Placenames, Politics, Settlement and Society in Medieval Argyll, c.AD 400–1400
This lecture will take a broad view of the evidence that placenames can provide for exploring the history of Atlantic Scotland by investigating them in tandem with historical and archaeological evidence.
The Scottish Wars of Independence with Iain MacInnes
In the mid-1990s, a little movie called Braveheart introduced a whole new generation to Scotland’s fight for freedom in the Middle Ages. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Iain MacInnes about Scotland’s Wars of Independence, why a sovereign kingdom had to fight for independence in the first place, and why the story doesn’t end with the Battle of Bannockburn.
Picts, Early Scotland and Issues with Scottish History with Alex Woolf
What happened to the Picts and why does is story of early medieval Scotland so difficult to tell? In this episode of Scotichronicast, Kate Buchanan is joined by Alex Woolf to talk studying Scottish history in the Early Middle Ages.
The Scottish Borders and King Malcolm Canmore, with Neil McGuigan
On this episode of Scotichronicast, Kate Buchanan talks with Neil McGuigan about the sources for borders between Scotland and England and the importance of Malcolm Canmore III as a king.
Early medieval gold sword pommel comes to National Museums Scotland
National Museums Scotland has acquired an exceptionally rare gold sword pommel, created around 700 AD.
The ‘Nuclear’ Hillforts of Early Medieval Scotland
The ‘nuclear’ fort was first proposed by R.B.K Stevenson (1949) as consisting of a central citadel that sits at the summit or centre of a hill with outworks connecting and looping off the central enclosure, thus creating a descending hierarchical organisation of space through terracing and multivallation.
More faces from the Middle Ages revealed
The ability to digitally reconstruct how people from the Middle Ages looked like has greatly improved in recent years. This can be seen in a new project which has helped to reveal three people who lived 700 years ago in Scotland.
Edinburgh Castle to become a ‘Castle of Light’
Edinburgh Castle will transform into a ‘Kingdom of Colours’ in November and December as the Scottish capital’s most iconic landmark is illuminated with state-of-the-art projections to highlight stories from Scotland’s history.
Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, with Shayna Devlin
One of the powerful men in late fourteenth and early fifteenth-century Scotland was Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany. While he served as regent to three Scottish kings, he seemingly wanted even more power. In this episode of Scotichronicast, Kate Buchanan is joined by Dr. Shayna Devlin as they talk about Robert and his family.
Spectacular Jousting returns to Caerlaverock Castle
If you are looking to watch exhilarating horsemanship and courageous knights face each other in the field, go to Caerlaverock Castle on the last weekend of July for ‘Spectacular Jousting’.
Dal Riata and Early Manuscripts with Russell Ó Ríagáin
On this episode of Scotichronicast, Dr. Kate Buchanan is joined by Dr. Russell Ó Ríagáin to discuss his work on early manuscripts and the shared history between Ireland and Scotland surrounding Dal Riata.
Solar panels installed at Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle has unveiled its newly installed solar panels, part of Historic Environment Scotland’s efforts to reduce energy use across the historic properties in its care.
National Library of Scotland digitises 240 medieval manuscripts
The National Library of Scotland has digitised a collection of more than 240 precious manuscripts, many with Scottish origins ranging from the 9th to the 16th century. The collection also includes volumes produced in England, France, Italy and northwest Europe, as well as Greece and Iceland.
Bower’s Scotichronicon – Part 3: Biscuits Highly Spiced with Cloves
In this episode Dr. Kate Buchanan and Dr. Katy Jack talk about books 11-16 in Walter Bower’s Scotichronicon.
New insights into Scotland’s ‘bodies in the bog’
In 1976, the remains of 14 individuals were discovered in the latrine of a Roman bathhouse in Cramond, Scotland. Dubbed the ‘bodies in the bog’, they were considered a mystery. Now, new research has revealed details about who these people were and where they came from.
Scotland’s Names and Places with Matthew Hammond
In this episode of Scotichronicast, Kate talks with Matthew Hammond to discuss his work on names and places in Medieval Scotland, including how the surname prefix of Mac originated.
Letters to the Pope and The Great Cause with Scott Dempsey
In this episode of Scotichronicast, Kate talks with Scott Dempsey about the Great Cause – who should rule Scotland in the late 13th and 14th centuries, including Papal involvement and the Declaration of Arbroath.
Viking Panic? Looking for the 9-12th centuries in Argyll
Dr Adrian Maldonado from National Museums Scotland talks about how a recent reassessment of artefacts in the National Museums Collection is transforming our ideas about the early medieval period in Argyll.
Bower’s Scotichronicon – Part 2
This is the second part of Scotichronicast’s book club series. In this episode, Kate Buchanan and Joanna Richardson talk about books 6-10 in Walter Bower’s Scotichronicon.
Galloway Hoard yields another exciting discovery
A rare rock crystal jar found wrapped in textiles as part of the Galloway Hoard, which dates back to around the year 900, has been conserved, revealing a Latin inscription written in gold. The inscription says the jar was made for a bishop named Hyguald.
The ‘Second’ War of Independence: Civil War and more with Iain MacInnes
Kate Buchanan is joined by Iain MacInnes to discuss the ‘second’ of the Scottish Wars of Independence and how it was a civil war as well as a war with England.
The ‘Second’ War of Independence: Clergy and Loyalty with Jenny McHugh
In this episode of Scotichronicast, Kate Buchanan is joined by Jenny McHugh to discuss the ‘second’ of the Scottish Wars of Independence and the involvement of clergy.
Dendrochronology and Medieval Scotland with Coralie Mills – Part 2
Part 2 of Kate Buchanan’s discussion with Coralie Mills on her work in dendrochronology and how it is applied to the study of medieval Scotland.
Stones stolen from Scottish castle
Scottish police are investigating the theft of stones from Yester Castle.