Archaeology Scotland

01/11/2026

📢Programme live: Scotland’s Community Heritage Conversations 2026

Join us on Thursday 26th November when Scotland’s Community Heritage Conversations returns for another day-long hybrid event hosted online via MS Teams and in-person at the Engine Shed in Stirling.

Scotland’s Community Heritage Conversations 2026: Sharing Our Strengths will be an opportunity to connect with heritage professionals and community groups, exploring how collaboration – across communities, generations, cultures, or sectors – creates fresh opportunities for learning and growth. We’ll have a packed agenda with speakers, Q&A sessions, panel discussions and workshops, all available to attendees joining us either online or in person.

There’ll also be opportunities to get involved and share your news with our ever popular One Minute Mayhem slot or by displaying a digital poster.

🎟️Book your place on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scotlands-community-heritage-conversations-2026-sharing-our-strengths-tickets-1992060861662

Scottish Civic Trust Historic Environment Scotland SCOTO Scottish Council on Archives Heritage Network Scottish Women's Institutes Stirling City Heritage Trust Hamish McHamish Foundation Keep Scotland Beautiful

Celebrating community heritage through talks, workshops and connection opportunities, showing how collaboration sparks learning and growth

31/10/2026

Goblin Ha' ⚒️🧙‍♂️🧌

It's that time of year when we celebrate spoooooky archaeology! 👻

Goblin Ha' (also known as Goblin Hall) is a 13th-century vaulted underground chamber beneath the ruins of Yester Castle, near Gifford in East Lothian. While its medieval architecture is fascinating in its own right, it's the folklore surrounding the chamber that really adds to its spooky reputation!

Local legend tells us that Hugo de Giffard, the castle's builder, was a wizard and necromancer. According to the tales, he summoned goblins to construct the underground chamber, which he supposedly used for his dark arts.

The archaeological reality is a little less supernatural, as Goblin Ha' is actually the surviving undercroft of the castle's original tower. Yet stories of witchcraft and dark magic have endured for centuries, making this a fascinating example of how folklore and history intertwine at Scotland's historic sites.

What other spooky stories might Scotland's archaeological heritage hold?

📸

1 - Yester Castle — Richard Webb, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
2 - Yester Castle 03 — Helspence, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
3 - Yester Castle 05 — Helspence, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
4 - Yester Castle 04 — Helspence, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
5 - Yester — Brendandh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
6 - Yester Castle Wall — Helspence, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

30/10/2026

Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders Archaeology Conference is back for 2026!

This year’s Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders Archaeology Conference will be held on Saturday, 21 November 2026, again at Queen Margaret University (QMU) in Musselburgh.

As ever there is a range of speakers covering a range of periods, themes and topics across the Scottish Borders and Southeast Scotland more generally but more specific Scottish Borders talks at the conference also include;

- Discussions on the recent Sprouston excavations of a rare northern Neolithic causewayed enclosure & Anglian settlement that featured in earlier national coverage by The Herald & BBC News, which part of Uncovering the Tweed project which part of Destination Tweed

- Building recording at Lambden, between Coldstream & Greenlaw, of farm cottages of the 19th century, from planning application archaeology

- & Prehistoric pottery from long-running excavations at Fulfordlees Quary, near Cockburnspath, with their enigmatic associated features.

Recent finds from the area will also feature in at talk at the conference by the Treasure Trove Unit too!

🎟 Get your ticket here: https://eastlothian.zipporah.co.uk/Events/CourseBookingProcess/ViewEventDetails/6905948

29/10/2026

Spookyyy Archaeology! 👻

It's nearly Halloween, and we're taking a look back at the spooky events of Scottish Archaeology Month 2026. Let's venture beyond the veil and revisit a couple of highlights from this year's programme 👇

🧙‍♀️ The Forfar Witches Guided Walk

Hosted by ANGUSalive, this guided walk explored Forfar's dark history and the people caught up in Scotland's witch trials. Between 1661 and 1663, 42 local people were imprisoned and tortured on suspicion of witchcraft. Twenty-two women were found guilty and executed during this period, leaving a tragic chapter in the town's history.

🪦 Logie Old Graveyard Guided Tours

September also saw a series of guided tours at Logie Old Graveyard near Stirling. Organised by the Logie Old Graveyard Group, the tours gave visitors the chance to explore this historic site, discover fascinating carved gravestones and uncover the stories preserved in the stone.

Which spooky Scottish sites have you been exploring? 👀 Let us know in the comments!

📸 Image 1: Ryazzz88, own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=135014258

28/10/2026

Bedrule Castle Excavation: Talk & Artefact Handling!

📅 Thursday 19 November 2026
⏰ 5:30pm–6:45pm
📍 Bedrule Village Hall, TD9 8TE

What can archaeology reveal about the mysteries of Bedrule Castle? Following a fruitful season of excavation in August 2026, Archaeology Scotland and Heritage and Archaeological Research Practice invite you to join us for a fascinating talk and artefact handling session exploring the discoveries at this enigmatic site and what the future might hold.

With connections to the Wars of Independence, the Anglo-Scottish Wars, the Rough Wooing and the powerful Turnbull clan, Bedrule Castle has a rich history waiting to be uncovered.

Get up close to some of the most exciting finds from previous excavations and discover how these fascinating objects help us piece together the story of the castle and the people who once lived there.

Free to attend, with tea and biscuits provided!

Getting here: The meeting point is Bedrule Village Hall. Parking is available at Bedrule Church. Please do not park in front of the cottages or on the single-track road.

Interested in joining us? Contact Kieran to register your interest or find out more: ✉️ [email protected]

24/10/2026

Scottish Archaeology News! 🗞

Scottish Castles Association Archive are creating a national record of Scotland’s castles and helping secure their future in the process.

The is working with the to develop a permanent, freely accessible digital archive of Scotland's castles and fortified heritage. The pilot is already underway, with significant collections being digitised, including the Robert and Nicholas Bogdan collection, and a small selection already available online.

The longer-term ambition is to create a living national resource bringing together historic photographs, drawings and research with systematic castle recording and fieldwork. It will help establish what survives, what is changing and what is at risk, while creating opportunities for researchers, students, volunteers and local communities to contribute to recording Scotland's castle heritage.

The Archive will be formally launched at Dundas Castle on 18 November, with presentations by Professor Richard Oram and Simon Forder. Keep an eye out for it's launch!

20/10/2026

LAST CHANCE: Join Us for our AGM 🎉

It is the last chance to buy tickets before our AGM this weekend and we would love to see you there!

Join us at Cowane’s Hospital, Stirling or online this Saturday October 24th for a day of talks, tours and discussions on Scottish Archaeology.

Find out more and book your ticket here: https://www.archaeologyscotland.org.uk/archaeology-scotlands-agm-2026/

17/10/2026

Crois Chnoca Breaca, South Uist 🌊

Overlooking the Atlantic coast to the west of Stoneybridge on South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, Crois Chnoca Breaca is an unusual standing stone whose distinctive silhouette resembles a human figure or a cross with one arm missing.

Standing approximately 6 ft 8 inches tall, the stone rises from a small, grass-covered mound close to the shore. Despite its cross-like appearance, the archaeological record describes it as a natural rock formation rather than a deliberately carved monument.

The stone is associated with a local tradition of Christian pilgrimage and prayer. According to accounts of the area's folklore, travellers journeying from the south towards Howmore Church would stop here to kneel and pray, facing the church. The stone has consequently been linked with the idea of a traditional “bowing stone”, although the precise origins of the monument and its name remain uncertain.

Its recorded Gaelic name, Crois Chnoca Breaca, is associated with its resemblance to a cross. However, the exact translation of the full name is less certain than is sometimes suggested.

The stone's present lean has also attracted interest, although it is unclear whether this reflects its original position or movement over time.

Today, Crois Chnoca Breaca is recognised as a Scheduled Monument, preserving an intriguing feature of South Uist's landscape and folklore. Whether its significance began in prehistoric times or became attached to it through later Christian tradition remains an open question.

📸- Uist Community Archaeology Group

16/10/2026

Upcoming Talk with Scotland's Community Heritage Conversations 2026 🎤

📣Scotland's Community Heritage Conversations presents: Sharing Our Strengths
📍The Engine Shed, Stirling and On-Line
📆Thursday, November 26 | 9:30 AM - 4:25 PM

Join the event on Thursday 26th November for a full day of inspiring presentations, lively discussion, hands‑on workshops, and plenty of chances to connect with peers from across the country. Celebrating community heritage through talks, workshops and connection opportunities, showing how collaboration sparks learning and growth.

Scotland's Community Heritage Conversation 2026 will feature presentations and workshops that highlight how collaboration – across communities, generations, cultures, or sectors – creates fresh opportunities for learning and growth, as well as providing attendees with a chance to reflect on their own support strengths and needs.

Get your tickets here: https://tinyurl.com/bdd9a5wt

12/10/2026

Last Few Spaces Left! Join Our Archaeology-Based Employability Programme for Parents in Midlothian! 🤩

📆 Tuesday 27 October - 17 December 2026, every Tuesday and Thursday, 10am-2pm
📍Newbattle Abbey College, Dalkeith EH22 3LL.

What to expect from the programme:

- Boost your confidence
- Take part in archaeology based activities
- Develop transferable skills
- Learn about Manual Handling, Health & Safety and achieve a certificate in First Aid
- Improve your literacy and numeracy
- Explore greener, outdoor jobs
- Learn heritage skills
- Unlock new opportunities

Contact Dominique at: [email protected] for more details and to register.