Welcome to the collection of open access e-books about Scotland's past published by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland thanks to the support of our Fellows.

Browse our Catalogue to see all our e-books, or search by time period using the Categories on the right-hand side of the screen.

 

Spotlights

  • The Archaeology of Finlaggan, Islay: Excavations at the Centre of the Lordship of the Isles, 1989–1998

    The Archaeology of Finlaggan, Islay: Excavations at the Centre of the Lordship of the Isles, 1989–1998

    Spotlight

    Finlaggan on Islay has long been recognised as an important medieval site; the centre from which the MacDonald Lords of the Isles exercised control and patronage over large areas of Scotland. This major archaeological project undertaken from 1989 to 1998 led to a better understanding of how the Lords of the Isles created a Gaelic state and how Finlaggan contributed to the culture and heritage of Scotland. The excavations also uncovered evidence of prehistoric occupation and ritual, lead mining, and post-medieval settlement...

    Read More
  • Portmahomack on Tarbat Ness: Changing Ideologies in North-East Scotland, Sixth to Sixteenth Century AD

    Portmahomack on Tarbat Ness

    Spotlight

    Portmahomack on the Tarbat peninsula overlooking the Dornoch Firth is a fishing village with a 1,500-year-old history. Rediscovered by archaeologists in the 1980s, from 1994 to 2007 the site at Portmahomack saw one of the largest research excavations to have taken place in Scotland

    Read More
  • A Cromwellian Warship wrecked off Duart Castle, Mull, Scotland, in 1653

    Cromwellian Warship

    Spotlight

    This book records the excavation of the wreck of a small Cromwellian warship, believed to be Swan, which was found off Duart Point. From this, the dimensions, constructional techniques and general layout of the ship were determined, and realities of the ship's operational functions and her crew's life on board were revealed.

    Read More

Featured

The Archaeology of Finlaggan, Islay: Excavations at the Centre of the Lordship of the Isles, 1989–1998

David Caldwell (Author); Kath McSweeney, Roger McWee, N Milner, Nicola Murray, Norman Newton, Marion O’Neil, Leonie Paterson, Alan Radley, Nigel Ruckley, Alan Saville, Paul Sharman, Helen Spencer, David Stewart, Jonathan Triscott, Clive Warsop, E M Laurie, Fraser Hunter, Fiona Baker, Sheila Boardman, Chris Burgess, Ruby Ceron-Carrasco, John Chesher, David Connolly, Trevor Cowie, Michael Cressey, Jo Dawson, Valerie Dean, Gordon Ewart, Mark Hall, Karen Hardy, Judy Holmes, Nicholas Holmes, Paul Wilthew (Contributor)
September 17, 2025

The Lands of Ancient Lothian: Interpreting the Archaeology of the A1

Olivia Lelong, Gavin MacGregor (Author); Lorna Innes, Kirsteen McLellan, Ingrid Shearer, Eland Stuart, Paul Duffy, Andrew Heald, Fraser Hunter, Jo MacKenzie, Dawn McLaren, Ann MacSween, Nicholas Marquez-Grant, Jennifer Miller, Amelia Pannett, Susan Ramsay, Alan Saville, Alison Sheridan, Ian Simpson, Catherine Smith, Colin Wallace (Contributor)
May 14, 2024

Culduthel: An Iron Age Craftworking Centre in North-East Scotland

Candy Hatherley, Ross Murray (Author); Torben Bjarke Ballin, Hillary E M Cool, Mary Davis, David Dungworth, Rob Ellam, Ian Freestone, Sarah-Jane Haston, Nick Holmes, Fraser Hunter, Susanna Kirk, Ann MacSween, Fiona McGibbon, Dawn McLaren, Abby Mynett, Gillian Paget, Daniel Sahlén, Jim Tate, Scott Timpany, Colin Wallace (Contributor)
February 18, 2022

Darkness Visible: The Sculptor’s Cave, Covesea, from the Bronze Age to the Picts

Ian Armit, Lindsey Büster (Author); Torben Bjarke Ballin, Katharina Becker, Julie Boreham, Alan Braby, Trevor Cowie, Gemma Cruickshanks, Mary Davis, Adrian Evans, Mark Hall, Nick Holmes, Fraser Hunter, Dominic Ingemark, Rachael Kershaw, Christopher Knüsel, Jo McKenzie, Sam Moorhead, Clare Rainsford, Daniel Sahlén, Rick Schulting, Daniel Shaw, Alison Sheridan, Tom Sparrow, Michael Stratigos, John Summers, Jim Tate, Lore Troalen, Colin Wallace, Andrew S Wilson, Derek Hamilton (Contributor)
June 15, 2022

New Releases

On the Fringe of Neolithic Europe: Excavation of a Chambered Cairn on the Holm of Papa Westray, Orkney

Anna Ritchie (Author); Patrick Ashmore, Marie Balasse, R Barnett, Don Brothwell, M Collins, Thomas Cucchi, Keith Dobney, Jennifer Harland, Mary Harman, Audrey Henshall, Frances Lee, Monika Maleszka-Ritchie, Rachel Parks, Mike Richards, J Searle, M Shafer, Rick Schulting, Anne Tresset, David F Williams, C C Wright (Contributor)
January 19, 2024

The Moon and the Bonfire: An Investigation of Three Stone Circles in North-East Scotland

Richard Bradley (Author); Tim Phillips, Alison Sheridan, Angela Boyle, Stephen Lancaster, Donald Davidson, Ian Simpson, Brian Matthews, Peter Brewer, Sharon Arrowsmith, Chris Ball, Catherine Chisham, Petra Dark, Donald Davidson, Stephen Lancaster (Contributor); Ian Simpson; David Trevarthen (Contributor)
December 15, 2023

The Traprain Law Environs Project: Fieldwork and Excavations 2000–2004

Colin Haselgrove (Author); Peter Carne, David C Cowley, Duncan Hale, Leon Fitts, Derek Hamilton, Fraser Hunter, Jacqui Huntley, Pamela Lowther, Kevin H J Macleod, Ann MacSween, Charlotte O'Brien, Anwen Caffell, Phil Clogg, Louisa Gidney, Charlotte Henderson, Dave Heslop, Cath McGill, Jennifer Jones, Jason Mole, Jennifer Price, Alison Sheridan, John Thomas, Steven Willis (Contributor)
May 26, 2023

The Antiquarian Rediscovery of the Antonine Wall

Lawrence Keppie (Author)
April 28, 2023

Rhum: Mesolithic and Later Sites at Kinloch, Excavations 1984–86

Caroline R Wickham-Jones (Author)
November 11, 2022

Anatomy of an Iron Age Roundhouse: The Cnip Wheelhouse Excavations, Lewis

Ian Armit (Author); Ruby Cerón-Carrasco, Mike Church, Ann Clarke, Ciara Clarke, Mike Cressey, Magnar Dalland, Bill Finlayson, Vicky Ginn, Sheila Hamilton-Dyer, Andrew Heald, Fraser Hunter, Andrew Kitchener, Kirsten Leask, Finbar McCormick, Dawn McLaren, Ann MacSween, Kath McSweeney, Eiméar Nelis, Anthony Newton, Ulrike Wenzel, Alan Braby, George Mudie, Libby Mulqueeny (Contributor)
September 30, 2022