A blast from the past in the Highlands

A festival celebrating archaeology in the Highlands is now underway.
The Highland Archaeology Festival 2017 is provided by the Highland Council and runs over two weeks each October to celebrate the heritage of the Highlands, from earliest settlers to modern times, below ground and above.
With events to appeal to a seasoned archaeologist and complete beginners, the festival will let visitors explore an amazing range of places and collections.
There’s something to suit everyone and many of the events are free.
Now in its 24th year, the much-anticipated festival, which runs until October 15, is organised by Highland Council’s development and infrastructure service, this year features over 80 events, special exhibitions at museums throughout the Highlands, a museums trail with 16 participating museums and a geocache trail exploring the area’s rich heritage from prehistoric times through to the 20th century.
This year the programme includes a wide array of events provided by local experts and national organisations, and includes walks, talks, tours, workshops, exhibitions and much more.
There are events aimed specifically for children, though many of the other events welcome children with adults.
On October 13, there will be hands-on workshops ranging from photography to internet maps.
The same evening there will be a special keynote talk by Dr Alison Sheridan exploring what DNA analysis of prehistoric remains can tell us about Highland prehistory.

Launching the Highland Archaeology Festival 2017

Highland Council’s archaeologist Kirsty Cameron said: “We’re delighted that so many organisations and museums have again offered such a range of activities which celebrate archaeology, history and archaeology from earliest settlers to modern times.
“Walks to special places in the Highlands and talks describing aspects of our heritage are always popular. But this year we also have a range of unusual activities showing how our local heritage links to many other aspects of the Highlands.
“Back by popular demand is an archaeology pub quiz, craft activities, Scottish country dancing to archaeological tunes and hands-on workshop afternoon at Highland Council.”
Chair of the Highland Council’s places Ccmmittee, Councillor Allan Henderson said: “The Highland Archaeology Festival is the premier event of its kind in Scotland, and attracts people from a wide area. We live in an area where the heritage is so accessible, and many local societies and museums promote their local area and projects.”
There are several activities to tempt people to explore further afield. Sixteen museums have chosen a special object in their collections. A passport is available in the festival brochure or from the website where participating museums will record the visit – and the person with the most stamps will win a prize. New this year is a HAF2017 geocache trail, where special geocaches have been hidden at sites related to Highland heritage. A special afternoon at the Highland Council headquarters in Inverness on the 13th October provides an opportunity to learn new skills, from photography to building survey, and how to use the Council’s database of all known heritage, the Historic Environment Record.
For more information, visit the festival website www.highlandarchaeologyfestival.org,