Finding Historic Perth

In this talk David Bowler will explore the idea that Perth was and is what it is because of where it is. How Medieval and Early Modern Perth has always existed as a very compact burgh, with a well-defined street grid, defended boundaries, and a close relationship to its natural topography. Mapping the historic town is a good thing in itself, but is also a good way to understand and explain how and why the burgh developed as and where it did, and its special place in Scottish history and archaeology.

Biography

David Bowler is Director of Alder Archaeology Ltd, and Past President of The Perthshire Society of Natural Science. He was born in Southampton, educated in London, Montreal and Oxford, and has lived and worked in Perth since 1983. He is interested in how Perth’s natural topography has shaped its medieval and early modern development, how its present-day street plan and townscape reflect its buried past, and how the iconography of its historic graveyards reflects the hopes and aspirations of its buried citizens. David was an adviser to the Historical Map of Perth project. The publications and research produced by his colleagues at Alder Archaeology and its predecessor The Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust were an important source for the information presented in the Perth Map.

‍