John's Scottish History Pages - Blog

David I - FNH Conference 2024

25/9/2024

The Forth Naturalist and Historian Conference has been an annual fixture in many diaries for almost 50 years. It is always 'a good day' bringing recent research findings to a wide audience.
This year, rather than the usual one-day event, it is spread over three days (1-3 Nov). Marking the 900th anniversary of his accession it willl focus on David's reign, his world, his impact. It will, as usual, be at Stirling University.
Booking is now open. The details can be downloaded here, with the booking form etc.

I will be one of the speakers, talking about the environment and landscapes of Medieval Stirling.

Book Chapter on Agriculture - new publication

24/4/2024

Some years ago, I was asked to contribute a chapter in a new book about Scottish agricultural history, the first overview for a good many years. It has taken a long time to get from ‘good idea’ to published book but a real book has now arrived in my porch.
John G Harrison, 2024. ‘Farming in the Stirling Area 1560-1750’, p. 176-198, in Agriculture, Economy and Society in Early Modern Scotland, edited by Cornell, H., Goodare, J., and MacDonald, A. R., Boydell Press, Woodbridge.
The other authors include T.C. Smout, Rab Houston, Julian Goodare and other well-known names. The contributions range from broad brush to detailed surveys as befits a study of such an important topic.
https://boydellandbrewer.com/9781837650484/agriculture-economy-and-society-in-early-modern-scotland/

Documenting Local Coal Working Before 1750 - Lecture

29/9/2023

Between about 1750 and 2000, coal mining was a major Scots industry and has been extensively studied. But sources for the earrlier coal industry are scattered and difficult to find.
Over the years, as I have come across such records in the course of other work, I have noted them and am now drawing them together. It is, I confess, a mixed bunch and includes a windmill and a miners' strike!
I will be presenting a lecture on 'Documenting Local Coal Working Before 1750' at the Forth Naturalist and Historian conference to be held at Stirling University on 11th Nov 2023 with the general theme Aspects of Extractive Industries; History, Impact and Recovery.
There is a great diversity of other papers. The full programme and booking form can be found here.

Landscapes and the Battle of Stirling Bridge

28/4/2023

I have had several papers in Scottish Local History before and was pleased that they agreed to publish my latest offering - and very quickly, too, as I only submitted in late 2022 and it plopped into the porch on 27 April.

I was asked to do a talk about the landscapes last year and initially thought it would be conventional enough. Until I went for a walk and discovered a ditch with the potential to have played a major role in the battle. The ditch offered a golden opportunity to the English army - which they evidently failed to take advantage of!

Harrison, J. G., 2023. Landscapes and the Battle of Stirling Bridge, Scottish Local History, Issue 115, p. 26-32.

lANDSCAPES OF BANNOCKBURN - NEW PUBLICATIONS

19/9/2022

Few topics in Scottish history are more evocative than the Battle of Bannockburn. The anniversary (in 2014) stimulated both the construction of a new Visitor Centre and also significant, new research work on the landscapes and their implictions for the battle.
Some of the outcomes were published at the time. But two major papers have only just appeared.
They are;
Richard Tipping, Gordon Cook, Derek Hamilton, John G Harrison, Jason Jordan, Danny Paterson & David E. Smith (2022) The terrain around Stirling at the battle of Bannockburn 1314: combined scientific and documentary approaches to reconstruction. I. The ‘low road’, Journal of Conflict Archaeology, DOI: 10.1080/15740773.2022.2106809

Richard Tipping, John G Harrison, Danny Paterson, Gordon Cook & Derek Hamilton (2022) The terrain around Stirling at the Battle of Bannockburn 1314: combined scientific and documentary approaches to reconstruction. II. The ‘High Road’, Journal of Conflict Archaeology, DOI: 10.1080/15740773.2022.2106810

The two papers look at the carse and the higher ground in turn and provide a radical new view of the landscapes (settled but often difficult to traverse) which the armies encountered.

The Landscapes of the Battle of Stirling Bridge - Thursday 15 Sept 2022 at Legends, Wallace Monument.

18/8/2022

Though people have been writing about the Battle of Stirling Bridge for centuries, few have paid much attentioin to the landcapes - and many make wild assumptions about them.

On Thursday 15th Sept (6.30 for 7.00pm) John will talk about the evidence. There will be some surprises with new evidence from documentary sources but also (astonishingly!) found, on the ground, today!

Tickets (donation requested) can be reserved at

https://www.legendsatthemonument.co.uk/events/september-2022/
For a link to the Zoom option go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/where-wallace-led-evidence-for-the-landscapes-of-1297-john-g-harrison-tickets-410046729807

Ballengeich Pass

30/3/2022

I have just posted a short piece about landscape change in the Ballengeich area, beside Stirling Castle, on the Research and Reports page of this website. It covers geological, historical and biological change over many millennia each with concrete and visible examples. Take a look here.

Drifty Days - Zoom Lecture

14/11/2021

My recent talk to the Perth Society of Natural Science on The Drifty Days was recorded and you can now watch it here

https://youtu.be/QMmXSwUrHiE

Drifty Days - BALH Award

14/6/2021

I have previously highlighted the award of the Birlinn Prize for my paper on The Drifty Days.
The paper has now also been recognised by an award by the British Association for Local History, presented at a virtual event on 12 June.
It is, of course, very gratifying to be recognised in this way - but the key thing is to keep finding new topics and to continue to produce lively and interesting work.

balh_certificate29062021.jpg

Drifty Days - Birlinn Prize

7/11/2020

Some weeks ago I recorded the publication of my paper on The Drifty Days of 1674 in the journal Scottish Local History.

I have been a member for many years and, from time to time, have published other papers in the journal.

It was a pleasant surprise to hear that the paper had been chosen as joint winner of the Birlinn Prize for the best paper published this year in the journal - and the other winner is one I am happy to be compared with!

The details are John G Harrison, 2020. The Drifty Days; A Climate Crisis of 1673-4, Scottish Local History issue 107, p. 11-16.

The article can be downloaded at https://www.slhf.org/annual-prize where further details of the prize, funded by Birlinn, well-known as major publishers of Scottish historical material, can be found.