  Particle-$\gamma$ coincidence experiments were performed at the Oslo
Cyclotron Laboratory with the $^{181}$Ta(d,X) and $^{181}$Ta($^{3}$He,X)
reactions, to measure the nuclear level densities (NLDs) and $\gamma$-ray
strength functions ($\gamma$SFs) of $^{180, 181, 182}$Ta using the Oslo method.
The Back-shifted Fermi-Gas, Constant Temperature plus Fermi Gas, and
Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov plus Combinatorial models where used for the absolute
normalisations of the experimental NLDs at the neutron separation energies. The
NLDs and $\gamma$SFs are used to calculate the corresponding
$^{181}$Ta(n,$\gamma$) cross sections and these are compared to results from
other techniques. The energy region of the scissors resonance strength is
investigated and from the data and comparison to prior work it is concluded
that the scissors strength splits into two distinct parts. This splitting may
allow for the determination of triaxiality and a $\gamma$ deformation of
$14.9^{\circ} \pm 1.8^{\circ}$ was determined for $^{181}$Ta.
