Host of historical fun at Highland Archaeology Festival
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The 24th annual Highland Archaeology Festival gets under way on Friday, September 29, running for a fortnight and offering a range of walks, talks, workshops, exhibitions and children’s activities.
More than 80 events will take place altogether.
Across the Inverness area these will include children’s and family events at Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre and Abriachan Forest as well as the Caledonian Canal, Urquhart Castle and the Agricultural Vintage Rally and Display at Daviot.
There will also be talks on recent discoveries in late medieval archaeology, on rethinking Highland prehistory in the light of ancient DNA results and on prehistoric Inverness and local metal detecting finds.
A talk and book launch about Canadian lumberjacks will be held in Kiltarlity and there will also be walks exploring Ardersier and Kirkhill World War II ammunition stores.
You can explore the Cockburn Library at Inverness Royal Academy and test your knowledge at an archaeological pub quiz in Beauly while a number of hands-on workshops including photography, exploring historic maps and using GPS for survey and mapping will be held at Highland Council headquarters in Inverness on Friday, October 13.
The Highland Archive Centre and Inverness Museum and Art Gallery will host exhibitions and Nairn Museum will run a workshop on historic object handling.
Nairn Literary Institute will also offer a talk on Romans in Aberdeenshire.
Council archaeologist Kirsty Cameron said: “We’re delighted that so many organisations and museums have again offered such a range of activities which celebrate archaeology, history and archaeology from earliest settlers to modern times.
“Walks to special places in the Highlands and talks describing aspects of our heritage are always popular, but this year we also have a range of unusual activities showing how our local heritage links to many other aspects of the Highlands.”
Councillor Allan Henderson, chairman of council’s places committee, said: “The Highland Archaeology Festival is the premier event of its kind in Scotland and attracts people from a wide area.
“We live in an area where the heritage is so accessible, and many local societies and museums promote their local area and projects.
“Scotland’s archaeology strategy notes that archaeology is for everyone, contributing to our wellbeing and knowledge, and to our economic growth and quality of life.
“What better way to showcase this than by a festival stretching across the Highlands and celebrating the range and diversity of Highland heritage.
“I particularly would like to thank all the event organisers for their time, imagination and effort, as the festival would not be possible without them.”
- For the programme of events taking place across the region, see the Highland Archaeology Festival brochure in local libraries, museums, visitor information points and council service points, or www.highlandarchaeologyfestival.org
