Welcome to NDA Archives
A single point for accessing and promoting the records of the UK civil nuclear industry
NDA Archives Limited (NDAAL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is responsible for Nucleus: the Nuclear and Caithness Archives.
This purpose-built facility contains hundreds of thousands of records relating to the UK civil nuclear industry and houses the Caithness historical archive.
Visit the archives
Nucleus is open to the public from Monday to Friday, 0900 – 1700. Archives may be viewed in the public searchroom from 1000 – 1600, or outside of these hours by prior arrangement.
Explore our collections
The Nucleus collections include documents, photographs, architectural plans, and correspondence.
About us
Nucleus is a single archive for records previously held at sites across the UK, including Dounreay, Harwell, Sellafield, and Trawsfynydd.
History
Nucleus opened in 2017. Dounreay’s records were the first to be transferred, including almost a third of a million photographs and 200 tonnes of documents.
News and events
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Caithness Archive part of team nominated for Excellence Award
The Caithness Archive based at Nucleus: the Nuclear and Caithness Archives in Wick is part of a team nominated for the 2024 Record Keeping Service of the Year. The Archives & Records Association of UK and Ireland has chosen the Highland Archive Centre as the only Scottish nomination at the ARA Excellence Awards 2024. The…
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WK: History of a Harbour
This exhibition delves into the past, examining the events and people who are now an indelible part of Wick Harbour’s history and heritage.
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Atomic Housing
In 1954, Dounreay in Caithness, on the north coast of mainland Scotland, was chosen as the site for a new type of nuclear reactor. The aim of the project was to assess the effectiveness of fast breeder reactors in generating power for electricity. It was a huge undertaking that would require a sizeable labour force…
