Seminar – Dr Linda Ross – ‘Dounreay: New Perceptions of the Nuclear North’

The SSNS Seminar Series continues on 16 December with a talk by Dr Linda Ross, titled ‘Dounreay: New Perceptions of the Nuclear North’.

This is a free, ticketed event; please register below.

Abstract:

The 1954 announcement that Caithness was the chosen location for the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority’s new fast breeder reactor establishment changed the region irrevocably. In bringing scientific development to an area distant from large population centres, Dounreay countered the notion of rural areas as places apart from modernity. Although the need for continued investment in Caithness and the wider Highlands and Islands persisted, Dounreay, in bringing high technology to the region, evidenced what could be achieved both technically and socially. This session will explore the changes which occurred during Dounreay’s early development and appraise their legacy.

Bio:

Dr Linda Ross is an early career researcher specialising in post-war rural development. Her PhD, undertaken collaboratively with the University of the Highlands and Islands and Historic Environment Scotland, examined the impact of Dounreay’s ‘nuclear fission and social fusion’ on Caithness. She was formerly senior curator of the Scottish Maritime Museum and maintains an interest in industrial heritage of all kinds. She tweets at @linda83ross.

Registration below. Details for the Zoom meeting will be emailed in advance of the seminar.

Dounreay in the distance. Licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0, taken by jbdodane.