22 September 2009

Media Releases

Culture Minister Michael Russell went behind the scenes to see one of Scotland’s most impressive country homes and its remarkable collection of Chippendale furniture. Dumfries House was bought by a consortium led by HRH The Duke of Rothesay in 2007 and was opened to the public the following year for the first time in it’s 300-year history.

22 September 2009

Media Releases

Standing on a 100 foot sea cliff, visitors to the Castle of Old Wick can’t help but be impressed by its dramatic location. This week an archaeologist and a stonemason will get an even stronger sense of its drama when they abseil over the edge to inspect are area of walling which is at risk of decay.

17 September 2009

Media Releases

New pictures suggest that a remote Neolithic island burial mound may contain carvings of human eyes and eyebrows like those recently discovered on Scotland’s oldest human figurine. The 5,000-year-old 3.5cm tall stone carved figurine was recently found during the Historic Scotland funded excavation at the Links of Noltland prehistoric settlement on the Orkney island of Westray.

16 September 2009

Media Releases

An appeal for information about a set of photographs of Stanley Mills from nearly 90 years ago has been a success. The glass plate negatives were gifted to Historic Scotland following the death of Phyllis Culbert whose family had a long association with the mill complex on the banks of the River Tay, near Perth. While the chances of identifying any of the people in the pictures seemed small, Historic Scotland made an appeal through the media and also went through its own records to track down a cousin of Mrs Culbert’s who now lives in Dalkeith. Derek Culbert, who had not known of the existence of the photographs, immediately recognised family members including his father, uncle and grandfather. He also named the photographer as another relative, David Ness Culbert.

16 September 2009

Media Releases

The Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution, Michael Russell, has welcomed a new book from Historic Scotland which offers fascinating insights into the later medieval history of Scotland’s Cradle of Christianity. Clothing For The Soul Divine – Excavations at Whithorn Priory details the results of historical and scientific analysis of the remains discovered in high-status graves at Whithorn Priory, following recent rediscovery of the original excavation records. MSP Michael Russell said: “This latest research has been tremendously important in revealing more about the importance of Whithorn as a centre of Christianity during the later middle ages. I hope it will further our efforts to raise awareness of the area’s role in Scotland’s history, and encourage yet more people to visit a region which has so much to offer."