A Perthshire museum will be sending its visitors back in time nearly 1000 years with a new virtual reality experience.
From Saturday, May 4, the Museum of Abernethy will offer a virtual reality exhibit revealing how the village may have appeared in the 1070s, when it was the scene of a meeting between the rulers of Scotland and England.
Visitors can now virtually explore the ancient church of St Bride and the wider religious enclosure as they may have seemed in the early Middle Ages.
The digital reconstruction of Abernethy was created by Smart History, a spin-out company from the University of St Andrews, which specialises in the digital representation of history and heritage.
The project arose from a collaboration with the Tay Landscape Partnership and Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust, and was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Lesley Robinson from the Museum of Abernethy said: “We, at the museum, are thrilled with this exciting addition to our repertoire which adds a new dimension to how people can visualise Abernethy’s past.”
A spokesperson for the museum exhibit said: ”In 1072 William of Normandy, who had recently conquered England, brought a fleet of ships up the River Tay.
“He was met at Abernethy by the King of Scots, Malcolm Canmore, and the two entered into peace negotiations.
“At this time Abernethy was a major religious centre, and the home of a community of Culdees, who are holy men following a strict form of religious life popular in Scotland and Ireland.”
The spokesperson added: “Today, the main reminder of Abernethy’s early medieval history is the tall Round Tower, which perhaps served as a bell tower for the Culdees.
“The new exhibit at the Museum of Abernethy places the Round Tower in its 11th century context.”
The reconstruction of medieval Abernethy was inspired by study of the surviving Round Tower and its surroundings, and comparison with early monastic sites in Ireland.
The Museum of Abernethy is open from 1pm to 4pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from Saturday, May 4 to September 29.
The museum will also be hosting a ‘fun day’ on Saturday, May 11 from 10.30am with games and displays by History and Horror Tours on crime and punishment in the past.
