It is fair to say that Autumn has arrived, bringing cooler temperatures and a slower pace following the buzz of summer. This is therefore a great time to turn our attention to the myriad ideas and projects which have been floating in the background.
As we make our way through the busiest time of year at TDC, we have certainly aimed to keep everyone entertained over the holidays. July was a fun-filled month, beginning with a concert by the Coaltown Daisies performed live in our Crypt to kick off this year’s Randan music festival.
When the pupils of Tarbat Old Primary school came to the Discovery Centre for a visit, they probably weren’t expecting to be face to face with a Victorian school mistress. Yet that is exactly who they encountered as they lined up to enter ‘Mrs Cook’s’ classroom.
This is well written and very readable for those not looking for an academic tome. Stuart McHardy takes us through a history of the Picts and their links to other Celtic nations and other nations beyond. I was particularly interested in his discussions around oral traditions of passing information down through generations and how this related to the Picts and their standing stones.
Visitors to the museum in recent weeks may have noticed various maintenance works being carried out. Though being housed in a grade-B listed historic church is a wonderful thing, naturally this brings its own challenges when it comes to repairs and renovations. Thanks to funding from the Wolfson Foundation we have been able to get some much-needed work completed on the building, including re-painting the external doors and windows. Nonetheless, summer is shaping up to be filled with interesting talks and other fun events.
This is a beautiful little book which tells a heartwarming local story from Cadboll. In it we follow the tale of how Tiger the cat came into the life of Diana Wood. Tiger’s strong personality is clear from their first encounter, and we really get to know all of his quirks and routines. The author takes us through the various ups and downs of Diana’s relationship with Tiger in a very lighthearted and entertaining way.
The busy season is upon us, and we have been lucky with some sunny days in Portmahomack recently. April has certainly been a good start for us at the Discovery Centre with lots of events and the continued support of our brilliant volunteers and visitors alike. In fact we have seen renewed interest following the recent news of Thomas Keyes’ new project to recreate the Pictish vellum tank found during excavations here, sparking some interesting conversations about our collections. Though recently we have brought the focus to our more recent history.
This book is not a novel, but a genuine attempt to answer a question long asked about the Stone of Destiny, or Stone of Scone (or Jacob’s pillow); the coronation stone of Scottish monarchs from before the creation of the Kingdom of Alba. The stone that was stolen by Edward the first of England in 1296…or was it? Read David Maule’s entertaining evidence and conclusions and make up your own mind.
Our first month welcoming both volunteers and visitors back to the museum seems to have flown past. Though the weather has been unpredictable (to say the least) thankfully this did not deter people from popping in. Of course now we are fully open from 10am – 4pm Monday to Saturday, so hopefully we will see even more of you!
The front cover says it all! Ancient Kirkmichael, on its beautiful site beside Udale Bay, had been abandoned and falling into ruin for generations when Kirkmichael trust was formed by the local community in 2002. The book is much more than documentation of the fabric of the Kirk and graveyard. The people commemorated on the memorials have been brought to life, with excerpts from letters and documents from their time.
The days are finally growing lighter, and with that we are springing into action ready to welcome visitors through our doors once again. Our volunteers have been busy clearing and preparing the Centre, which is now spick and span thanks to their hard work. Yet February remained a busy month for us at the museum.
Though the year certainly got off to a cold start, the weather didn’t seem to deter visitors to the Centre. Indeed, Dr Jim Mackay’s talk on the work he, Jim Ritchie and Davine Sutherland have done to survey tombstones in our graveyard was completely sold out – and then some! Jim gave an excellent talk and garnered plenty of laughs from the audience with his characteristic wit. Our next talk also promises to be very enlightening, as author Philip Paris will take us on a journey through the history of the 17th century Scottish Covenanters.
