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The Ghost Collectors: How Scotland Kept Its Supernatural Stories
As we approach Halloween, UHI Institute for Northern Studies PhD candidate James Garry, discusses ghost stories he has unearthed in his research into Spectral Scotland: a cultural history of ghosts and the supernatural. Scotland’s ghostlore owes a great deal to people who wrote things down: ministers, travellers and antiquarians, some…
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“Give Me Back My Head!”: The Ghost of St Magnus Cathedral
For Halloween, Lynn Campbell, Curriculum Leader at UHI’s Institute for Northern Studies, uncovered a haunting tale while researching eighteenth-century Orkney—a story of an ancient cathedral, a midnight wager, and a ghost demanding the return of its missing head. Once upon a time, near St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, stood a…
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Scottish Generals After the Thirty Years’ War: Professor Steve Murdoch to Deliver Inaugural INS Annual Lecture
We are delighted that Steve Murdoch, Professor of Military History at the Swedish Defence University, will be at UHI Perth on the 21st October 2026 to give the first UHI Institute for Northern Studies Annual Lecture titled ‘Scottish Generals in the Aftermath of the Thirty Years War (1648-1721)’. Professor Muroch…
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Why are we obsessed with Viking ferocity? Because they lost!
UHI Institute for Northern Studies alumnus Stephen Barnaby discusses his research on the Vikings in our latest guest blog post. Consider this account, by a British monk, of an invasion of his own Christian land by waves of Germanic pagans: ‘…in the midst of the streets lay the tops of…
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UHI Institute for Northern Studies Welcomes Dr Jakub Morawiec
We are delighted to welcome Dr Jakub Morawiec to the UHI Institute for Northern Studies. Dr Morawiec is an associate professor at the Institute of History, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland, Head of the Centre for Nordic and Old English Studies at the University of Silesia and co-organiser of…
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New Book in Viking and Early Medieval Series Launched
A new book in the Brepols Viking and Early Medieval Europe series has just been published. The exciting volume is titled ‘Viking Women. Between Theory, Text, and Materiality’ by Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, Anne Irene Riisøy, Jakub Morawiec (eds) and is the latest book in the Brepols Viking and Early Medieval Europe…
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Ministerial Visit Showcases Globally Significant Research at UHI Institute for Northern Studies
UHI Institute for Northern Studies welcomed Scottish Government Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Energy Stephen Gethins MSP to Orkney on Thursday 13 August. During the visit, the minister heard about the institute’s internationally significant research and teaching across areas including sustainable development, Scottish heritage and island studies. Professor Donna Heddle, Director of UHI…
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Celebrating the North: A Poetic Vision for the Future of Northern Studies
In February 2026, Cáit O’Neill McCullagh, Poet in Residence at the UHI Institute for Northern Studies (INS), led an engaging and inspiring workshop for staff and students. During this session, participants were encouraged to reflect deeply on their personal experiences and creative ideas. The workshop provided a supportive environment for…
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Exploring Viking Landscapes and Social Frameworks: UHI Researchers Present Papers at the 20th Viking Congress 2026
UHI Institute for Northern Studies (INS), Professor Alex Sanmark, Professor Andrew Jennings, Professor Stefan Brink, and Dr Shane McLeod attended the prestigious 20th Viking Congress 2026, held in Oslo between August 8th and 17th 2026. Visiting INS Professors Judith Jesch from the University of Nottingham and David Griffiths from Oxford…
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Navigating the Energy Transition: Professor Andrew Jennings Presents the Legacy and Challenges of the Shetland Model at the Energy Ethics Conference
On Thursday 5th August 2026, Professor of Island Studies Andrew Jennings of the University of the Highlands and Islands Institute for Northern Studies, presents a paper titled ‘The Shetland Model’ to the Infrastructures of Energy Panel at the ‘Energy Ethics 2026: Infrastructure of Energy Conference’. The online conference will be…