Dr Gordon Noble
Lecturer in Archaeology
University of Aberdeen

The talk will cover recent excavations in the vicinity of the Craw Stane symbol stone near Rhynie, Aberdeenshire and the discovery of a defended settlement of the 5th-6th centuries AD. 

James Simpson
Simpson & Brown Architects

Dr Jill De Fresnes
Skills for the Future Project Manager
RCAHMS

The Scots Herring Girls were a group of migratory workers who travelled around the coast of Scotland and down towards the south of England during the 19th and first half of the 20th century, following the herring fishing fleet as it followed the shoals of herring during the fishing seasons between April and December.  This presentation will describe the working and living environments of these women, using a variety of contemporary sources and also the voices of the women themselves which were captured in audio and video interviews taken over the last five years. 

Roz Artis-Young
Director
Scottish Lime Centre Trust

Investigating a building's past by examining the mortars used in the construction can help reveal past practices and the use of locally derived materials through industrially produced materials (including early patented cements) in the later 18th and 19th centuries. All of this information can inform building archaeology and give a better understanding of a building's development over time and its repair requirements today. 

Clive Albert
Malcolm Fraser Architects

Malcolm Fraser Architects have designed and built four award winning dance buildings over the past ten years and have gained unparalleled experience in the field of community and professional dance environments in the UK. 

Director, Clive Albert was involved with all four projects and will talk about DanceBase in Edinburgh, Dance City in Newcastle and the New Scottish Ballet Headquarters and the new teaching facility for The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, both in Glasgow.

Gowrie was the core province of Scotland’s early mediaeval kingdom. Forteviot was the ancient Pictish royal seat, Scone the place of coronations and focus of an Augustinian abbey, Cistercians created a monastic estate at Coupar Angus from 1161, and created  orchards on the rich carselands of the Tay. Post Reformation the monastic lands were quickly into small secular estates, which themselves were further divided and occupied by rich Victorian industrialists from nearby Perth and Dundee. 

Ancient Gowrie stretches  from Scone to Abernethy in the west and either side of the Sidlaw Hills as far as Dundee in the east: hence this is modern east Perthshire, and coincidently an area previously missed by AHSS national spring study tours to Breadalbane or Angus or Fife. Gowrie is brim-full of architectural delights, both those in its famous Carse on the north banks of the Tay, known as the Garden of Scotland, and in and around the towns, villages and estates of the Plain of Gowrie (or Blairgowrie). 

AHSS Study Tours are the ‘tours that money can’t buy’ – you require to be a member of the AHSS to be a delegate, to have good stamina and reasonable mobility, and to have a passion for Scotland’s architectural heritage. The focus is on properties not available commercially, hence this is often a one-off opportunity to explore the heritage of the area.  Whether it be houses, castles, churches, gardens, industrial/commercial/civic buildings, interiors, furniture, contemporary architecture, conservation projects: we offer it all, over an intensive long weekend of visits, convivial like-minded company, and not infrequent (and very pleasant) refreshment breaks.

Organisation of the tour is at an early stage, hence this is advance notice with general details. The tour will be based locally with pickups at the railway station in either Perth or Dundee; we will also identify a parking location and pick up point for those coming to the area by car. The tour will last for either 3 or 4 days, it is intended to be over the long weekend of Friday 4th to Monday 7th May 2012. The tour price will include all transportation, meals, refreshments, accommodation and visits. The focus is on it being a study tour, not a luxury holiday! Delegates must travel on the coach with the main party and we can accommodate more members happy to room-share than those requiring singles. There may be an accommodation opt-out option. The cost per person will be in the region of £400. 

Despite threats to retire in 2011, the response to that tour was so positive that the tour leaders are again Simon Green, Adam Swan and Caroline McFarlane.

Peter Yeoman
Head of Cultural Heritage
Historic Scotland

Brian Park
Page \ Park Architects

Brian Park is a founding partner of Page \ Park Architects, established in 1981 and working on major commissions throughout the UK.  These include significant cultural projects (such as the recently completed Scottish National Portrait Gallery) and conservation projects  on some of Scotland's most important historic buildings.  Current work includes Glasgow School of Art, St Columba's Cathedral, Oban and Rosslyn Chapel which will be the focus of this talk.  Page \ Park have worked on Rosslyn Chapel over the past 8 years and continue with a programme of detailed stone conservation, however the presentation will also cover new build insertion within the sensitive environment of the Chapel. 

- Victorian Stately Home
- Edwardian Castles (Edward 1st that is)
- Medieval Merchant’s House
- Elizabethan Town House
- Bodnant Garden
- Portmeirion 
- Elegant 18C House
- Neo-Norman Fantasy Castle
- The Menai Bridges
- Arts & Crafts House
- Cistercian Abbey
- Erddig (Britain’s Best Historic House)

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE PER PERSON COST 

* Travel by Luxury Coach.

* Four nights dinner, bed and full breakfast (drinks not included).

* Lunches at Holker Hall, Portmeirion and Erddig.

* If you hold National Trust for Scotland (NTS) and Historic Scotland (HS) membership cards admission will be free to National Trust (NT) and CADW (Welsh equivalent of HS) properties.

* Entrance to privately owned properties is included in your tour price.

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED

* Lunches at Bodnant Garden and Penrhyn Castle on a self-pay basis, as are any incidental refreshments.

* If you are not a member of the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) and Historic Scotland (HS) you will have to pay the appropriate admission charges to The National Trust (NT) and CADW (Welsh equivalent of HS) properties.

* If you not a member of NTS or HS, it could be worthwhile to join.

IMPORTANT BOOKING INFORMATION

All bookings must be made on the enclosed booking form (to secure the AHSS booking discounts).

Accommodation requests—full details on the Booking Form. Please note that the availability of single rooms in the hotel is limited so please share if you can.

Accordingly single rooms will be allocated strictly in order of receipt of the booking form. For further details please refer to the notes on accommodation.

Please refer to the Cancellation Policy for the tour.

We reserve the right to cancel the tour if by the Final Booking Date insufficient bookings have been received to ensure viability of the Study Tour.

The Booking Form and a non-refundable deposit of £100.00 per person must be returned to Hamish McPherson by the Final Booking Date of Wednesday 25th January 2012.