Description

Adversaries to Allies: The Brooch of Lorn

Study Day, Saturday 27 June 2026

10:00-16:15 in the Muniments Room at Cherry Park, Inveraray

This study day will bring together research and learning about the iconic Brooch of Lorn by promoting the Adversaries to Allies project. The origin and stories of the Brooch are bound closely to West Highland history, culture and the Gaelic language, so this will be a bi-lingual event chaired by Àdhamh Ó Broin, a native Argyllshire Gaelic speaker from CHARTS Argyll & Isles.

The programme for the day includes:

• An introduction to the story of the Brooch by Jamie MacGregor, Heritage Engagement Officer, Dunollie Museum, Castle & Grounds
• An analysis of the construction of the original brooch and the nineteenth-century response to it by Dr Sarah Laurenson, National Museums of Scotland
• A comparison of the three extant turreted brooches (Lorn, Lochbuie and Ugadale) and theories about why and how they were made, by Catherine Gillies, Ergadia Heritage
• An overview of the various stories about the Brooch of Lorn told in the Dewar Manuscripts, by Ronnie Black, The Dewar Project

Halfway through the day attendees will visit the Brooch of Lorn display in the Armoury Hall of Inveraray Castle. An optional guided tour of the Castle will also be offered.

Tickets for this event are £25.00 per person. A sandwich and traybake lunch is included.

Please use the ‘Add a note to your order’ facility at Checkout to:

• Advise of any Dietary Requirements/Allergies
• Confirm if you wish to join the optional Castle tour (please note this will overlap slightly with the beginning of the lunch break)

Alternatively, you can contact us by email at friends@argyllestatesarchives.org or by phone on 01499 302698