Blog Posts - John's Scottish History Pages

Sheriffmuir - Archaeology, History and Landscape

27/3/2019

The Ochils are one of the most intriguing areas in Scotland and are surprisingly well documented. Whist preparing a new paper about the area generally, I realised that the Sheriffmuir, with its remarkably rich documentation, required to be dealt with as a separate entity.
My original notes go back over twenty years and have slowly grown. So, much has had to be dealt with in outline. But there is also a good deal of new material and I think it makes for an interesting read, with evidence from the pre-historic to the contemporary. You can find the Report on the Research and Reports page of this website. Do not hesitate to comment.

Stirling Natural History and Archaeological Society

13/2/2019

Over the last couple of years or so, I have been working intermittently on the Stirling Field and Archaeological Society. A paper on the Society's work (successes, problems, people and publications) is now almost ready to submit to Forth Naturalist and Historian.
The prime achievement was their publication of 61 volumes of Transactions between 1878 and 1939.
In conjunction with the work on the Society, I have scanned the original Index (published in 1936) and the contents for each volume and these are now available to consult (free) on the Forth Naturalist and Historian website
(http://www.fnh.stir.ac.uk/journal/back_issues/index.php).

The format means that they still fall short of modern standards. But the two files should make it easier to locate material on a wide range of topics (historical, archaeological, wildlife and others) mainly of local interest. Copies of the original Transactions cane be consulted in Stirling Central Library, Stirling University Library and National Library of Scotland, amongst others.

Recollections of Victorian Stirling

22/9/2018

Among the tasks I have been working on recently is scanning and editing the 'Recollections' of Dr George Galbraith. Largely brought up on Stirling in 1820s, he served in the army for many years, before retiring to Stirling and living to an advanced age.

He was an active member of the Stirling Field and Archaeological Society and it was they who published his 'Recollections' - by far the most extensive such personal account for the town. The text, with a photo, brief introduction and notes, has now been posted on the Stirling Local History Society website, where it will be much more accessible.

The recollections cover matters from demographic changes to funeral protocol, church services to the impact of the railway. They can now be found (with some explanatory notes) at https://www.stirling-lhs.org/dr-gt-galbraith.html

Scotland's Royal Landscapes

30/8/2018

it is always gratifying when 'the work' is cited by other people or otherwise made use of. And it is particularly so when this is in 'official' documents, so that new research results become more readily available, a recognised part of Scotland's history.
It is not usually appropriate to put material on this site which is drawn directly from work I do for others - such as Historic Environment Scotland or National Trust for Scotland. But, as HES have now cited material on their own websites, here we go!

This website is now cited in the Statement of Significance for Holyrood Park, recognising that the article on Scotland's Royal Landscapes sets Holyrood in its wider context and modifies earlier views of the history of this nationally important site; for that see
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-and-research/publications/publication/?publicationId=e1a38947-6fa5-4f6a-887a-a57000d19aa0

The corresponding Statement of Significance for Stirling King's Park also cites this website but also work I earlier did for HES. For that see:
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-and-research/publications/publication/?publicationid=b1942a54-029b-43d9-8732-a8b1010acf46

Conference in Rambouillet

24/5/2017

It's always encouraging to be asked to speak at Conferences as it suggests that, someone, somewhere, thinks the work is worth hearing about. And to be asked to speak at one in France is even more pleasing.

So, I will be whizzing off to Rambouillet, outside Paris, for a conference on Marie de Guise to be held on 16th June. I know several of the other speakers so it will be a chance to catch up with old friends - indeed, with some young friends.

I am attaching the Poster and the day's programme - they certainly do things in style with the event taking place in the Palais du Roi de Rome!

Ben Lawers Historic Landscape Project

8/1/2017

It does not just seem a long time since I was deeply immersed in the Ben Lawers Historic Landscape Project. It IS a long time - over ten years!
It was perhaps the biggest project ever organised in Scotland to integrate archaeological, historical and environmental investigations at a landscape scale.
Unfortunately, publication has turned out to be a slow process - for all sorts of frustrating reasons. Some papers have crept out over the years. But, at length, the major publication has appeared.
It is published on SAIR (Scottish Archaeological Internet Reports) and is available to download FREE at
http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/sair/contents.cfm?vol=62

Another Site Update

23/10/2016

Not quite as quickly as I had hoped but here is another update with version 2 of my Royal Landscapes paper on the Reports page of the website.

I have been very conscious, for some time, that there has been a good deal of work done on royal landscapes since I first posted my paper and this is now noted along with some other amendments and updates.

John Gilbert has published important work on Falkland; in part he agrees with what I said (which is gratifying) and elsewhere he shows that I was wrong - which is how research proceeds and progress is made.

And Marilyn Brown has published her major work on Scottish gardens - I had had the benefit of discussions with her before the last version of the paper but it is a pleasure to acknowledge her work here.

Less positively, Stirling Council have taken over ownership of much of the Stirling Park - and have got their bulldozers to work on short order. In so far as my work helped with the argument that the landscapes should be taken from Crown control, I am beginning to regret it. Neglect was, surely, preferable to officially-endorsed vandalism?

A busy year - so far!

3/10/2016

I am very conscious that the site has not been updated much recently. The very positive explanation is that I have been very busy.

The year started out with a big research programme for Historic Environment Scotland on Linlithgow Palace - concentrating on how it was used rather than on structure. And there were certainly some interesting findings.

Then came another palace - this time Falkland for the National Trust for Scotland - and that has just gone in. Some new material there too - especially for the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Both those will actually be used in connection with other, ongoing studies - it's when it is all put together that things get really interesting.

And meanwhile (lectures through the summer to one side) I have been asked to write 'a chapter' on farming in the Stirling area 1500 to 1750. The greatest difficulty about that is squeezing the vast mass of diverse information into the space allowed. Especially when, as I started to ponder it, I was tempted to go back to the Archives and have dug up yet more information - some of which is forcing me to revise some of the old ideas.

Of course, not use whatever just regurgitating the old ideas, what we have known for years. So, 'a challenge' - as they say!

And there will be another update, fairly soon. Some new 'news' to announce. Perhaps next week?

Bannockburn 2014

11/5/2016

Just when you thought it was safe to raise your head, here it comes again!

The seven hundredth anniversary of the battle in 2014 resulted in a good deal of noise - and some real, concrete research.

I was pleased to be involved in some of that, specifically work on the landscapes of the battle working with Dr Richard Tipping of Stirling University and others.

The results of our labours - most visibly manifest in the 'Battle Map' over which the mock battle is now fought at the new Bannockburn Heritage Centre - have now appeared in the form of a chapter in a newly published book.

Richard Tipping, Aden Beresford, Gordon Cook, Derek Hamilton, John G. Harrison, Jason Jordan, Paul Ledger, Dmitri Mauquoy, John McArthur, Stuart Morrison, Danny Paterson, Nicola Russell and David Smith, 2016. 'Landscape Dynamics and Climate Change as Agents at the Battle of Bannockburn' 111-128, in M. Penman (ed) 2016, Bannockburn, 1314-2014: Battle & Legacy, Proceedings of the 2014 Stirling Conference, Shaun Tyas, Donington.

One of the things which struck me at the time - and strikes even more forcibly now - is that the battle was not just the events on the two days in 1314 nor just the political and military consequences which flowed directly from those two days. It continues to have cultural significance to this day. That is one of the aspects which is brought out in the book, with chapters ranging across topics such as the significance of Stirling Castle in the battle, recruitment to the English army and the continuing memorialisation of the battle both at the 'site' and in books and publications.

This, as you would expect, is a serious academic tome (and costs £35 though it should soon be available in libraries). Let's hope that it's ideas get into wider circulation and begin to inform some of the more 'popular' histories and tales about the battle!

History Scotland Article

17/4/2016

It's been a long time since the last blog post - and the excuse must be the best one, that I have been very busy indeed. In fact, with a major job taking up the first three months of the year, and another one waiting to follow on its heels, there has been little breathing space.
But, some time ago, I was asked to write a piece about the Stirling Castle Palace Project. And, as I had some new 'thoughts' on sixteenth century Scots court protocol, I agreed.

The piece is now 'out' in History Scotland Magazine - an important vehicle for communicating with a general interest audience. So, if the relationship of politics, culture and architecture are 'your thing', take a look at John G Harrison, 'Some aspects of royal life in 16th century Scotland', History Scotland, Volume 16 (3) May/ June 2016.

I just re-read it - and it's surprisingly interesting!