Scottish Medievalists, 61st meeting, Croy - Jan 2018.

Research into Scottish castles in the central middle ages has not been subject to a comprehensive review of sites which incorporates more recent excavation and survey work. This paper presents selected results from a systematic assessment of castles and lordship centres in Scotland, part of the author's PhD thesis. This is intended to offer an insight into macro-level trends of occupation and investment in lordly architecture across six centuries (10th-16th).

The database used Canmore [<canmore.org.uk>] as its chief source of information on determining construction and occupation at a large body of sites, supplemented with additional material. The typology of sites included in this study were chosen to reflect the thesaurus labels ascribed to them on Canmore falling within the traditional remit of castle studies (e.g. 'castle', 'motte') as well as sites whose later forms ('tower house', 'bastle') might conceal earlier evidence. Additionally, sites of traditionally prehistoric or early medieval construction and occupation ('broch', 'crannog', 'dun') were also examined, as scholarship strongly suggests phases of medieval occupation at many of these sites.

The results go some way to echoing recent research in castle studies. There is evidence for medieval occupation of typologically older sites (brochs, crannogs, duns) across the 10th-16th centuries. A similar trend is apparent in greater volumes in the occupation evidence for mottes and motte-and-baileys. These two sets of sites also bear out an apex in terms of first medieval occupation evidence in the 12th century, suggesting that the importance of that century in Scottish history should not be defined in cultural terms (e.g. Anglo-Norman settlement, the 'Davidian revolution') but via broader narratives of change in Britain, Ireland and Europe. The database hints at a sharp decrease in the growth of castles bearing first evidence of occupation in the 14th century, perhaps reflecting major challenges to political stability and economic and social wellbeing of that century. The paper concludes that the use of typology as a tool for understanding castles is useful and effective, but represents a means to an end. It argues that an understanding of Scotland's lordship centres must put chronology ahead of typology to properly reflect larger patterns of continuity or change.

The seventy-nine castles in the care of English Heritage Trust (EHT) are some of the most visually stunning and historically important in the world. In recent years, EHT has explored new ways of sharing the histories and stories of these properties with local communities and with domestic and international visitors. This paper presents a review of these approaches, outlining the ways in which the Trust has applied different methodologies to castles within certain areas of operation, such as Interpretation; Digital Content ; and Conservation. It assesses the self-reflection of EHT staff members from some of the organisa-tion's operations as to how certain strategies and approaches have met the expectations of both the EHT and its target audiences. It outlines approaches to sharing our passion for these properties which were not heavily reliant on significant monetary investment, for instance examining how to re-interpret castles in the context of a challenging economic climate. It assesses some of the philosophies behind the decisions made as well. These reflections are examined in the context of a new castle interpretation project currently underway , at Warkworth Castle in Northumberland, England. They are presented to our international colleagues with the explicit desire to share our experiences and improve our industry's approach to the interpretation of humanity's rich castle heritage.

Errata
p. 993, col. 2, l. 19, 'Robert', corr.  'Roberta.'
p. 996, col. 1., l. 2, '(Fig. 2y Fig. 3)', corr '(Fig. 2 and Fig. 3)'

[In lieu of an abstract] This paper discusses the early history of Richmond Castle (North Yorkshire, England). It presents a new interpretation of a vaulted passageway beneath the east end of residential-ceremonial quarter of the castle centered on Scolland's Hall. It argues that the evidence hints the gateway may have been referencing a burhgeat, an architectural element of high-status complexes in England in the 11th century. The paper moves a century later, to discuss a new interpretation of the 12th-century Great Tower, emphasizing its ceremonial qualities above all others.

ISBN 978-1-904180-23-4