Archaeology Festival to showcase historic past of Caithness

Over three weeks, from this Saturday (September 25) the Highland Archaeology Festival will offer a range of walks, talks, workshops, exhibitions, and activities for all ages.

The festival is organised by the Highland Council’s development and infrastructure service and features over a hundred events, including special exhibitions at museums, as well as geocaches and trails exploring our rich heritage from prehistoric times through to the 20th century.

In Caithness there is a walk to investigate wartime remains at Dunnet Head, online talks on excavations at Swartigill and finds from Freswick and a special exhibition at Castlehill Heritage Centre on maps and sea charts.

Chair of the council’s economy and infrastructure committee, Councillor Trish Robertson, said: “The Highland Archaeology Festival is the premier event of its kind in Scotland. We live in an area where the heritage is so accessible, with many local societies and museums promoting their area and undertaking important 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 our heritage.”

The Highland Council’s archaeologist Kirsty Cameron said: “We’re delighted to be able to run the events programme again this year and it’s fantastic that so many organisations and museums have offered activities which celebrate archaeology, history and heritage. Walks to special places are always popular, and people are keen to get out and about more, especially after the past year.

“Last year due to Covid we organised a series of online talks, attracting people from all over the world. This year we have organised an expanded programme of lunchtime and evening talks."

There are activities to tempt people to explore far and wide, with events from Caithness to Badenoch, Skye to Nairn. As usual, the festival overlaps the first week of the October school holidays, so there are some special children’s activities in the programme too. As well as outdoor walks, there are indoor workshops, including a focus on the marvellous aerial photos collection of the late Jim Bone, now available online.

For full details of these and other events, see the Highland Archaeology Festival 2021 brochure available from local libraries, museums, visitor information points, and various other venues or from the festival website www.highlandarchaeologyfestival.org

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