'Treasure chest' of old photographic slides saved from Shetland dump

The images are thought to date back to the 1970s

A man who was just in the "right place at the right time" saved hundreds of old photographic slides of Shetland from being dumped and lost forever.

Paul Moar was working at a waste management facility in Lerwick when a customer asked how best to dispose of two bags full of unwanted slides.

He said they were pictures of his "world travels" and of Shetland, but Mr Moar asked if he could take a look.

He has now digitised many of the saved Shetland shots dating back 50 years.

Mr Moar managed to identify the man in question as 77-year-old Nick Dymond, who agreed he could share them, and donate them to a museum.

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They have already generated huge interest on social media.

The old slides were in two bags

Mr Moar told BBC Scotland News: "The gentleman came in to my office at the dump with a bag in each hand and said he had 5,000 old slides to dispose of.

"I am interested in history, so I asked what they were and he said his world travels, with Shetland ones mixed in. He was decluttering and felt he had no need for them.

"I thought there may be a treasure in here, so he left them with me. Over the next few nights I spent hours looking at each one by hand."

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There are snapshots of island life in decades gone by

He explained: "I found about 300 of Shetland, including Fair Isle and Fetlar. I wanted to ask for permission to donate them to a museum. I tracked him down and he was more than happy.

"When Covid settles down I will donate them. The reaction has been amazing, and lots of information is coming in as people recognise old faces."

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Birdwatchers, including - second from the left - someone who it is thought is a young Bill Oddie, the television naturalist

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'Mercifully he asked'

Mr Moar said among the thousands of other slides there appeared to be places including India and Africa.

He added: "It's amazing to think that 99% of the time people just throw stuff in and go.

"Mercifully he asked how to dispose of this mountain of slides.

"I was in the right place at the right time."

Asked about all the fuss the find has caused, the owner of the slides Mr Dymond said he "could not give a stuff".

"I just went to dump them," he said: "I have travelled all over. I had all these slides sitting doing nothing. They were no use to me."

He added: "It's fine if it's giving people some enjoyment now."