We’re all potty about the Iron Age at Clachtoll

Look at this beautiful array of pots that emerged once the pit kiln could be opened, twenty-four hours after the blaze on Monday!

We were amazed that so few cracked or broke in the fire and there are some lovely blue shades on some of the clay. Lots of delighted people who made pots in the workshops last week came along to see them dug out of the ashes.

A huge thanks to Fergus Stewart (who has a studio and gallery at Glencanisp Lodge, near Lochinver) and Marc Campbell (who has a wee shed shop at 5 Lochend, Stoer) for running this fascinating and fun process.

Some of the pot shards will now be analysed and compared to those we have found in the broch. We will hopefully be able to re-run the process later in the year, tweaking the firing to see how that affects the results.

We plan to eat and drink out of these cups and bowls in our Iron Age food day on Friday 13 July. All welcome from 2pm to Stoer Green to help prepare food – grinding grain on a quern, making bannocks, churning butter, getting the fire going to roast mutton and venison, preparing salads etc – for tasting from 6pm. Bring a bowl and spoon!

Feel free just to turn up on the day or if you’d like to be involved in preparation of the food, contact Jen Valentine (j.f.valentine@btopenworld.com).