'Dobhran' The logboat

 

The logboat project is based on the River Conan logboat in the National Museum of Scotland.  The replica took a year and a half to turn a 9 metre tree into a logboat, only using traditional tools that would have been used 2000 years ago.  Following a successful crossing of the Firth of Forth in the Autumn of 2022, the logboat has been sent to its new home in the north of Scotland. 

 

Our replica has been gifted to the Crannog Centre on Loch Tay.  

The Farming Project

 

 

This was our first project in 2012, we worked with lots of local Schools and Community Groups in Edinburgh.  We wanted to find out how much land you need to grow a loaf of bread (in the Iron Age).  1.6m2 is the answer.

 

Growing, threshing, milling and eating, we did it all. 

The Roman Shoemaking project

 

 

This was our 2016 project, inspired by Vindolanda Roman Fort on Hadrian's Wall.  Where over a 1000 well preserved Roman shoes have been found (nearly all of them are odd).  

 

We made replicas of almost 50 of these designs and took a wonderful group of Young Archaeology Club volunteers to Hadrian Wall to try them out. 

Past & Present Projects

Mary Queen of Scots Sewing Project

 

This project involved 33 volunteers and 2 years of their time to creat a replica of the Marian Hanging.  This is the name of a incredible piece of needlwork made by Mary Queen of Scots during her 19 years of imprisonment. 

 

Our replica is now on permanent display in the Royal Apartment in Edinburgh Castle.

Blast from the Past

 

This project was set in the Bathgate Hills, west of Edinburgh, and was focussed on the prehistoric people that lived there. 

 

A beautiful loan box and series of information banners are on display at the BeeCraigs Country Park Visitor Information Centre.  

The Ancient Woodland Project

  NEW

 

The Heritage Lottery Fund have just awarded us funding for this one year pilot project starting in Decmber 2022.  With the ambition of expanding and connecting the fragments of Ancient Woodland in the City of Edinburgh.  We will work with two inner city Schools.  Pupils will survey their local Ancient Woodland, do historical research, and calculate the carbon locked into the forest.  Each pupil will then plant a tree, adding over 1,200 trees to the back gardens and driveways surrounding the Ancient Woodlands.