The results of an exhaustive probe at one of Scotland’s grisliest murder scenes will go on public display next month.
A team of historians spent two days in a Perth pub cellar last week, searching for the remains of a centuries-old friary.
Irregular stonework below Christie’s Bar on Kinnoull Street is believed to belong to the ancient Blackfriars building where King James I was staying when he was assassinated in 1437.
The results of the study – part of a wider effort to find the King’s final resting place – will go on show in Perth during an action-packed day of medieval-themed fun, games and music.
The event, on Saturday, August 12, follows the success of last year’s celebrations to mark the 750th anniversary of the Treaty of Perth, which brought thousands of people into the city centre.
This year’s fair, which will be staged across King Edward Street, High Street and at Perth Museum and Art Gallery, will give visitors the chance to learn traditional skills like wood spinning, metal casting and woodcarving.
There will be displays of weapons, armour and age-old punishments, as well as live music and dancing featuring pipe band Clanadonia.
The free event will also include authentic food and drink from the middle ages, including a spit roast and servings of meade.
Museum staff will host an afternoon of Medieval Minecraft and puppet making sessions.
Gavin Lindsay, of the Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust who worked with Scotland’s Urban Past on the murder scene probe, said: “The findings from the workshops, which will include the scale drawings productions by the local volunteers, will go on display.
“People should look out for the Scotland’s Urban Past stall and find out more about how they can become an Urban Archaeological Detective.”
James I was buried in Perth’s Charterhouse monastery in 1437. But the building was destroyed during the reformation and now no one knows the location of his final resting place.
The hunt for the king’s tomb was announced this year by Stirling University, which is teaming up with the University of the Highlands and Islands and Glasgow School of Art to produce a virtual 3D recreation of the Charterhouse.
