Conflict

Fortifications

  • What can we learn about urban defences (especially during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and the Jacobite Risings)?
  • What can we learn about coastal defences?
  • What factors led to the destruction / dereliction of fortifications? When did they fall into disrepair or were demolished?
  • To what extent did defences in South-East Scotland align with contemporary expectations of artillery fortifications?
  • To what extent did the Cromwellian regime succeed in completing its planned fortifications?
  • Did tower houses retain a defensive purpose during the post-medieval period?
  • How were medieval defences adapted to the different priorities of post-medieval warfare?
  • What can we learn about the development of barracks in the region?

Battlefields

  • Can we better understand the landscape of the Battle of Dunbar (1650)?
  • What can we learn about the use of field artillery?
  • What were army camps like before and after major battles? Where were such camps located?
  • What happened to the bodies of people killed in battle? To what extent were there mass graves? Where were mass graves located?
  • What can we learn about smaller engagements / skirmishes?
  • What can we discover about the routes of armies on the way to battles?

Weapons and Military Equipment

  • How did the weaponry used in South-East Scotland develop over the course of the post-medieval period?
  • What can we learn about the development and adoption of small firearms?
  • To what extent were weapons manufactured in the region? How widespread were imported weapons and military equipment?
  • Was there increasing standardisation in weaponry? Did growing military professionalisation transform equipment?
  • What can we discover about the use of light and heavy cavalry?
  • What can we learn about the production and deployment of artillery in South-East Scotland?

Wider Impact of Conflict

  • How much devastation was caused by major campaigns?
  • To what extent did small-scale raiding and skirmishing disrupt life in South-East Scotland?
  • How were armies supplied? What impact did this have on surrounding communities?
  • How did the presence of military garrisons affect surrounding communities?
  • What can we learn about naval activity in the region?