New events
and traditions emerge over the years and September is now well-and-truly
branded as Scottish Archaeology Month. Under the auspices of the Council
for Scottish Archaeology (CSA), Scottish Archaeology Month is run as
part of European Heritage Days (EHD), a Europe-wide initiative aimed at
opening up and promoting Europe’s heritage. Every September, 48 European
countries participate, many offering free access to buildings,
exhibitions, sites and events across the continent.
Eila
Macqueen, Director of CSA, points out that they provide a unique
programme of events celebrating Scotland’s rich archaeological heritage’
Throughout September, she observed up and down the country you can take
part in archaeological events and activities and see exclusive
exhibitions and visit places and periods of the past seldom seen. From
the Northern Isles to Whithorn in the south of Galloway, from the
Western Isles to the East Neuk of Fife, you can see and do hundreds of
things – excavations, guided walks, lectures and experimental
archaeology. Visit www,scottisharchaeologymonth.com for full details of
a busy programme for all the family.
Just a
flavour of the events – you can visit The Wemyss Caves (as featured on
Channel 4’s Time Team) on Sunday 10 September 2006; have a guided tour
of The Howff, a Dundee cemetery, on Wednesday 13 September 2006; or see
the late medieval fort site of Dun Eistean at Ness, Isle of Lewis, in
the company of Rachel Barrowman on Saturday 16 September 2006. In
addition to Scottish Archaeology Month, the Scottish Civic Trust also
co-ordinates Doors Open Days, as part of European Heritage Days. Doors
Open Days also takes place every September and celebrates Scotland’s
long architectural heritage.
Visit
www.doorsopendays,co.uk to find a wide range of buildings,
all over Scotland, old and new, which can be explored FREE of
charge.
Although
September’s weather can usually see pleasant days, the nichts, as we say
in Scotland, ar fair drawin in, and winter suddenly seems that much
nearer, so this week’s recipe – Rosemary Chicken – is ideal to come home
to on a cold frosty winter day.
Rosemary
Chicken
Ingredients:
4lb chicken; 1 head of garlic; medium onion; chopped fresh rosemary; 1
tbsp olive oil; freshly ground black pepper and salt
Method:
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Wash the chicken inside and out, and
pat dry. Add pepper and salt to the onion, chopped rosemary and garlic,
and stuff inside the cavity. Brush the skin with olive oil, and sprinkle
with more finely grated rosemary. Drizzle olive oil into the roasting
pan, and place the chicken, breast down. Cook for 40 minutes, then turn
the chicken and cook for further 30 minutes, when the juices should run
clear. Serve with quartered roast potatoes (also cooked in olive oil),
and a selection of lightly cooked vegetables. Serves four.
