Scottish Society for Northern Studies

SSNS Seminar - All in a Day’s Work: Memories of working life captured in Scottish Ethnography - Scottish Society for Northern Studies % % The SSNS Seminar Series continues on Tuesday 24th March 2026 with Katie Shepherd for her talk on 'All in a Day’s Work: Memories of working lifecaptured in Scottish Ethnography. % '

The SSNS Seminar Series continues on Tuesday 24th March 2026 with Katie Shepherd for her talk on ‘All in a Day’s Work: Memories of working life captured in Scottish Ethnography.’

This is a free, ticketed event; please click on link to register.

Evenemang

Centre for Scandinavian Studies, Lund University, and Kulturen will be holding their next CSS International Conference, "Nordic Romanticism and Viking Culture", in Lund 10–13 June 2026. Our own Alan Macniven will be a keynote speaker for this amazing Conference.

SSNS Funding - Runologists Meeting, Orkney - Scottish Society for Northern Studies A summary by Dr Jasmin Higgs on attending the 36th Field Runologists Meeting in Orkney (October 2025), a visit supported by SSNS.

SSNS recently supported a visit for Dr Jasmin Higgs to the 36th Field Runologist Meeting in Orkney. A report on the conference (by Dr Jasmin Higgs) is now on our website.

www.ssns.org.uk/featured/ssn...

Traversing the Inner Seas (2017) - Scottish Society for Northern Studies Representing foremost research from SSNS's recent residential conferences, exploring the history of the interconnected seascapes of Scotland and Ireland.

You asked, we delivered! Our volume 'Traversing the Inner Seas' (ed. Chris Cooijmans, 2017) is once again available in print! If you've been hoping to get your hands on a copy of the book, here's your chance - featuring landmark research by Clare Downham, Alex Sanmark, Mark Hall, and many others

We are thrilled to announce that Colleen Batey has officially published her long-awaited volume on The Earl's Bu at Orphir in Orkney.

They're currently taking pre-orders at the Orcadian bookshop:https://shop.orcadian.co.uk/product/signed-copy-pre-order-the-earl-s-bu-orphir/ .

Magnusson Prize - Scottish Society for Northern Studies

We now welcome submissions for the 2026 Magnus Magnusson Essay Prize, awarded to PG/EC/returning scholars for the best essay on a topic within the Society's remit.

As well as being awarded £500, winners will have their essay published in our journal, Northern Studies.

Deadline: 1 April 2026

Some of our funding schemes will close for submissions this Friday (5/12)! Whether you're thinking of doing fieldwork, organising a conference or workshop, or could use financial support in attending a relevant event, make sure to get your application in!

This afternoon! Come along, or tune in online, to hear about a deeply peculiar late medieval imagining of a local viking past!

SSNS Publishes New Festschrift in Honour of Anna Ritchie - Scottish Society for Northern Studies The Society is delighted to announce the publication of a new edited volume in honour of Dr Anna Ritchie.

10% off our new volume! 🚨📚

Don't forget to pick up a copy of the Society's brand new volume, 'Common Ground in Scottish Archaeology' (ed. Kelly Kilpatrick), on our website, where you can get it for only £17.95 - and with free shipping - with our discount code 'ritchie10'.

2025 Magnus Magnusson Prize Winner Announced - Scottish Society for Northern Studies Congratulations to Amanda Boeing, who has been awarded this year's Magnus Magnusson Essay Prize

The Society is happy to announce Amanda Boeing as the winner of the 2025 Magnusson Prize! She received the award for her insightful comparative essay on the Battle of Brunanburh poem and Egill Skalla-Grímsson's Höfuðlausn.

Many congratulations to Amanda!

SSNS 2025 Day Conference - Scottish Society for Northern Studies SSNS's next Day Conference will take place in Arbroath on 22 Nov.

There are still a few tickets left for our Day Conference in Arbroath this Saturday!

Speakers include John Borland (@pictishartssociety.bsky.social), Nick Evans (@uniofaberdeen.bsky.social), and Alexandra Sanmark (@insuhi.bsky.social)!

Full details below!

Very happy to have been able to support the publication of this volume for Anna, and many congratulations to the editor and contributors!

SSNS Publishes New Festschrift in Honour of Anna Ritchie - Scottish Society for Northern Studies The Society is delighted to announce the publication of a new edited volume in honour of Dr Anna Ritchie.

For those who missed it yesterday - SSNS's new volume, 'Common Ground in Scottish Archaeology' is available now! 🚨📚

You can get it at ssns.org.uk for only £17.95 (and with free shipping) using our discount code 'ritchie10'.

SSNS Publishes New Festschrift in Honour of Anna Ritchie - Scottish Society for Northern Studies The Society is delighted to announce the publication of a new edited volume in honour of Dr Anna Ritchie.

For those who missed it yesterday - SSNS's new volume, 'Common Ground in Scottish Archaeology' is available now! 🚨📚

You can get it at ssns.org.uk for only £17.95 (and with free shipping) using our discount code 'ritchie10'.

Common Ground in Scottish Archaeology (2025) - Scottish Society for Northern Studies The Society is delighted to announce the publication of a new edited volume in honour of Dr Anna Ritchie.

OUT NOW! 📚

SSNS is proud to present its new edited volume, 'Common Ground in Scottish Archaeology' (ed. Kelly Kilpatrick), which honours the work of Dr Anna Ritchie, esteemed archaeologist, author, and lifelong advocate of Scotland's premodern history and heritage.

Common Ground in Scottish Archaeology (2025) - Scottish Society for Northern Studies This volume honours the work of Dr Anna Ritchie, esteemed archaeologist, author, and lifelong advocate of Scotland's premodern history and heritage. Anna's extensive and enduring contributions to the...

Published today (14/11), 'Common Ground in Scottish Archaeology' is available to order now from bookshops worldwide, or from our website (link below).

Use code 'ritchie10' for a 10% discount and free shipping when using our web shop!

Common Ground in Scottish Archaeology (2025) - Scottish Society for Northern Studies This edited volume honours the work of Dr Anna Ritchie, esteemed archaeologist, author, and advocate of Scotland's premodern history and heritage.

Reflecting and building on Anna's enduring contributions, the book contains a range of novel research on premodern Scottish history, archaeology, and onomastics.

See more details here:

Common Ground in Scottish Archaeology (2025) - Scottish Society for Northern Studies The Society is delighted to announce the publication of a new edited volume in honour of Dr Anna Ritchie.

OUT NOW! 📚

SSNS is proud to present its new edited volume, 'Common Ground in Scottish Archaeology' (ed. Kelly Kilpatrick), which honours the work of Dr Anna Ritchie, esteemed archaeologist, author, and lifelong advocate of Scotland's premodern history and heritage.

Colour photo of Judith on a boat setting off to explore places featuring in The Saga of the Earls of Orkney.

Colour photo of the cover of the new translation of The Saga of the Earls of Orkney.

'University academic translates Norse saga to uncover Viking history of northern Scotland'! Find out more: www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/norse-s...

Why not become a member of SSNS?

As well as providing access to events and publications (including our journal), you will support the Society to promote and fund research into the Scandinavian, Celtic, and Scottish worlds - both within Scotland and further afield

www.ssns.org.uk/membership/

No worries!

Our colleagues at the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland have launched a crowdfunder to publish a monograph which is set to have a significant impact on the study of Pictish kingship and society:

According to the project group, once the broch is complete, the plan is to employ re-enactors and craftspeople to demonstrate what life was like inside and around the building.

Plan approved to build Scotland's first broch for 2,000 years The tall, double-walled drystone towers have only been found in Scotland.

Some great news coming out of Caithness!

A picture of a book with a blue cover, titled 'Common Ground in Scottish Archaeology: Contributions in Honour of Anna Ritchie'. It is edited by Kelly Kilpatrick.

Coming soon...

A picture of a book with a blue cover, titled 'Common Ground in Scottish Archaeology: Contributions in Honour of Anna Ritchie'. It is edited by Kelly Kilpatrick.

Coming soon...

We’re celebrating 75 years of the Confederation of Scandinavian Societies today in beautiful York

THE PICTISH ARTS SOCIETY CONFERENCE!!

Day 1, Metal and Metalwork
Day 2, New research on Pictish Art and it’s Context

Book below!

facebook.com/events/s/pas...

YouTube video by Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song (Official Audio)

Today's vikingism: the widely popular 'Immigrant Song', from Led Zeppelin's third studio album (III), released in late 1970. Its lyrics famously reference themes from Norse mythology and describe viking groups journeying overseas ('from the land of the ice and snow').

A paper from Rosemary Power on the founding of an early medieval Iona nunnery has been published in a collection of essays bit.ly/3VaJZcF Rosemary delivered a seminar on Iona's religious foundations for us last year - now availble to watch online here: youtu.be/9iLo_i8g0Ik