Pupils at Tayvallich Primary School in Argyll are taking part in a project to rebuild ancient links between Argyll and Northern Ireland  with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Inspired by local archaeology and views of Northern Ireland across the water, the children of Tayvallich PS will join forces with Mill Strand Integrated Primary School in Port Rush to research the story of their shared Iron Age and medieval heritage.  Pupils will work with Kilmartin House Museum and the University of Ulster’s Centre for Maritime Archaeology, to find out more about what life was like in Argyll long ago.

This project is part of HLF’s All Our Stories programme to help people explore their community’s heritage, and has linked up with the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) so that pupils can work closely with universities and benefit from the knowledge of heritage experts.

Jacquelyn Condie, P7 teacher at Tayvallich Primary, said: “This is a really exciting  ‘hands-on’  history project, which provides a great opportunity for the children to fill a gap in our history and re-establish the link this area once had with Ireland.”

The children will investigate local archives, take part in workshops run by Kilmartin Museum, visit a dig at an Iron Age fort and take to canoes to experience the land from the sea. Pupils will be trained in using digital cameras, blogging to record their findings and creating a resource box with weapons, costumes and jewellery from the era for the community.

As well as making visits to historic buildings, museums, parks and archaeological sites in Argyll and Northern Ireland, pupils will investigate their own family histories, record and exchange stories from their families’ past, and look into any links to Northern Ireland. The results of the pupils’ work will be shared with their local community through exhibitions, ‘living history’ demonstrations and other events.