The picturesque landscape around Loch Lomond has long been celebrated for its natural beauty, including the slopes of Ben Lomond, which attract tens of thousands of hill-walking enthusiasts every year. What, though, is known about the mountain’s historic environment? For the last 30 years, the National Trust for Scotland have been working to document archaeological sites stretching from the lochside to the summit of Ben Lomond. In our cover feature, we highlight some of the key discoveries.
We next turn to an undeniable archaeological icon – or, rather, two, as we trace the life and work of Brian Hope-Taylor, and the ongoing impact of his famous excavations at the palatial royal site of Yeavering in the 1950s and 1960s.
From early medieval Northumberland, we then move to Bronze Age Derbyshire, showcasing the intriguing results of a recent rock-art survey in the Peak District National Park.
Finally, we examine more recent history through archaeological investigations centred on a former hospital which began life as a Victorian asylum on the outskirts of York. Some of the project’s finds relate to the people who lived and worked within this institution’s walls, offering thought-provoking insights into how attitudes towards mental health have changed over time.