You can now view the video of our January meeting, featuring a talk by Ross Burgess on "Falkland's Historic Buildings".

Meetings, 2020–21

Society meetings are held on Wednesdays and start at 7 p.m.

The principal ambition of our lecture programme is always to honour aspects of our cultural and social history through stories of art, archaeology, architecture, archaeology and history relevant to Falkland but not necessarily local. We trawl our circles of friendship and acquaintance vigorously for speakers who are active in their chosen fields. This has been true of all our lecturers who have spoken to us since September, but it gave great pleasure that following the talk on 11 November by Nic Boyes the feedback included two very strong messages of approval both of the topic (conserving stone buildings and sculpture) and of a very engaging lecturer who knows how to make his subject-matter attractive and interesting to others.

All are welcome – you don’t even have to be a member, just sympathetic to our aims! Just sign up using the form on our "Contact" page. All subscribers automatically receive the monthly Newsletter, with links to the lecture meeting and to anything else that is going on.

All talks subject to confirmation. It is likely that all or mostly will be by Zoom but in any event we shall be following the Scottish Government’s public health guidance.

10 February 2021

Marietta Crichton Stuart: Falkland and its People 1901-1913, some stories from the book

Marietta is no stranger to succeeding seasons of Falkland Society lectures. She is a leading local historian and archivist to the Falkland Estate and her branch of the Crichton Stuart family. Consequently, Tom Playfair and Ross Burgess were delighted when she became a consultant to the book published in early December 2020. She read it twice with great care and made many valuable suggestions, and has also contributed a Foreword.

10 March 2021

Tom Christian

After working for several years on collaborative programmes at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, which led to extensive travel to some far-flung parts of the world, Tom now works freelance as a consultant dendrologist and horticulturalist. His clients range from private estates, National Trust for Scotland, to smaller organisations and community groups. A specialist in unusual trees, Tom’s interests include how our gardens and landscapes can be made more resilient in the face of climate change and other challenges. Tom is also Assistant Editor of the website Trees and Shrubs Online which is set to become the definitive reference work on woody plants grown in northern temperate gardens.

14 April 2021

Karen Dundas, Scottish Wall Paintings Conservators

Karen leads this team of outstanding conservators who have worked on some of the most important schemes of painted decoration and mural paintings in Scotland, including Falkland Palace. She lives in Dunfermline, Fife, and has lately become involved with the painted decoration which is one of the special features of the House of Falkland.

If our public health situation permits, her talk will be followed by a special visit to the House of Falkland to see the outstanding interiors of the 1840s and 1890s

12 May 2021

Fiona Wemyss

Fiona runs the Wemyss School of Needlework at Coaltown of Wemyss On the one hand it is a collection of exquisite historic needlework from the 16th century onwards. On the other hand it is a practical training centre for skills in needlework.

It is likely that instead of a lecture we will have a whole-day visit to Wemyss, with a talk and visit to the School of Needlework in the morning, lunch in the village hall, and in the afternoon a visit to the garden and garden centre of Wemyss Castle.

[Date and location to be confirmed]

9 June 2021

David F. Wilson, public artist

David was one of the first graduates in Scotland to achieve an MA in Public Art & Design. What he has done with this achievement he puts very well in his own words: ‘My passion for art has always been for work in public spaces. Inspired by the new art works that were springing up around Scotland in the New Towns of Glenrothes and Irvine, and in Dundee specifically, I directly experienced the benefits that art and artists can have on communities. I came to realise that if the environments we live in or pass through as visitors are respected, treated as important and designed as if they really matter, the wider public reaps the benefits and has a far more positive experience within those settings.’

Peter Burman writes: ‘I was thrilled and inspired the first time I heard David speak in public about the wonderful work he does as an artist, not only for the beauty of textures and pattern-making in his work, but also for the skilful and sympathetic way in which he works with the communities for whom his work is generally commissioned.’