THE travel routes and landing places of Vikings in Scotland is to be studied at an unprecedented scale as part of a huge new research project.
Viking experts at the University of Highlands and Islands will join their German counterparts at the University of Kiel to launch the study examining the harbours Norse settlers used and which routes they took to avoid danger.
The massive project will study Viking place names, geophysical surveys and archaeological excavations to map travel and communication routes used by Vikings in Scotland between 790 and 1350 AD.
The study, which will primarily focus on the west coast of Scotland, is expected to uncover hundreds of locations linked to Scandinavian settlers.
READ MORE: Rare Viking sword discovered in Orkney has 'many stories to tell'
Project leader Professor Alexandra Sanmark, of the Institute of Northern Studies at the University of Highlands and Islands, said: “My previous work has been on Viking settlements of Scotland and what kind of society they were creating here compared to Scandinavia.
"There has always been a gap - and that was the travel.”
The researchers are hoping that Viking place names will play a key role in the research, unlocking a “mental map” of routes into Scotland.
Professor Sanmark continued: “The place names tend to be quite descriptive.
“There is so much place name evidence and it is so important too. We can break them down into Old Norse and they can tell us so much.
"We know there were also some descriptions for travel. One account of how to sail from Bergen to Greenland describes how to set off to the west, then north of Shetland which could be seen in clear weather and south of Iceland where there were birds and whales.
“It’s like a mental map and I think it would have been the same for those heading to Scotland, this idea that the journey is made by tying these key features together.”
Sanmark added: “Gaelic place names, may of course contain Old Norse elements, so we will be looking at these too.”
Many places in Scotland have connections to Old Norse, with Eday in Orkney translating from the Old Norse for Portage Island.
Sanmark said a number of portages were likely used by Vikings in the country.
READ MORE: Name of mystery bishop found inscribed on rare crystal from Viking hoard
“Nobody has really looked at these before," she said. "The Viking boats were really, really light and they could be pulled across land really easily. The Vikings created short cuts.
“We know that when the Vikings were in Russia and coming down the rivers, hitting lots of rapids, they would get out the boat and walk.
"These boats were so light that they could be pulled for around a kilometre without much effort.”
The research is set to begin "in earnest" in February with one of the first sites being Loch an h-Airde on the Rubha an Dunain peninsula on Skye.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel