Last week, SCA trustee Phil Astley received an honorary Master of the University (MUniv) from the University of Aberdeen.

Biographical statement:

“Phil Astley is a renowned champion of wider public understanding of and access to archival heritage. As City Archivist for Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives for 16 years, his early career spanned the Orkney and North Highland Archives as well as larger organisations including the University of Aberdeen.

In 2013 he secured UNESCO UK “Memory of the World” recognition for Aberdeen’s medieval Burgh Registers. This designation has proved to be a catalyst for an increased understanding of the historical significance of these unique records both locally and internationally and has paved the way for a series of research partnerships with the University of Aberdeen and other institutions.

An open and collaborative outlook to the potential of historic collections has underpinned Phil’s approach. This has also been evident in the City Archive’s contribution to festivals such as Granite Noir (Aberdeen’s annual crime writing festival) as well as his work in successfully securing and developing new acquisitions, such as the archives of Aberdeen Harbour Board.

A graduate of the University of Aberdeen in History and Economic and Social History in 1990, Phil led the establishment of the Aberdeen and North East Scotland Ancestral Tourism Partnership in 2010 and served as its first chair. He has been a trustee of the Scottish Council on Archives since 2018, a board member of the Scottish Records Association since 2022 and a member of the Archives and Records Association (UK & Ireland) since 1994. He was admitted as a Burgess of Guild of Aberdeen in 2016.”

A huge congratulations to Phil from the SCA team and trustees!