Archive - Rabbit Holes of Early Medieval Scotland

Rossia, Rigmonath, Bellethor: Early Gaelic settlements in Pictland?

In which I investigate three intriguing places named in the tenth-century Life of St Cathroe.

Jun 7 •

Fiona Campbell-Howes

March 2025

Fathenechten: deciphering a medieval Nairnshire place-name

In which I try to figure out what a place-name mentioned in 1150 actually meant

Mar 29 •

Fiona Campbell-Howes

January 2025

An overlooked Pictish monastery in the Life of St Columba?

In which I propose that the place-name ‘caput regionis’ referred to Kinneddar in Moray

Jan 27 •

Fiona Campbell-Howes

The meaning of ‘carden’ in Pictish place-names

In which I suggest a link between ‘carden’ names and early medieval hunting grounds

Jan 14 •

Fiona Campbell-Howes

December 2024

Bonus Hogmanay post: Where was King Bridei's fort?

In which I analyse Adomnán's Life of St Columba for overlooked clues to the location of the stronghold of Bridei mac Mailcon, King of Picts.

Dec 31, 2024 •

Fiona Campbell-Howes

An eighth-century royal circuit in Moray and Easter Ross?

In which I examine the possible significance of 'David' sculpture in the Moray Firthlands

Dec 27, 2024 •

Fiona Campbell-Howes

November 2024

Cantray and Kilravock: The early medieval place-names of Strathnairn

In which I consider what these names might tell us about early medieval settlement along a stretch of the River Nairn

Nov 26, 2024 •

Fiona Campbell-Howes

October 2024

Uncovering Ros and Moreb: A talk for NOSAS

The findings of my MA research, using distribution maps to illuminate the political geography of the Moray Firthlands from 700–900 AD.

Oct 26, 2024 •

Fiona Campbell-Howes

September 2024

Auldearn: A place-name mystery revisited

In which I take a new look at this puzzling place-name, and come to an unexpected conclusion.

Sep 29, 2024 •

Fiona Campbell-Howes

March 2024

The pierced Anglo-Saxon coins of Moray: A clue to early lordship?

In which I investigate whether a series of ninth-century coin finds can tell us anything about the distribution of power centres in early medieval Moray

Mar 17, 2024 •

Fiona Campbell-Howes

January 2024

I'm giving an online talk on the 16th Feb

Come and hear me talk about the landscape context of Sueno's Stone

Jan 27, 2024 •

Fiona Campbell-Howes

December 2023

An early Christian burial ground at Knockando?

In which I go in search of the lost early medieval ecclesiastical site of ‘Pulvrenan’

Dec 16, 2023 •

Fiona Campbell-Howes

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