Dr Edward Stewart

See my immediate thought on this was to remember one time I went off for an 8-week field season and returning to my flat at the end found a half mug of tea, I’d clearly abandoned on my dash to the airport taxi, which had reached a similar level of chunkiness to a Boba…

You’ve reminded me my viva was also a year ago today! Funny thought.

Absolutely! I’d love to have that chat! I carried out some local community workshops (partnered with the local folk museum) as part of this research to explore those themes a little more - hoping to get them written up this year.

I don’t mean to present in the article a cure for all of our modern crises… however I argue we should be thinking critically about how we represent these landscapes and how this can shape popular perceptions and policy around their futures. As you say their is much naivety within rewilding debates!

That’s not to say we should tear up the Moor to churn out iron, but, we can perhaps imagine new ways (or old ways) of using these landscapes which support both increasing their biodiversity and their productivity for human communities. Be this through high-nature-value farming, sustainable forestry…

This I’d argue is an important step in truly tackling climate change - as much of Scotland’s carbon emissions result for transport and the import of materials, localising production (of food among other things) across the country has the potential to significantly reduce our carbon footprints.

What I argue (as an archaeologist) is that we can look to the past to consider how upland landscapes have been made productive and sustaining in past, to challenge the dominance of the ‘wild land’ in policy, and imagine alternative productive futures for our uplands.

Housing shortages (in our current largely uncontrolled market for short term lets/holiday homes) and often as I argue prevents genuine local development (in housing/industry) to preserve an aesthetic desired by the visitor (‘wildness’), while providing jobs which are either seasonal or specialist.

I think there’s a balance to be struck, but, some of the clear issues forcing depopulation in many of these regions are a lack of (non-seasonal) sustainable employment and a lack of housing, the promise of rewilding to provide tourism jobs then does nothing to alleviate this, in fact it worsens…

Wicked Wild Wastes? - Edinburgh University Press Blog Dr Edward Stewart challenges contemporary notions of rewilding, suggesting an alternative future for Scotland's 'wild' places.

Could contemporary rewilding represent an act of marginalisation? 

@eddiecstewart.bsky.social looks to the past to suggest an alternative future for Scotland's 'wild' places in a new EUP blog post 👉

This is an excellent read for anyone interested in the politics of land in Scotland

‘A repopulating archaeology

By presenting the Highland landscape as ecologically desolate & culturally empty, it is easy then to argue for these already marginalised landscapes to form the frontline of Scotland’s

Repeopling vrs Rewilding is an unhelpful polarisation of views in contemporary land regeneration debates. Reintroducing past social, env. & economic complexity can open up new conversations & options.

A topic central to my current research & taken up brilliantly here by @eddiecstewart.bsky.social:

Wicked Wild Wastes? Challenging Wildness through Repopulating Approaches to Archaeological Narratives in Scottish Highland Landscapes | The Scottish Historical Review This article will explore a repopulating approach as a means of producing archaeological and historical narratives of upland land use in the Scottish Highlands which go beyond tired notions of margina...

You can find the full article (open access) here, thanks to @edinburghup.bsky.social: www.euppublishing.com/doi/10.3366/...

Wicked Wild Wastes? - Edinburgh University Press Blog Dr Edward Stewart challenges contemporary notions of rewilding, suggesting an alternative future for Scotland's 'wild' places.

You can check out this blog post from @edinburghup.bsky.social on my recent article from our work in Glencoe and Rannoch Moor here: euppublishingblog.com/2025/09/04/w....
You can keep up to date with this project here: forms.office.com/e/dW4vS5SYZ6

Wicked Wild Wastes? Challenging Wildness through Repopulating Approaches to Archaeological Narratives in Scottish Highland Landscapes | The Scottish Historical Review This article will explore a repopulating approach as a means of producing archaeological and historical narratives of upland land use in the Scottish Highlands which go beyond tired notions of margina...

"The concept of wildness in Scotland is both politically and culturally contentious with a long history for the term ‘wild’ being..." WANT TO KNOW THE NEXT PART? I know you do. Guess you'll have to read Edward Stewart's article here for FREE: www.euppublishing.com/doi/full/10....

This article is based on fieldwork supported by @uofgartshums.bsky.social Archaeology colleagues, and @nts-archaeology.bsky.social, funded by @sgsah.bsky.social

What a lunch break experience.... Mendelsshon on Mull in Iona Hall! AMAZING!

All set up and waiting for Iona and Bunessan Primary Shool pupils to come and learn about #archaeology today @n-t-s.bsky.social

I’m happy to say this article on my PhD research, exploring and challenging conceptions of wildness in Scottish Highland landscapes is out (and open access) now in @scottishhistreview.bsky.social.

You can access the article here: www.euppublishing.com/doi/10.3366/...

Excited to see this article, based on my PhD research in-print and ✨open access!
You can check it out here: www.euppublishing.com/doi/10.3366/...

We have some VERY exciting news, not only is the latest special issue of SHR now available but @eddiecstewart.bsky.social's article on 'Wicked Wild Wastes? Challenging Wildness through Repopulating Approaches to Archaeological Narratives in Scottish Highland Landscapes’ is OPEN ACCESS.

A classic in the genre!

Amazing! What a cool site (and great weather!)

You can check out our latest #Glencoe2025 blog post here: glencoeandrannochenvirons.wordpress.com/2025/08/10/l...
A trip with the Archaeo-Botanists around Glencoe, Rannoch Moor and Argyll. @uofgartshums.bsky.social @nts-archaeology.bsky.social @archscot.bsky.social @stanforduniversity.bsky.social

There are many ways to make a career in heritage and #NoWrongPath to get into the field!
I started out in Archaeology as a volunteer in high school with @nts-archaeology.bsky.social - we’re also supported by a huge team who’ve all had their own journeys through archaeology!

And members of our team have worked in Australia, Cyprus, Italy, France, England and Cyprus!

Some of our team have worked in commercial archaeology, or freelance as illustrators, researchers or creators @lizzierobertson.bsky.social @nts-archaeology.bsky.social

Members of our directors team work in heritage management @nts-archaeology.bsky.social, public engagement (myself @archscot.bsky.social) bringing different perspectives, priorities and skills to the project team.

While 5 of our 6 directors have doctorates, some recent some long ago, many of us have worked in a variety of contexts or come from sectors outside academia.

The Glencoe Archaeology Project is supporting the #NoWrongPath campaign #SQA #DYWScot!
While our directors team all hold degrees, we’ve come to work together from different perspectives and parts of the sector, and have had an array of routes to our current posts!