7.2.1 Highland and Lowland Landscapes

Perth and Kinross has a great variety of both upland and lowland terrain. It includes inhospitable high mountains, waterlogged river valleys and most environments in between. Fertile arable land, rough grazing, marginal uplands, low-lying carse lands and flooded mosses were all present in medieval Perth and Kinross. Any attempt to develop regional research priorities must recognise the diversity of environments in this part of Scotland.

Landscape image of a farmlands in the foreground and large hills in the background. There is a large wind farm visible to the right of the photo.
The Perth and Kinross landscape, showing highlands and lowlands ©️ HES

The RCAHMS surveys of eastern Perth and Kinross provide valuable insights into the evolution of the landscape over much of the region, and may hint at relevant trends in areas not covered (RCAHMS 1990; 1994). In many parts of Perth and Kinross there have been significant changes in land usage between the Middle Ages and today. Post-medieval drainage projects, modern agricultural practices and urban expansion have all affected the landscape. Both written records and modern scientific methods can help us understand the rather different landscapes of the past. For example, recent landscape archaeology projects at the University of Stirling have used documentary evidence and environmental science to shed light on medieval land use (Tipping et al 2016, 111–28).

A large body of property records, such as charters and rentals, survive for much of Perth and Kinross from the 14th century onwards, and there is fragmentary written evidence for earlier periods. These economic and legal documents contain a significant amount of information on land use and notable geographic features. Later maps and estate records also have considerable potential for highlighting changes which have occurred between the Middle Ages and the present. It is hoped that future research will increasingly link the remarkable textual and physical evidence present in Perth and Kinross.

Many of the questions we ask regarding landscape will relate to local and site-specific topics of interest. However, some broad themes are worthwhile highlighting. At present our understanding of the degree of variation in land use between upland and lowland areas, and the many gradations between, remains limited. Our knowledge of biodiversity in Perth and Kinross in the Middle Ages, and how that compares to other regions and periods, could similarly be improved.

Climate change and its impact on upland and marginal communities could also be an area for further research. While climatic alterations in earlier periods, such as the Bronze Age, have been the subject of considerable archaeological interest, experiences of climate change in Perth and Kinross in the Middle Ages have been relatively neglected. This is surprising, as there is evidence for farming and settlement at relatively high altitudes prior to the 14th-century cold spell. For example, the study of the deer park at Buzzart Dykes, Middleton Muir revealed rig and furrow at 270m above sea level, apparently associated with a building dated to the 13th or 14th centuries (MPK3821; D Hall and Malloy 2016, 27; see Buzzart Dykes Case Study). Building and cultivation remains have been found at similar heights across much of the north-east uplands of Perth and Kinross (RCAHMS 1990; Strachan et al 2019).

Oblique aerial photograph of green farmland, with the long rows of bumps and valleys making the rig and furrow pattern.
Rig and furrow landscape visible at Buzzart Dykes ©️ HES

Research Priorities

PKARF Agenda 7.1: Enhancing understanding of the landscape of medieval Perth and Kinross, particularly in the less studied western parts of the region.

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PKARF Agenda 7.2: Comparative research regarding the use of upland and lowland landscapes in the Middle Ages.

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PKARF Agenda 7.3: Understanding the impact of climate change on Perth and Kinross in the Middle Ages, including how it affected habitable zones.

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PKARF Agenda 7.4: Studying changing biodiversity in medieval Perth and Kinross.

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Research Questions

PKARF Qu 7.1: What was the landscape like in different parts of Perth and Kinross in the Middle Ages?

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PKARF Qu 7.2: Were there notable differences regarding the use of land in upland and lowland areas in the Middle Ages?

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PKARF Qu 7.3: How does biodiversity in medieval Perth and Kinross compare with other places and periods?

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PKARF Qu 7.4: Is there evidence of changes in biodiversity in this region during the Middle Ages?

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PKARF Qu 7.5: How did changing climatic conditions affect the landscape in Perth and Kinross in the Middle Ages? How did climate change impact on marginal areas?

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PKARF Qu 7.6: How helpful is the concept of a Highland / Lowland divide? Is it for example detectable in material culture?

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PKARF Qu 7.7: How does the material culture we find reflect the zonality or taskscape use of the landscape?

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