The recommendations below apply specifically to the post-medieval period in the Highlands. Some research questions in the Land and Environment section 3.10 may also apply to this period.
Many research questions from the original National ScARF and other regional research frameworks are also relevant and applicable in the Highlands. These will soon be all be searchable and available all together through our our new digital platform facility.
General
HARF Agenda 10.1: The potential evidence provided by inter- and multidisciplinary approaches should increasingly be the norm, and built into research proposals.
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Sites should be targeted where there is historical, documentary, oral history evidence in English and Gaelic as well as archaeological potential to allow for multidisciplinary approaches.
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01/09/2021Date of next review:
01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.2: Greater use of dendrochronology which can provide information on climate, source of the timber (local or imported), boat building techniques and of course dating is needed.
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Wood samples should be taken as a matter of course when renovating or demolishing structures, or investigating shipwrecks. Although at present samples may have insufficient rings for dating, new techniques will certainly be found, and it is important to preserve samples when found.
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01/09/2021Date of next review:
01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.3: Reforestation targets and peatland restoration will result in large destruction, and all activities should be researched and investigated before planting. Archaeology can also help to inform how this works in a fair and sustainable way.
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01/09/2021Date of next review:
01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.4: Sources in Gaelic or from the Gaelic tradition contain a good deal of information, often first-hand and in the voices of the people who lived in the region.
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More effort needs to be made to use these sources, and where possible partner with other organisations where there are language barriers.
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01/09/2021Date of next review:
01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkEnvironmental
HARF Agenda 10.5: More multi-proxy studies can provide local information about climate, crops grown and shieling activity.
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01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.6: Environmental analysis should be undertaken to provide evidence of linen production, including evidence for flax growing and retting ponds.
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01/09/2021Date of next review:
01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkSettlement and Daily Life
HARF Agenda 10.10: Investigation of mills, with regional styles, uses, power sources and sourcing of millstones.
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01/09/2021Date of next review:
01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.12: Further investigation of mixed farming systems, looking at local and regional patterns, linking documentary, archaeological and palaeobotanical evidence.
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01/09/2021Date of next review:
01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.13: More detailed investigation of material evidence of sheep farming including shepherd’s houses, wool stores, enclosures, fanks and stells.
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01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.14: Investigation of the introduction of innovations in farm buildings such as covered cattle courts and construction of concrete buildings.
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01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.15: Detailed investigation of material culture combined with documentary should be used to address questions on how unequal society was, how far down the social scale they were used, and issues of where they came from and how they were transported in the Highlands.
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Artefacts with good diagnostic dating which usefully could be focussed on included ceramics, clay pipes, snuff mills and snuff mulls, jaw harps, annular brooches, products of Highland silversmiths, communion tokens, beggars’ badges, gun flints, weight sets, trade tokens and coins, paying attention to provenance. Fieldwalking reports and excavation reports need to be combed, as often this information is an aside to prehistoric foci.
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01/09/2021Date of next review:
01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.16: Investigation of field sports including keeper’s residences, deer larders, kennel and grouse butts to add to existing work on sporting lodges.
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01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.17: Evidence of curling and other sports should be collected, including memories and survey of any remains.
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01/09/2021Date of next review:
01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.18: More work identifying Traveller workmanship, mapping the remains of campsites and routes across the Highlands, and their place in Highland culture is needed.
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01/09/2021Date of next review:
01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.7: The need for systematic survey to understand wider distributions of settlement evidence with the targeting of: building types, undisturbed townships and field systems, townships and grazing, pre-improvement agriculture.
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01/09/2021Date of next review:
01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.8: Survey and dating of crofting landscapes needed to provide further information on the introduction of crofting and its impacts.
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01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.9: Surveys and studies of icehouses which are often in ruinous condition and other buildings associated with the fishing industry such as salmon bothies, kilns or corf houses.
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01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkIndustry
HARF Agenda 10.20: Further work on Highland sawmills is desirable, given good documentary remains, memories and some remains on the ground. In particular, wartime saw mills have potential for further research.
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01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.21: Further research into flax industry, including introduction of flax, importation, identification of retting ponds, and documentary evidence of local use and export.
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01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.30: Further work is needed on inns, including looking for the evidence of stills.
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01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkTransport and Movement
HARF Agenda 10.22: Further work needed on recording the structures associated with the railways, from fencing to bothies, as well as buildings constructed of sleepers. Good photographic archives exist to place these in context.
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01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.23: Further recording and research on intertidal wrecks is needed, as these are often at risk.
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01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.26: Given how much of the Highlands was dependent on boats, more work is needed to research boat buildings in the Highland and resources needed.
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01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkConflict
HARF Agenda 10.24: The Highlands has good surviving evidence of military sites, particularly WWI and WWII, and these should be investigated and researched in combination with the documentary evidence available.
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01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.25: Oral history projects should be undertaken as a matter of urgency for WWII and Cold War sites
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01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.27: Detailed survey and research of individual sites or complexes e.g PoW camps, Loch Ewe complex, Inverness fixed defences, radar stations
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01/09/2021Date of next review:
01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkHARF Agenda 10.28: Undertake targeted research at military and forestry camp sites taking the social aspects into account, such as their involvement, social and economic effects
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01/09/2024Found in the following Frameworks:
The Scottish Archaeological Research FrameworkAre there research recommendations that you think are missing?
Why not add your comment below which will be flagged to ScARF (or get in touch with ScARF directly) and new questions will be considered for addition at the next revision.