shielings

‘By yon bonnie banks’: Exploring the archaeology of Ben Lomond

Ben Lomond is one of Scotland’s most famous mountains, lying on the edge of the Highland boundary fault, with its shouldered profile dominating the skyline of the Central Belt and the Trossachs. Over the last three decades, National Trust for Scotland staff have been unpicking the archaeological and historical stories preserved within this landscape, bringing them to the attention of the public once more. Derek Alexander and Alasdair Eckersall report.

Subterranean Skye: Exploring the enduring significance of High Pasture Cave

Discovered in 1972 and excavated between 2004 and 2010, High Pasture Cave on the island of Skye has proven to have been an enduring hub of ritual activity for 900 years, from the Bronze Age to the late Iron Age. Few cave sites in Europe have produced evidence for recurrent use over such a long period of time. As Chris Catling explains, the newly published excavation report raises questions about what this site can tell us about the meaning and use of caves, and underground spaces in general, during later prehistory.