SIRFA Symposium – Orkney

The third and final symposium for Scotland’s Islands Research Framework for Archaeology (SIRFA) is taking place from March 24th-27th in Kirkwall, Orkney

The event will be open to everyone with an interest in archaeological research in the Scottish Isles, including: individuals and organisations whose work involves archaeological research, as well as anyone who engages with the outcomes of research such as museums professionals, commercial archaeologists, academic researchers, archaeology students, community heritage groups, independent researchers and local and national government agencies.

Landscape photograph of multiple drystone buildings with grass covering the top of them. The walls are exposed stones and very well preserved. The settlement lies in the foreground, with a white sand beach and a blue ocean in the background. The sky is blue and cloudy.
Orkney’s Skara Brae ©️ Stuart Wilding (CC BY-SA)

The project began in July 2018, with two symposiums having already taken place in the Western Isles in January 2019, and Shetland in September 2019. Now, with the final Orkney symposium fast approaching, the SIRFA project is in its final stages. Please contact us if you have any questions about SIRFA. 

A group of 30 people pose in front of a large, drystone tower. Some are standing and others are crouched. The tower lies against the background of a blue sky and the people have sun on their faces.
Participants of the SIRFA Symposium at the Broch of Mousa, Shetland, in 2019 ©️ ScARF

During the course of the symposium, which includes an optional day trip to Hoy (details below), different themes will be explored through talks and discussions in order to identify research gaps and areas of research potential.

Registration for the symposium is now closed as we have reached capacity but you can still click here to join the waiting list just in case some people are unable to make it. The event timetable is below:

SIRFA Orkney Research Questions

The SIRFA team have created a Research Questions Survey for the Orkney Symposium which is now live! If you have any relevant research questions you think need answered, or areas of research that you feel are ignored, please visit the survey here and let your voice be heard.

You don’t need to attend the symposium to submit a question, all ideas welcome!

Hoy fieldtrip

On the 24th March, delegates are invited to join a fieldtrip to Hoy to explore the vast landscape and significant archaeological evidence preserved across the island. A detailed schedule for the trip will be made available soon. The trip costs £25 to cover coach hire and expenses.

If you would like to take part in the trip visit the Hoy fieldtrip page to purchase your ticket for the trip separately.

If you have any issues or questions, please get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to help.


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