WINNER OF THE VIRGIN HOLIDAYS BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL AWARD 2002 FOR BEST ON SITE INTERPRETATION

THE 9TH SUCCESSFUL SEASON IN PROSPECT

2002 marked a hugely successful season for the Scatness dig culminating in the discovery of an evocative and dynamic carving of a Pictish bear on a paving slab in the largest wheelhouse. This wonderful piece of artwork has been painstakingly cleaned and conserved over the winter and the latest images of the completed work will be on site for the public to examine this season. Who knows what 2003 may bring to light?

For a limited period only Old Scatness Broch and Iron Age Village will once more be welcoming the public to explore Shetland's past. From Wednesday 2nd July to Wednesday 13th August you can become a part of the Scatness experience.

The visitor centre and gift shop will once more be open to cater for your needs with improved interpretation and an extended range of products. The centre will provide you with information on the site and a pick up point for your guide. The centre shop stocks a large range of goods to suit all tastes. Of particular note is a range of silver jewellery specifically designed for Scatness by Jayne Sinclair using some of the finds from the site as inspiration.

Our site guides and the Living History team will be your hosts through fascinating tours of one of the largest archaeological sites in Europe and will introduce you to a wide range of exciting events taking place on site including:

" Workshops on the ancient crafts of the Vikings and the Iron Age. Learn the skills of our ancestors from today's experts.
(Details of these will appear in the local press nearer the time.)

" Demonstrations of other crafts including kishie making and ancient textile production. Watch the nimble fingers of our specialists as they recreate the work of former days before your very eyes.

" History brought into the present through the dramatic interpretations of Viking and Pictish life as portrayed by our Living History team.

" Special sessions for pre booked play schemes and Out Of School Clubs. Bring the future to see the past. (Children must be school age)

" No visit to Scatness is complete without a look around the beautifully built reconstructions of some of the actual buildings being excavated. In many cases the reconstructions are used as backdrops to give an extra feeling of authenticity to the activities happening on site. This year we have been working on the most ambitious reconstruction to date, a round house of some 10 metres diameter.

The site will also be featured on a forthcoming television programme called "Mysteries in the Landscape" on BBC 2.

Shetland Amenity Trust was extremely gratified to be the recipient of the 2002 British Archaeological Association Award for the best presentation of an archaeological site to the public in Britain, more especially since these awards are frequently described as the most prestigious in the country.

Winning one has given us a clear indication that the standards we have set ourselves for the site are paying dividends and it has increased our determination to maintain, and indeed improve, the quality and diversity of the visitor amenities we offer for future seasons.

You can be assured that we will not be resting on our laurels and will be making every effort to ensure that the Scatness experience is going to get bigger and better.

Further details of the Association and the awards can be found on http://www.britarch.ac.uk/awards/