Details can be found at www.archaeologyscotland.org.uk/events, but here are some highlights of what’s on offer.
Launch event and Archaeology Fair
4 September
Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway
To celebrate the end of the Can You Dig It community archaeology project and the launch of Scottish Archaeology Month, Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership and Archaeology Scotland will host a free day of events at the Town Hall and Lochside Park in Castle Douglas. This will include hands-on activities, performances by period musicians, battles by re-enactment groups, ancient craft workshops, talks, and a fair showcasing heritage societies and organisations from across Dumfries and Galloway. From storytelling and torc-making to marauding Vikings and dig pits, there will be something for everyone.
Guided walk: Scotland’s ‘newest’ medieval bridge
6 and 11 September
Ancrum, Scottish Borders
In 2018, Ancrum and District Heritage Society discovered the remains of a medieval bridge in the River Teviot – one of only 13 documented bridges in Scotland predating AD 1400. This two-mile guided walk from Ancrum to the bridge and back will explore the history of the bridge and the Borders, the strategic importance of Ancrum village, and the battles that took place nearby. (Meet on the Green opposite the Cross Keys Inn; 6 September’s walk is at 11am and 11 September’s at 2pm.)
Online exhibition: WK – History of a Harbour
30 September
Nucleus: the Nuclear and Caithness Archives, Caithness
Nucleus’ new online exhibition delves into the history of the herring industry, which still features prominently in the political, social, and environmental landscape today. Learn about herring gutters and fishermen, riots and storms, and much more. The launch event, on 30 September, will be accompanied by multimedia presentations.
www.archaeologyscotland.org.uk/event/wk-history-of-a-harbour-online-exhibition
Talk: Are we nearly there yet? Celebrating Scotland’s Milestones
21 September
University of Dundee, Dundee
Bruce Keith will present an illustrated talk to the Abertay Historical Society, based on his latest book, Are we nearly there yet?, celebrating the milestones of Scotland. As well as exploring the roadside heritage of distance markers, Bruce will look at early measurement systems and mapping, and great journeys throughout the country over the centuries, as well as highlighting the top 50 Scots as the ‘fastest’ and the ‘farthest’ for speed and endurance.
www.archaeologyscotland.org.uk/event/are-we-nearly-there-yet-celebrating-scotlands-milestones
Excavation: Old Kilmadock Graveyard
14-16 September
New Victoria Primary School, Falkirk, Stirling
Murray Cook, Stirling Council Archaeologist, will be uncovering the Pictish Stone that was discovered in 2019 by ROOK – Rescuers of Old Kilmadock – for recording and evaluation. He also hopes to be digging trenches outside the walls of the kirkyard to investigate the possibility that Old Kilmadock Graveyard was larger than we see today and, if time allows, to walk the lower reaches of the Annat Burn looking for early inscribed stones similar to those discovered there 130 years ago. (Booking is essential for parking.)
www.archaeologyscotland.org.uk/event/old-kilmadock-graveyard
Exhibition: Archaeology with the Bailies
4-30 September
Bennachie Visitor Centre, Aberdeenshire
Display boards in the Bennachie Visitor Centre will showcase recent archaeological fieldwork in the area, exploring recent discoveries and what they can tell us about local history. For more information about future fieldwork opportunities, visit http://www.bailiesofbennachie.co.uk.
www.archaeologyscotland.org.uk/event/archaeology-with-the-bailies-2
