Records at Risk
The Business Archives Surveying Officer is the Scottish representative for the UK’s Crisis Management Team for Business Records. The team of archivists, records managers, and academics works to preserve business records in cases of liquidations, administrations, takeovers, and other situations where historical records might be at risk of loss.
If you are aware of any instances where business records may be at risk in Scotland, please contact the Surveying Officer.
Current and recent cases being monitored include:
- Centre for Contemporary Arts, arts organisation, Glasgow. Est.1972 as the Third Eye Centre.
Case ongoing since February 2026 when the archive collection was surveyed and recommendation to deposit with Glasgow City Archives made by the Surveying Officer.
The Ballast Trust is actively working with Glasgow Life and Creative Scotland to ensure the Third Eye Centre and CCA Archive remains in the city, and is complete, protected and available to researchers and the wider public.
If you have concerns about the sale of the archive then the Scottish Council on Archives has prepared a sectoral response and collected statements of support for it to remain publicly accessible and to highlight its research potential. Other letters of support will be added here as we become aware of them:
- University of Edinburgh academics
- Scottish Council on Archives
- Business Archives Council of Scotland
- Finnart Oil Terminal, oil refinery, Loch Long, est.1942.
A small collection of records rescued by the Ballast Trust in June 2026 and in their temporary custody until a deposit with Historic Environment Scotland can be organised.
- Ballantine Castings Ltd, Iron Foundry, Bo’ness. Formerly A Ballantine & Sons, est. 1820s.
These records were rescued in October 2025 with the support of a Records at Risk grant and are in the temporary care of the Ballast Trust for processing. They will then be deposited with Falkirk Archives.
There have been a number of recent success in Scotland where records deemed to be at risk, have now been saved for the nation. Detailed case studies can be read here.