The 7th International St. Magnus Conference was an Outstanding Success, filled with Inspiring Discussions and Creative Exchanges
The 7th International Conference of the University of the Highlands Institute for Northern Studies (INS) took place at UHI Perth from April 15th to 17th and was praised by all attendees as a great success.
Organised by INS Lecturers, Dr Oisín Plumb and Dr Paul Malgrati, the conference attracted speakers and delegates from around the world to discuss the central theme, “Borne of a Carrying Stream: How Water has Shaped Heritage, Identity, and Power”. This was the first conference held at this location and attracted an amazingly diverse range of papers, showcasing truly interdisciplinary research and artistic output. In fact, the number of submissions was so high that two session rooms were needed to run concurrent panels, allowing for complementary papers to be grouped together. This arrangement proved very effective, with each presentation sparking lively discussions and questions.
Each day featured a keynote speaker who presented their research, tying together the day's discussions into a cohesive narrative. The first day concluded with Dr Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, who discussed her research on "Living with the Sea: People and Waterscapes in the Viking Age," addressing a large audience of delegates. The second day wrapped up with a seminar by the Scottish Makar, Professor Peter MacKay, titled "There Must Be More Subjects for Poems than These: Stones, Dead Birds, Language, the Seas."
The third day of the conference was dedicated to a tour of Perthshire with Dr Oisín Plumb, who discussed the importance of Dunkeld Cathedral, the Scottish Crannog Centre, where delegates could experience hands-on experimental archaeology under instruction from the skilled staff and finally the hydroelectric development at Pitlochry. Dr Oisín Plumb said:
“It was an absolute pleasure to listen to such a diverse range of fascinating presentations. I was particularly struck by the quality of the discussion session at the end of each panel. It was wonderful to see how this allowed researchers from many different fields bring their knowledge together in new and interesting ways. I'd like to take the opportunity to thank all of our delegates for a wonderful conference, and note the incredible contribution of our INS postgraduate researchers, whose assistance with everything from chairing panels to preparing coffee allowed the conference to proceed so smoothly.”
Dr Paul Malgrati added:
"In addition to a smooth order of ceremony — and a very tasty dinner — the conference achieved its main ambition, which was to showcase the breadth and range of INS's cross-disciplinary identity. This was also reflected by the two keynote speeches: while belonging to different fields (Viking studies and modern Gaelic literature), Dr Charlotte Hendenstierna-Jonson and Prof Peter Makay trod surprisingly similar waters, stressing the influence of seas and archipelagos in shaping and dispersing the identities of seafarers. Such powerful parallels are the sort of things made possible in area studies and, overall, these testify to the conference's roaring intellectual success".
Thank you to all the delegates and speakers who travelled from around the world to join us. We appreciate Fiona Kennedy for her administrative support, PGR candidates for their help, Lynn Campbell for creating the conference bags and notebooks and UHI Perth for hosting the conference. We also extend our gratitude to the publishing houses and organisations that attended, including Rymour Books, Scottish Universities Press, Edinburgh University Press, Tippermuir Books, Brepols Publishing, the Scottish Society for Northern Studies, and Linda Cracknell.