Archeology of 18th Century Scotland (Jacobites & Clearances)

HARP will be running a new Archaeology field school investigating the 18th Century of Highland Scotland. The project will focus on the changing social and cultural landscapes of Scotland at this time, and aims to record the historical and archaeological sites dating to this period. The location of the project is inspired by a series of historical ‘Grand Tours’ that were being undertaken in Scotland at that time by a number of individuals including Thomas Pennant’s tours of the Highlands, Joseph Banks tour to Staffa and Johnson and Boswell’s tour to the Hebrides. The Tours were often facilitated by the construction of new military roads in Scotland, which were built in an attempt to ‘open up’ the Highlands following the Jacobite uprisings. These new roads were constructed by the likes of General Wade, and new mapping projects and surveys were undertaken by the likes of William Roy. The project aims to follow the routes of these tours and military surveys to identify the changing landscape of the 18th Century, from the Jacobite uprisings, through to the coming of sheep and the start of the Highland Clearances. Our survey will identify and compare what was seen by the tourists and surveyors of the time compared to what can still be seen today.

The 2015 project will focus on sections of the routes undertaken by Pococke in 1760 (Blair Castle to Crieff via General Wade’s Military Road), and De Saint-Fond in 1784 (Kenmore to Dunkeld via Aberfeldy). Pococke visited Blair Castle, and both of these tours visited Taymouth Castle and its grounds, where the Earls of Breadalbane were significant figures in this period of Scotland’s history. Our survey will trace and record by historical research, photography, technical drawing, building recording and GIS, the visible remains of these routes including sections of Wade’s Road and its bridges. It will also record a selection of contemporary settlements and architecture.

Amongst other sites, the survey will visit the site of the Battle of Killiecrankie and will take in the grounds of Taymouth Castle where we will identify and record the archaeological remains, as well as conduct a photographic survey of the castle itself. We will be surveying sections of the military road that still survive to this day, as well as surveying a number of the bridges built as part of the road construction scheme. We will visit and survey Drovers Inns that were an integral part of an 18th Century Tourist itinerary, and will assess, survey and record the changing settlement patterns that were taking place at this time as a result of social change and enforced agricultural and economic change following the Jacobite uprisings.

Full training given in a number of archaeological and historical research skills.

The opportunity to explore an intriguing past of the Scottish Highlands from the Jacobite uprisings through to the Highland Clearances.

Luxury accommodation in an idyllic setting in the remote area of Glen Tilt.

The opportunity to styudy and record a series of important historic castles and monuments in the Scottish countryside

English