7.2.3 Wetlands

In the Middle Ages Perth and Kinross had far more extensive wetlands than today. For example, there were substantial marshy and waterlogged areas at places such as Methven Moss and the Carse of Gowrie. Some of these former marshes and bodies of water are remembered in place-names. Further study of locations with names such as ‘moss’ and ‘mòine’ might be of interest. Medieval charters and post-medieval maps similarly provide clues about vanished lochs and marshes. There was also an extensive and valuable inter-tidal zone in the Firth of Tay consisting of saltmarsh and mudflats.

The post-medieval period saw widespread drainage of wetlands and stripping of peat, causing significant disruption to the archaeological record. Nevertheless, research into the location, uses and habitability of medieval wetlands is of considerable importance for understanding broader settlement patterns. For example, the complex settlement patterns of the Carse of Gowrie probably relate to habitable areas in otherwise waterlogged terrain. Understanding of the setting and significance of elite residences can likewise be altered by awareness of lost bodies of water. For instance, Caisteal Dubh, Moulin was originally set on an island in a loch, which later became marsh, prior to being thoroughly drained in the 18th century (MPK1613; Clapperton 2005, 117–8).

Image of large drystone monuments, shaped like cones. They are placed in a landscape of green, brown, yellow and red heather. The land is dense and wet.
The wetlands at Caisteal Dubh ©️ Michael Walsh (CC BY)

Drainage of wetlands was already underway in the Middle Ages. There is written evidence for Coupar Angus Abbey draining parts of the Carse of Gowrie in the late 12th and early 13th centuries (Duncan 1975, 320–1). Unfortunately, these early drainage ditches or ‘pows’ are difficult to identify and date archaeologically. Documentary evidence is therefore likely to be significant in understanding medieval drainage projects.

Newly drained lands were often agriculturally productive. In the early 15th century John Hardyng described the Carse of Gowrie as ‘a plentifull countree… of corne and catell, and all commoditees’ (Hume Brown 1891, 19). Yet we should be wary of dismissing undrained wetlands as intrinsically unprofitable. Depending on their nature, they had considerable potential for grazing, reed cutting, providing fuel, wildfowling and fishing. Wetland research in other North Sea nations has shown considerable medieval exploitation (O’Sullivan 2012). Our present understanding of the location and extent of medieval wetlands in Perth and Kinross, their management and exploitation and the date and process of drainage could be significantly developed. A combination of field survey and analysis of medieval and post-medieval written evidence may provide significant insights into this topic.

Surviving wetlands can preserve important archaeological material. The waterlogged soil of even relatively developed areas of Perth and Kinross, such as the burgh of Perth, has provided exceptional organic finds for the medieval period. As a result, the potential of existing wetlands is widely recognised, and is of considerable relevance to researchers working in many parts of Perth and Kinross.

Research Priorities

PKARF Agenda 7.8: Using interdisciplinary approaches to identify former areas of marsh and other wetlands in Perth and Kinross.

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01/06/2022
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PKARF Agenda 7.9: Improving understanding of how the medieval residents of Perth and Kinross exploited wetlands.

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01/06/2022
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PKARF Agenda 7.10: Integrating written records and physical evidence to better understand medieval drainage projects in Perth and Kinross.

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Research Questions

PKARF Qu 7.13: Which areas of Perth and Kinross were wetlands in the Middle Ages?

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13/06/2025
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PKARF Qu 7.14: How were wetlands used and managed?

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PKARF Qu 7.15: The phenomenon of draining wetlands tends to be seen primarily as a feature of post-medieval agricultural improvement, but can we detect such activity in the medieval period?

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15/06/2025
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