on film

Part of what Carney Heritage Productions offer companies in the Aberdeenshire area is to record their company history on film. This can enhance your website and contribute to more effective marketing. The story of your business developments and success is a story worth telling, remembering and recording. This can form part of your business archive but more importantly can be used to inform your customers of what you do and how you do it. All helping you to maintain and grow sales. Short clips can be used in presentations to customers and other stakeholders in a dynamic manner and will showcase your business values, offer and uniqueness much better that words alone.