Discovering Scotland's Past

02/10/2026

Call for applications: Cameron Fellowship!

The Department of Modern History at the University of St Andrews invites applications for the Cameron Fellowship in Early Modern History, to be taken up during either semester of the academic year 2027-2028.

The Fellowship is open to any academic in a permanent university post with research interests in any aspect of early modern history to c.1780. The financial aspect of the fellowship is a subsidy (up to £4000) towards the cost of travel to St Andrews and accommodation during their stay. The successful applicant is normally someone enjoying research leave from their own institution. The Fellowship carries with it no teaching duties; instead, the Fellow is expected to take part in the normal seminar life of the community of early modern historians during their stay in St Andrews. Fortnightly seminars, held on a Thursday evening, run from September to December, and February to May. You will also be invited to lead a workshop on your chosen research theme during your stay. Fellows are provided with computing facilities and office space in one of the buildings occupied by the department. The University Library and Martyrs’ Kirk have excellent collections for early modern historians.

To apply, please send the following materials to the Co-Directors of the Institute of Reformation Studies and Early Modern History, Professor Emily Michelson and Dr Jacqueline Rose:

• A letter of application
• A scheme of research for the project on which you will be engaged during your time in St Andrews
• A CV
• The names of two academic referees who should be asked to send references by the closing date.
Please send your application by 5pm (UK time) on 14 December 2026. Previous applicants should not be deterred from applying.

Further enquiries may be addressed to the Co-Directors of the Institute at the above email addresses. We look forward to receiving your applications.
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01/10/2026

GRANTS ANNOUNCEMENT: Audrey Henshall Legacy Fund Reopens

Thanks to a generous bequest to the Society from Audrey Henshall OBE HonFSAScot, we are offering a grant of up to £10,000 for the successful applicant to develop and undertake a significant research project which supports research or fieldwork on pre-Roman antiquities in Scotland.

Find out more and apply by 11:59pm (UK time) on 30 November 2026: https://www.socantscot.org/news/audrey-henshall-legacy-fund-reopens/

01/10/2026

Mary, Queen of Scots: Renaissance and Resistance, opens at the National Museum of Scotland next June

19/09/2026

An exciting opportunity exists in Dumfries for a Project Manager – for the Burns Tourism Partnership.

Refreshed Role & Expanded Delivery Models | 2-Year Contract

The Burns Tourism Partnership is seeking an exceptional Project Manager to drive forward an ambitious two-year programme designed to strengthen the Burns visitor economy in Dumfries.
Having refined our approach following an initial recruitment phase, we are re-opening applications with expanded delivery options to ensure we find the right person, capacity, and approach.

What We’re Looking For
You don’t need to be a Robert Burns expert. What matters most is your ability to turn plans into action, keep multiple projects moving, build strong relationships, and deliver practical results on the ground.

The Scope: Drive visitor-experience development, manage digital assets, connect local businesses, engage the community, and facilitate the delivery of an exciting physical development "In the Footsteps of Burns".
Location: Place-based in Dumfries (with sensible hybrid working options upon agreement).
Flexibility: We welcome applications for full-time employment (£30,000 p.a.), part-time employment, or freelance/consultancy proposals.

Closing Date: 9am, Monday 5th October 2026

https://www.ssdalliance.com/destination-development/burns/project-manager-btp/

29/08/2026

20/08/2026

When the police finally came to clear the township of Sollas in the summer of 1849, the men of the village stepped back. The women did not, and that is the reason we know the story at all. 🌾

Sollas sits on the north coast of North Uist, on the machair, that strip of shell sand grassland that is some of the most fertile ground in the Hebrides. The potato blight had come through and roughly seven hundred people there were destitute. In May 1849 their landlord, Lord Macdonald, served notices of removal. The tenants petitioned for a delay. They asked to be allowed to lift the harvest that was already in the ground before they were put off it. The answer was no.

The first attempt at eviction in July collapsed when the landlord's men were driven off with stones. Police were then brought in from Inverness and from Glasgow, and the confrontation that followed on 2 August is remembered as the Battle of Sollas. As the officers advanced, the accounts agree that the men of the township held back and the women went forward, and it was the women who met the police with stones and with their bodies. Some were beaten. The clearance went ahead. More than six hundred people were put out.

Four men were later charged with deforcement, the crime of obstructing officers of the law. They were tried, and they were convicted, and the jury attached a recommendation for mercy so strong that it functioned as a verdict on the landlord rather than on them. The court understood perfectly well what it was looking at.

The people of Sollas were scattered. Many ended up in Canada. The machair is still there, and it is still green, and there is almost nothing standing on it. 🦢

We talk about the Clearances as something that happened to Highlanders. It is worth saying plainly that in a great many townships the last line of resistance was a row of women in shawls with nothing in their hands.

If your line runs back into Uist and stops, this is very often where it stops. 💙

11/08/2026

On this day in 1757: Thomas Telford was born in Eskdale. The civil engineer was dubbed the 'Colossus of Roads' as he project managed over 1,100 miles of new roads and over a thousand bridges in Scotland, including this stunning Sligachan Old Bridge in Skye.

He was also responsible for the Caledonian Canal, Edinburgh's Dean Bridge and the Old Craigellachie Bridge. Further afield, he designed the Menai Suspension Bridge between Anglesey and Wales. In total, Telford planned, built or advised on several thousand masonry bridges throughout his lifetime.

10/08/2026

Students Michael and Rebecca join Dr Lucy Dean from the UHI Centre ...

04/08/2026

The National Humanities Center invites applications for academic-year or semester-long residential fellowships. Fellows enjoy private studies, in-house dining, and the exceptional service of NHC librarians to access and acquire all types of research materials while in residence. Our independent endowment ensures that Fellows have the time and freedom to work on what they choose.

Mid-career, senior, and emerging scholars with a strong record of peer-reviewed work from all areas of the humanities are encouraged to apply. To qualify, applicants must have received a PhD or equivalent scholarly credentials five years prior to applying. Scholars from all parts of the globe are welcome; stipends and travel expenses are provided.

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. ET, October 1, 2026.

Learn more and apply through the AFS Career Center: https://jobs.afsnet.org/job/national-humanities-center-fellow/85301479/