Our annual conference in 2025 was a one day hybrid conference, held on Saturday 1st November, at The Rothes Halls, Glenrothes, KY7 5NX.
Our speakers were filmed by Doug Rocks-Macqueen and the talks can be viewed using these links:
Tertia Barnett The Lost Stones of Strath Tay: community excavation of prehistoric rock art
Joe Fitzpatrick and Gordon Noble Update on Excavations at East Lomond
Kenneth Green and Maureen Kilpatrick A Tale of Two Forts
Cathy MacIver Grain of Truth: prehistoric pits and medieval kilns at Loak Farm, Bankfoot
Anne Marot The Mystery of St Monan’s Church: post-medieval burials in Inverarity, Angus
An additional and very popular feature of our 2025 conference was the ‘Tayside Treasures’ slot, featuring objects from the collections of some of the museums in the Tafac area. Here are our local curators with their ‘Five Minute Treasures’.
Dundee Art Galleries and Museums Collections Unit
Sponsored by AOC Archaeology Group
Bookstalls 2025 Our bookstalls and displays are always a great place to find a bargain book and chat with our knowledgeable stallholders over a nice cup of tea during breaks.
TAFAC‘s bookstall this year benefitted from generous donations of pre-loved books. If you missed us, never mind, there’s always next year and our past publications and latest journal are available to view and download on this website, for free.
AOC Archaeology is a leading heritage group, originating in Scotland and now operating throughout Britain. Working actively with community groups in our area, AOC regularly sponsors the TAFAC conference.
Alder Archaeology has a long association with TAFAC and helped bring the Perth High Street Excavations to publication.
Publishers of the essential yearly guide Discovery and Excavation in Scotland, Archaeology Scotland is the body to consult if your community needs help to Adopt a Monument, find learning resources or find a local archaeological group.
Historic Environment Scotland is the lead public body set up to investigate, care for and promote Scotland’s historic environment.
Perthshire Society of Natural Science The Archaeological and Historical Section holds monthly evening lectures over the winter as well as summer outings, and membership includes access to the ‘Curious Minds’ series of lectures exploring the theme of Contemporary Science in Scotland.
Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust is a charitable organisation based in Perth, delivering projects, administering grants, providing information and advice, as well as outreach, learning and training activities.
Promoting interest in the history of Tayside and Fife, Abertay Historical Society holds regular monthly lectures in Dundee with occasional visits to venues in Angus, Fife and Perthshire. There are free downloads of past historical publications as well as books to buy online.
Save Wemyss Ancient Caves Society SWACS online shop offers a range of items to entice the heritage-minded buyer, with an emphasis, as you might expect, on Pictish themes.
ScARF is managed by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and grant funded by Historic Environment Scotland as a key part of it its commitment to Scotland’s Archaeology Strategy ScARF is responsible for producing a research resource for Scottish archaeology. The Perth and Kinross Archaeological Research Framework (PKARF) can be downloaded free – an essential read for researching Perthshire’s archaeology.
Saline and District Heritage Society is a community-based group that hosts regular speaker events, presentations, projects and museum open days.
Museum of Abernethy stands within the lands of the Culdees monastery. Originally consisting of an 18th century byre, stable and cattle rede, it was renovated during the 1990s to house the Museum. The Museum has a team of enthusiastic volunteers and a lively programme of events.
Dunkeld Chapter House Museum and Community Archive holds exhibitions, talks, workshops and concerts to raise funds for running costs and an annual Living History weekend.
Our 2024 conference took place in Perth on 2 November at St Matthew’s Church, Perth as well as online via Zoom.
Our speakers were filmed by Doug Rocks-Macqueen and can be viewed using these links:
Christina Hills – Later prehistoric settlement and an early medieval kiln at Loak Farm, Bankfoot
Ian Suddaby – Prehistoric and Post-Medieval features at Letham Grange, Arbroath
Mark Hall – The Return of the Stone: Making a new Perth Museum. All questions welcome!
Rich Hiden – How to build a Prehistoric Village and a Crannog in 2024
Coralie Mills – Grave origins: Tree-ring revelations from Whitefriars, Perth
Bess Rhodes – ‘Faire and fertile ground’: Perceptions of the Tay Valley, c.1400-1700
Leonie Teufel – Optimum distance between land and sea: Excavations at Colinsburgh
With thanks to AOC Archaeology Group for kindly sponsoring our conference again this year.
Our annual conference took place on Saturday 4 November 2023 in the Dalhousie Building, University of Dundee, and on Zoom. Speakers were filmed by Doug Rocks-Macqueen and can be viewed using these links:
Jordan Barbour – ‘Prehistoric settlement in the Lomond Lowlands’
James O’Driscoll and Joe Fitzpatrick – ‘Within the walls – recent excavations at East Lomond’
Linus Girdland-Flink – ‘Exploring the genetic ancestry of the Picts with ancient DNA’
Derek Hall ‘Publish and be damned…’
Rory McDonald and Kirsty Millican – ‘What have cropmarks ever done for us?’
James O’Driscoll – ‘Recent work by the Northern Picts at Aberlemno’
Kate Britton – ‘PALaEoScot: archaeo-ecological approaches to Scotland’s elusive Pleistocene past’
Thanks to our sponsors, AOC Archaeology Group for their generous support, and to Doug Rocks-MacQueen for filming the conference.
Our 2022 conference took place at the Rothes Halls, Glenrothes, on Saturday 5 November. Speakers were filmed by Doug Rocks-Macqueen and can be viewed using these links:
Harry Francis – Early Medieval long cists and other features at Powmyre Quarry, near Kirriemuir
Julie Franklin – Loaves and fishes in St Andrews: excavations at 100 North Street
Kenneth Green and John-James Atkinson – The excavation of Broxy Kennels fort and souterrain, Perth
Alastair Rees – Recent fieldwork in Fife and area
Saline Heritage Society – Saline Heritage Society and the hunt for the ‘lost’ Church
Helen Spencer – Continental connections: window glass from medieval Perth and Elcho
David Strachan and Helen Spencer – Perth and Kinross Archaeological Framework (PKARF)
Susan Thompson – Excavation of an Iron Age settlement at the James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie
Recent Archaeological work in Tayside and Fife 2021 was held online. The talks were first shown on Zoom on the mornings of Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th November, with live Q & A with the speakers following each morning session.
Filmed by Doug Rocks-MacQueen and James White the talks can viewed on YouTube using the links below:
Moira Greig – TAFAC Chairperson: Introduction
Gordon Noble – Keynote address in memory of Oliver O’Grady – Burning matters: the rise and fall of an Early Medieval fortified centre. A new chronology for Clatchard Craig
with an Appreciation and Tribute by David Munro and Joe Fitzpatrick
Mike Arrowsmith – Warriors, beasts and boats: a re-examination of some of the carvings at the Wemyss Caves
Kate Britten and Orsoyla Czere – The Blair Atholl Man: re-evaluating an early medieval long cist burial using advanced scientific methods
Clare Ellis – The Logierait terraces, a place of significance
Derek Hall – A hidden vernacular – rapid building survey in Perth and Kinross
Frances Houston – The Scottish Crannog Centre: rising from the ashes. The Scottish Crannog Centre development plans
Eleanor James – Evidence of early settlement at Honeyberry, Rattray
Maureen Kilpatrick – Seggie Farm, Guardbridge: multiperiod settlement in the shadow of a multivallate fort
Magnus Kirby – A Neolithic pit-defined enclosure and Roman field ovens at Alyth Substation: excavations in spring 2021
Phil Richardson – 30 Years of Adopt-a-Monument and a look to the future
Grateful thanks to our sponsors AOC Archaeology Group
In previous years, our annual conference has taken place on the first Saturday in November. Each year we plan to meet in a different location in Dundee, Perth or Fife, in turn. However, in 2020, we held our first ever online conference, over Saturday and Sunday mornings, 7th and 8th November.
Filmed by Doug Rocks-Macqueen, talks were followed by live Q & A sessions via Zoom. Saturday’s session was chaired by Moira Greig and Sunday’s (TAFAC Chair) by Rachel Benvie (TAFAC Vice-chair). Follow the links below to view.
Saturday 7 November
Moira Greig, TAFAC Chair
Mark Hall
Creating a new gallery for the archaeological collections of Perth Museum & Art Gallery
Joanna Hambly
New archaeological discoveries at the Wemyss Caves
Gavin Lindsay
The Perth and Kinross Archaeological Research Framework:Year 2 Update: a Framework taking form
Steven Watt
An Unexpected Bronze Age Cemetery, Carnoustie, Angus
Bruce Manson
St Drostan’s Markinch. The Archaeology of a Unique 12th-Century Building
Sunday 8 November
Rachel Benvie, TAFAC Vice-Chair
Introduction
Hugo Anderson-Whymark and Mark Hall
Neolithic carved stone balls in context: A new find from Sheriffmuir
Magnus Kirby
Loak Farm, Bankfoot: excavation of a prehistoric settlement
Gordon Noble
Uniting North and South – Investigations in Southern Pictland by the University of Aberdeen
Irene Hallyburton
Feart Maidens: The Witches of Perthshire
LIVE Q&A session
Our thanks go to sponsors AOC Archaeology Group and Doug Rocks-Macqueen for his technical expertise without which this event could not take place
Our 2019 conference was held at the Rothes Halls, Glenrothes, on Saturday, 2nd November 2019.
The speakers were filmed by Doug Rocks MacQueen who has shared his videos with us.
Steve Cox Excavation at 100 North Street, St Andrews
Orsoyla Czere Reconstructing urban dietscapes in medieval Scotland
Joe Fitzpatrick There’s more to this than meets the eye –
the 2019 excavation strategy on East Lomond
Jane Geddes and John Borland New work on the early medieval sculpture at St Andrews Cathedral
Derek Hall Carmelite Friary, Perth: ongoing research
Gavin Lindsay The Perth & Kinross Archaeological Research Framework: an update
Daniel Rhodes – When all said and Dun, X marks the spot. Excavations at the Castle/House of Dun, Angus
Alex Southeran – Band of Brothers at Barry Buddon: Recent Operation Nightingale excavations on the MoD ranges
SWACS – Wemyss Caves 2019: digging deeper
Stuart Wilson – Results of the A9 dualling archaeological works from Luncarty to the Pass of Birnam
Anouk Busset The early Christian landscape of Glen Lyon. Investigating early medieval sites of devotion in Highland Perthshire (not available as a video)
2018 Conference was held at St Matthew’s Church, Tay Street, Perth on Saturday 3 November
Speakers were filmed by Doug Rocks MacQueen
Steven Black Cailleach and Bodach stones in rural Perthshire
Derek Hall Many coloured habits – rediscovering the friaries of medieval Scotland
Fraser Hunter Silver jigsaws: making sense of the Roman hoard from Dairsie, Fife
Angela Johnston The Development of a Heritage App for Elie, Fife
John Johnston Recent Casual and Interesting finds from Angus and District within ANGUSalive Museums
Gavin Lindsay Introducing the Perth and Kinross Archaeological Research Framework
Cathy MacIver Kings Seat: Initial results from survey and excavation in 2017-2018
Loch Tay YAC and friends Community archaeology for kids
Mark Hall Taking a line for a walker: an initial look at the recently discovered figurative Pictish stone from Tulloch, Perth
David Strachan Early Medieval settlement in upland Perthshire: Excavations at Lair, Glenshee 2012-17
2017 Conference took place in Dundee on Saturday 4th November at the Dalhousie Building, Old Hawkhill, University of Dundee and celebrated the 40th anniversary of the TAFAC conference.
2017 also marked the transition of our annual journal to free online access, through this website. TAFAJ 23 was launched at the close of the conference, but don’t worry, book-lovers, hard copies of most of our back issues, monographs and fascicules are still available and can still be purchased via our publications page.
Speakers in 2017 were filmed by Doug Rocks MacQueen. Follow the links to Doug’s videos:
Gordon Barclay – ‘The most powerful naval fortress in the British Empire’: the defence of the Firth of Forth, 1880-1977
Alan Blair – Neolithic Halls, Bronze Age Roundhouses and a Late Bronze Age Hoard at Carnoustie
Colin Donald – Dundee Law: The Past, the Present and the Future
Joe Fitzpatrick & Oliver O’Grady – New findings from East Lomond Hillfort
Jane Geddes – The Drosten Stone, St Vigeans: a cultural hybrid
Moira Greig – Fife Heritage Network
Derek Hall – An Exercise in Contemplation: Excavations at Perth Whitefriars 2014-2017
Wendy MacPhedran & Nicola Carmichael – Our Portmoak: uncovering stories from the past
Sophie Nicol – From hilltop to shoreline: The results from Tay Landscape Partnership’s Historic Environment projects
Chris Fyles – Excavations at Perth Theatre and Hallhole, Meikleour
2016 Conference was held in Fife, at Kirkcaldy Old Parish Church, Kirk Wynd, Kirkcaldy, KY1 1EH on Saturday 5th November.
Thanks to Doug Rocks-MacQueen for filming some of our speakers.
Peter Klemen – The Kilrenny, Anstruther and Cellardyke Burgh Survey
Bruce Manson – The Construction and Reconstruction of St Drostan’s Kirk Markinch
Alastair Rees – Feast and Famine: Excavations and monitoring between Guardbridge and St Andrews
David Sneddon – Early Historic Turf Longhouses at Lair, Glenshee
David Strachan – Six hillforts on the Tay: from source to sea
Dene Wright – SERF 2016: Excavations at Millhaugh
We held our annual conference at North Inch Community Campus, Gowans Terrace, Perth, PH1 5BF on Saturday, 7th November 2015.
Our keynote speaker was Richard Bradley – The use and reuse of stone circles: new fieldwork at five Scottish site (kindly sponsored by Murray Archaeological Services Ltd)
Other speakers included
Moira Greig – The Mason’s Mark Project Derek Hall – Back to Tullilum – excavations at Perth Whitefriars 2014/15
Neil Hooper – Surveying Fortingall Kirkyard
David Munro & Oliver O’Grady – Living Lomonds Landscape: Year 2 Update
Sophie Nicol – The Hunt for the Hidden Fort –results of excavation at Moncreiffe Hillfort
Gordon Noble – Discovering the Northern Picts
Dene Wright – SERF: Excavations at Wellhill, Dunning 2014 and 2015. Early Neolithic settlement, agricultural practice and a Bronze Age barrow
HES – Historic Environment Scotland
The conference was filmed by Doug Rocks MacQueen and can be accessed here:
On 1st November 2014 our conference was held in Dundee, at the University of Abertay, Bell Street.
Our keynote speaker was Alison Sheridan, Principal Curator of the Early Prehistory section of the Scottish History and Archaeology Department at NMS. Alison spoke on the Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Bronze Age in ‘Tayside and Fife, 4000 – 1500 BC: what we know and what we need to find out’.
Alison’s talk was sponsored by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Regional Fund and was this year’s prestigious Buchan Lecture.
Our other speakers were Ally Becket on Pittentian, Derek Hall on Dundee Sugar House, Christina Donald on adding a new dimension to Dundee’s carved stones, Melanie Johnson on excavations at Crieff, Alan Miller on digital reconstruction and community engagement, Oliver O’Grady on Royal Scone and discovering the ancient Lomonds, Edwina Proudfoot on Scottish Churches Heritage Research, Jo Hambly on imaging work at Wemyss Caves and Jeff Sanders on Dig It! 2015.
Several of our 2014 speakers were filmed by Doug Rocks-MacQueen and their talks can be viewed here:
2013 Conference
In 2013 our conference took place on Saturday 2nd November, at The Rothes Halls, Glenrothes. The speakers were:
Keynote Speaker – Birgitta Hoffman The Gask Ridge and Strathmore: new research on a Flavian frontier system
Trevor Cowie (National Museums Scotland) At the water’s edge?: reflections on finds of Bronze Age metalwork from Kinnesswood, Kinross
Derek Hall Interrupting an ancient peace: excavations at Kilmagadwood, Perth and Kinross
Mark Hall (Perth Museum & Art Gallery) Killing Kings: James I and Richard III, two murdered monarchs and their afterlives in Medieval Scotlandand England and beyond
David Munro (Kinross Museum) Eye to the Hills: The Living Lomonds Landscape Partnership
David Strachan (Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust) Excavations at the Black Spout, Pitlochry, and the Iron Age monumental Roundhouses of North West Perthshire
Simon Taylor (University of Glasgow) Archaeology in The Place-Names of Fife
Peter Klemen (Rathmell Archaeology) Dig Dunfermline
A Special Conference held in Perth Museum and Art Gallery in March 2002 explored the links, both town and country and international, involved in the origins, maintenance and development of the medieval burgh. The principal focus was Perth but evidence from other towns was included. Similarly although the focus was on the archaeological evidence, other evidence was included as appropriate. Time did not permit the inclusion of a paper on the Pictish background to the origin of Perth but a short paper on this subject is included in these published papers. The final programme was as follows: –
Rising from the Waves (David Bowler, SUAT Ltd)
Scandinavian Influence? I: Archaeological Background (Colleen Batey, Glasgow Museums)
Scandinavian Influence II: Historical Background (Barbara Crawford, St Andrews University)
Wood use in the Medieval Scottish Burgh (Anne Crone, AOC Ltd)
Burgh Mentalities: thought-worlds in medieval Perth (Mark Hall, Perth Museum & Art Gallery)
Gone to Pot? (Derek Hall, SUAT Ltd)
Flesche and fische eneuch: the role of animals in the medieval Scottish economy (Catherine Smith, SUAT Ltd)
Aberdeen and its Hinterland (Christopher Croly, Aberdeen Archaeology Unit)
Managing the resource: Urban Archaeological Databases (Dave Strachan, Perth & Kinross Council and Heritage Trust and Russell Coleman, Headland Archaeology)
