Scottish Archaeological Journal

The author presents an outline and summaries of four lectures given in November 2003, on the subject of Old Norse religion. In the first he describes the interdisciplinary project of the same title, which was aimed at investigating the practice and customs of the religious tradition rather than the mythology, and explains how the tradition can be seen to have been varied and fluid, as well as being embedded in social practice. The second lecture looks at the concept of the world tree, and its concrete expression in the form of real trees, pillars and posts and in representations of trees. The third lecture looks at the Scandinavian Iron Age ringfort of Ismantorp, and its changing functions and meanings. The final lecture looks at the significance of places, and the extent to which churches in Scandinavia were located on the sites of pre-Christian `sanctuaries'.

A series of archaeological investigations were undertaken at the site of the Hackness Gun Battery, South Walls, Orkney Islands. The investigations revealed the remains of both the 1815 battery and the 1866 refurbishment and upgrading. The battery, which was supported by two Martello towers, is unique in Scotland. The paper is intended to detail the physical nature of the installation and the political climate that caused it to be constructed in 1815 and strengthened in 1866.