North-east school pupils have joined a team of archaeologists in the hunt for Buchan’s lost monastery.
Experts from an Aberdeen archaeology firm have already descended on the sleepy village of Old Deer in an attempt to finally uncover the early medieval Monastery of Deer.
And now children from the surrounding area have visited the site at Old Deer Church to aid in the excavation.
The site is understood to have housed the Book of Deer – a small gospel book and Scotland’s oldest manuscript – before 1100AD somewhere in central Buchan.
Besides the manuscript itself, no trace of the Pictish structure has ever been uncovered. The book is now held at Cambridge University.
Derek Jennings, of the Book of Deer Project, said: “The project focuses on the historic connections between the Book of Deer and the area around Old Deer.
“The activities of the project are designed to ensure the community does not lose sight of its cultural roots. We should be proud of this Scottish icon and celebrate one of the great gems of our history.”
The project is also looking at two stone foundations in nearby Aden Country Park, one of which is recorded as a possible Episcopal Meeting House.
