The Making of the Scottish Rural Landscape

by Turnock,David

• ISBN13: 9781859280270
• ISBN10: 1859280277
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1995-11-28
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This book looks at the evolution of rural settlement in Scotland from the Mesolithic period through to the improving movement of the 18th and 19th centuries.The main emphasis is on changes in society and technology, but the book also considers how the development of the physical landscape laid the foundation for such changes. The author strikes a balance between general perspectives (including relevant contextual materials such as the political structures) and local studies, with much emphasis on individual sites.Lack of documentation prior to the 10th century places particular importance on the archaeological evidence, but imaginative interpretation of this evidence has led to a major re-evaluation. Ideas emphasizing continuity of settlement and local adaptation are replacing older 'invasionist' theories emphasizing Celtic war lords and broch-building pirates.

Author Biography

Dr. David Turnock is Reader in Geography at the University of Leicester.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Physical Environment

Scotland prior to the Iron Age

Iron Age forts and brochs

The Dark Ages - Picts, Scots and Vikings

Medieval Scotland

The Improving Movement

Conclusion

Bibliography

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.