Perthshire Society of Natural Science
Environment, Nature and Cultural Heritage.
Why did a female Asian elephant collapse and die near Broughty Ferry in 1706? What happened to its mortal remains and what were the consequences for British science? Why had the creature spent the previous twenty years travelling all over Europe? Author and translator Andy Drummond answered these questions and more in an exceptionally entertaining and informative talk on November 27th.
On 6th November Bruce Keith spoke to the Archaeology and History Section about his latest book, Scotland Below the Surface, a “subterranean odyssey” covering everything under our feet: mines, caves, hollow mountains, hydroelectric schemes, railway tunnels and much else. Once again Bruce treated us to another exceptionally informative and entertaining talk.
On 9th October, in a talk about recent excavations in Glencoe, Michael Given, Professor of Landscape Archaeology at Glasgow University, showed us how past stories could illuminate the artefacts discovered and features of the area, It was a fascinating evening.
On 17th August members of the Archeological & Historical section visited three interesting locations in the upper Tay valley between Ballinluig and Loch Tay.
Our first stop was at the Logierait churchyard – with its famous mortsafes.
Next stop was St Mary’s Church near Grandtully.
The painted ceiling dates from the 16th Century and is in a truly remarkable state of preservation – given that the Kirk building was used as a cow byre.
The day ended with a stop at the neolithic stone circe of Croft Moraig.
June 2024 Visit to Broughty Ferry Castle
On 10th June we spent a morning looking round this fascinating building and contemplating its many incarnations. Originally a tower house, it was for many years a ruin. The prospect of a Russian incursion around 1860 led to its fortification, and its defences were repeatedly strengthened in response to subsequent threats until the end of WWII. We lingered contentedly in the Castle’s excellent museum and delightful art gallery, while enjoying spectacular views across the Tay.
Visit to HMS Unicorn
On 9th May we visited the frigate HMS Unicorn in Dundee. Built in the 1820s, but then mothballed, it soon found itself superseded by steel vessels. Fortunately, the ship survived thanks to its later role as a training ship. Today it provides a fascinating picture of life aboard a frigate in the early 19th century. Here is just one extraordinary fact of the many we gleaned: children were employed on the lower deck to carry ammunition in battle because they were small enough to move without stooping!
If you have never seen the Unicorn, you would be well-advised to visit it soon, as a major overhaul is planned in the years to come.
Saturday 11 May 2024 marked the culmination of a two-year joint project with the PSNS & Historic Towns Trust: the production of a Historical Map of Perth including many sites of interest over the last one thousand years.
The Map is available in bookstores (Waterstones) and other outlets including Perth Museum, Perth Art Gallery and the AK Bell Library, and can be ordered online (HTT, AmazonUK).
Speakers at the event were:
John Lewington, former President of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science, gave an introduction
Professor Vanessa Harding, Chair of the Historic Towns Trust, on “Mapping our Shared History”
Theresa Hughes, President of PSNS Archaeology & History Section, on “A Fair Map of Perth”
Dr Mike Robinson, Royal Scottish Geographical Society, on “A Sense of Place”
David Bowler, Director of Alder Archaeology Ltd, on “A Thousand Years in Twenty Minutes – an Overview of Perth”
John Moore, Honorary Secretary of the Historic Towns Trust, gave a vote of thanks.
In the process, we heard how the geological and geographical settings influenced Perth’s location, culture and history.
A video of the event can be viewed on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/k9cX2zt46YE
The Map is available in bookstores (Waterstones) and other outlets including Perth Museum, Perth Art Gallery and the AK Bell Library, and can be ordered online (HTT, AmazonUK).
Visit to the Scottish Crannog Centre
On 20th April eighteen of us visited the newly opened Scottish Crannog Centre on the north side of Loch Tay. The museum and craft presentations proved so fascinating that many lingered for more than four hours and it is evident that we shall be returning before long. The crannog itself is to be built within the next year – rather faster than last time, thanks to the experience gained then.
The overall impression of life in the crannog was of unrelenting toil, whether grinding grain, making textiles or hammering iron. Would there have been puppet shows like the one that so amused us? We cannot know, but the point was that people then would have told stories, much as we do.
Are We Nearly There Yet?
On 13th March Bruce Keith, author of ‘Bridgescapes”, gave us another sparkling talk, this time on Scottish milestones, from Roman times until the present day. On the way he told us about the pioneers of mapping; travellers of the 18th and 19th centuries; the removal of milestones and signposts to bamboozle invaders in World War II – an unfortunate loss of part of our heritage – and so much more…
On 13th March Bruce Keith, author of ‘Bridgescapes”, gave us another sparkling talk, this time on Scottish milestones, from Roman times until the present day. On the way he told us about the pioneers of mapping; travellers of the 18th and 19th centuries; the removal of milestones and signposts to bamboozle invaders in World War II – an unfortunate loss of part of our heritage – and so much more…
The Stirling Castle Project Revisited
On Wednesday 14th February John Harrison, writer of the book on the Stirling Castle Project told us about new discoveries regarding protocol at the Court, particularly in relation to the dining arrangements.
On Wednesday 17th January Professor Richard Oram spoke about his recently completed two-year project on the environmental history of the Tay, from the arrival of the first hunter-gatherers until the present day. This was an inspiring overview of the mass of material he is about to transform into a series of books. His gallop through the ages revealed a host of fascinating details, not least that the elites’ monopoly of the hunting forests, however unjust, tended to ensure their preservation. Above all we learned how greatly humans have altered the landscape and the river since earliest times and how seemingly untouched rural spots may be sullied by industrial pollution.
As a policy advisor, Professor Oram is well placed to ensure the lessons of history inform current decision-making.
On Wednesday 17th January Professor Richard Oram spoke about his recently completed two-year project on the environmental history of the Tay, from the arrival of the first hunter-gatherers until the present day. This was an inspiring overview of the mass of material he is about to transform into a series of books. His gallop through the ages revealed a host of fascinating details, not least that the elites’ monopoly of the hunting forests, however unjust, tended to ensure their preservation. Above all we learned how greatly humans have altered the landscape and the river since earliest times and how seemingly untouched rural spots may be sullied by industrial pollution.
As a policy advisor, Professor Oram is well placed to ensure the lessons of history inform current decision-making.
To see the programme click on the link:
To mark the 75th anniversary of the PSNS Archaeology & History Section, on 23 September David Bowler led a group around heritage sites of Perth.
See the video on YouTube: