Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration Emma Griffiths

This episode's guests are both closely connected with Fife Historic Buildings Trust: Robert Gibson makes sure everything financial is under close, careful and cheerful control, while volunteer Jim McLeish matches that goodwill and get-on-with-it spirit, in a variety of office tasks. Listen to hear what Jim's interest in maps, and honed research skills has revealed about industries and occupations in Inverkeithing in the nineteenth century. Robert picks up the thread, and gives wonderful first hand accounts of a childhood in Inverkeithing, his parent's work for two of the major local employers, and some colourful local and family details.

Jim recommends (and we share his enthusiasm for) the amazing resources at the National Library of Scotland's specialist Map Library, where there are over 200,000 digitised maps available online, free to anyone. National Library of Scotland - Map Images (nls.uk).

This is the last episode in series one, we hope you've enjoyed the podcasts so far. We will be making a series two, beginning in 2021, so if you have suggestions for themes or topics, requests or queries, please get in touch.  Thanks for listening.

A bonus length episode, at almost 27 minutes,  this is a true story from Inverkeithing's past: of dark deeds, and surprising twists. 

A murder by a member of the gentry of  Inverkeithing's apparently honest, respectable and harmless school master. The accused took flight, was however brought to trial in Edinburgh, found guilty and sentenced to death. The events that follow are no less extraordinary. 

The lives of the ordinary people involved in the matter are also intriguing, and humbling too: of debts repaid, adversity overcome, and a Burgh Council that acted honourably to support the murder victim's widow. 

The guest contributors are Claire Webb and Marion Watt, who have been doing extraordinary and valuable work as two of the volunteers on the Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project. 

The resource Claire recommends for research is www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk.

This fascinating episode takes the listener on a journey - beginning with a departure from Edinburgh Castle, a Forth crossing on a dark and stormy night, to Inverkeithing's safe harbour - where, had Alexander III taken the sage advice of his advisor, another Alexander - perhaps the whole sequence of events in the first and second phases of the Scottish Wars of Independence might have played out completely differently. 

Dr Tom Turpie explains brilliantly how Medieval Inverkeithing's strategic position, status and relationship with Royalty, meant that it was an important staging post, and what the turbulent period's events and charged political context meant for the town, for the Baron of Inverkeithing, and a particularly dark legal case.  

In 2020, the year of its 700th anniversary, Tom also reveals Inverkeithing's important connection with the Declaration of Arbroath.

Listeners interested in following up their keenly whetted intellectual appetites, will find the online exhibition of the Declaration of Arbroath here: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/Declaration,

 Very reliable and cleanly presented information from the Scottish History Society on the first and second Scottish Wars of Independence here

 https://scottishhistorysociety.com/the-wars-of-independence/

Tom also recommends the Scottish medieval historian authors Geoffrey W S Barrow, Michael Penman,  and Michael Brown.

In this archaeology-focussed episode, Dr Gavin MacGregor discusses material culture. What we mean by material culture, where we find material culture, and how that can be, and is, interpreted. Examples from Inverkeithing include the Town's 17th century bell, displaying the name of it's Dutch maker, and affluent, we assume, original local donors. The bell is currently displayed in the Civic Centre. 

The wide ranging discussion covers definitions, the ways that significance is ascribed to objects, and what we can learn from them, about the times they were made, how they were made, and who used them. This in turn leads to cultural objects telling us stories of the past: the makers, the users, the finders, the keepers! Gavin discusses evolving and digital technologies, and how these techniques further our understanding of material cultural objects, from the micro to the macro scale. 

Two excavations are planned for the Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project - in this episode, Gavin explains the thinking that take place before there's trowel, a flask or a waterproof in sight. Exciting times ahead for Inverkeithing.

For listeners interested in seeing some of the digital technologies referred to, helping interpret and widen understanding of significance, Gavin recommends visiting the website of the Save Wemyss Ancient Caves Society, https://wemysscaves.org/shop/books/west-wemyss-village-and-walkabout/

and within that website, visiting the 4D website http://4dwemysscaves.org/cave/index.php?ccode=jc 

Enjoy using all the techniques there to explore virtually, there's even a virtual torch which can be used to create shadow, to help "read" the carved surfaces. Enjoy travelling through time, and getting up close to Pictish carvings, in a beautiful coastal setting in Fife.  

This episode shines, as ever, a fascinating light on the connections between early religious life in Scotland, early Christian sites, and places of interest near to and in Inverkeithing. Listen to find out from Dr Gavin MacGregor about a possible Roman harbour near Inverkeithing, about some of the earliest evidence of Christianity on the nearby island of Inch Colm, and about other early Christian artefacts found in Fife itself. Dr Tom Turpie explains just how significant a role the church played in daily life, for everyone in Medieval Scotland, and how the cult of Saints played out in everyday life. Tom explains about local Saints in Scotland, who often had shrines and chapels, and Inverkeithing's very own, somewhat mysterious Saint, Erat, possibly also known as Heroth, and evolved to Heriot.

Medieval people hoped Saints could cast some of their particular magic on those who followed them with devotion, and expressed their devotion in various ways, including by making pilgrimages. Inverkeithing is still fantastically well located for transport in the East of Scotland, near to the capital the shortest crossing of the Forth, on rail lines and with a good road network. Its heritage was much the same: it would have been a well-known place for pilgrims, and in this episode, you'll find out what remains, and where, from those times.

Tom recommends for further study, resources on the Fife Pilgrim Way website: https://fifecoastandcountrysidetrust.co.uk/plan-your-trip/resources/fife-pilgrim-way/

The Atlas of Scottish History to 1707, available online at ScotlandsPlaces.gov.uk, recommended for maps, locations, references.

In this episode, Roz Artis, Director of the Scottish Lime Centre Trust explains just what is involved in surveying the literal building blocks of a historic town centre.  The Scottish Lime Centre Trust (SLCT) won a commission to carry out the survey on behalf of the Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration project - listen to find out the why, and the how! 

Roz also explains jut how remarkable the Lime Centre's Charlestown location is, a remarkable heritage site near Inverkeithing, easily accessed along the Fife coastal path, from the equally fascinating Inverkeithing.  

Roz has led the Scottish Lime Centre Trust, a pioneering training and advocacy organisation, promoting and teaching the use of traditional building methods and techniques, for over 25 years.

For listeners inspired by the episode, and wishing to find out more about SLCT's work, which has included Stirling Castle, Glasgow School of Art, and Pittencrief House Museum in Dunfermline, their website, https://www.scotlime.org/en/case-studies/, has lots of pictures, case studies, resources and pointers to further information. A wide range of training courses are also advertised on the website: for educational groups, householders, contractors and sector professionals.