Archaeology Festival 2021 – last few days of event
The 2021 Highland Archaeology Festival, which has been running since 25 September, will draw to a close on Friday 15 October. There is still time for people to take part over the next few days in a wide range of walks, talks, workshops, exhibitions, and activities for all ages.
The festival, which is organised by The Highland Council’s Development and Infrastructure Service,has featured over a hundred events and activities, which celebrate archaeology, history and heritage and explore our rich heritage from prehistoric times through to the 20th century.
Tonight, children are taking part in a mock archaeological dig at the Historylinks Museum in Dornoch. Tomorrow’s events include special children’s activities at the Highland Museum of Childhood in Strathpeffer, a Viking Activity day at Kyle of Lochalsh and an on-line lunchtime talk on recent treasure trove finds in the Highlands..
The Clachtoll Broch in Sutherland is the focus of a guided walk on Wednesday and from 7.30pm to 9pm the theme of the three on-line talks will be architectural studies in Inverness and Kirkhill.
Thursday’s guided walk is to view Achnabreak rock art at one of the finest prehistoric rock art sites in Scotland and at Gairloch Museum between 7.30pm and 9pm Archaeologists Dr Tom Gardner and Dr Steph Piper will be talking about recent finds and what secrets may still remain hidden.
On the final day of the festival, Friday 15 October, there is a guided walk to the deserted settlement of Dalnamain and another walk to visit Craig’s Burial Ground in Fort William which served local townspeople and the Garrison. The final on-line talk takes place from 7.30pm – 9pm and explores the significance of the Migdale hoard which was discovered in 1900 while grantie boulders were being blastd at Bonar Bridge.
The Highland Council’s Archaeologist Kirsty Cameron said: “Last year due to Covid we organised a series of online talks, attracting people from all over the world. This year we organised an expanded programme of on-line lunchtime and evening talks to allow as many people as possible to join in. So far, we had have had attendees from across the Highlands as well as internationally and the feedback to date has been excellent. We have another five talks this week including the results of excavations in North Kessock, new student research and finishing with a flourish with Dr Alison Sheridan talking on the important Bronze Age hoard from Migdale.”
Councillor Trish Robertson, Chair of the Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee added “There is still time for people to take part especially as the festival overlaps with the first week of the October school holidays. We have some special children’s activities in the programme for the rest of this week and plenty of outdoor walks to places of interest that the whole family can enjoy.”
The website www.highlandarchaeologyfestival.org (external link) provides information on all the activities and also lists the museums open during the festival, including those with special exhibitions.