Renfrewshire Local History Forum

Final Plague Outbreak in Scotland
2025-10-09 19:00 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | D137/9, McLean Building, UWS, Storie Street, Paisley, PA1 2BE, United Kingdom
Professor Marc Oxenham, University of Aberdeen
Marc Oxenham is an Honorary Professor at the University of Aberdeen and an Emeritus Professor in the School of Archaeology and Anthropology at the Australian National University. He is a member of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. He has worked in the USA, China, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. Professor Oxenham is best known as a bioarchaeologist, focusing on human biological and socio-cultural adaptation to climate and technological variability/change in Holocene Southeast Asia.

Fairlie's Secret War
2025-11-13 19:00 - 21:00
John Riddell
John Riddell had a distinguished career as a civil engineer and is a noted historian of Ayrshire and the Clyde. He is the author of a number of books about the Clyde including Fairlie’s Secret War, about Fairlie’s little known, crucial role in WWII. In 2024 he was honoured by the Ayrshire Federation of Historical Societies for his contribution to the recording of Ayrshire’s history. He was the 2024 recipient of the John Strawhorn Memorial Quaich, an annual award presented to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to recording the history and heritage of Ayrshire.

Why Has Paisley so many Churches?
2025-12-11 19:00 - 21:00
Mr Duncan Macintosh
Duncan Macintosh is a retired building conservation officer who worked for Renfrewshire Council and who now champions the retention of historic architecture in Paisley. He is a very knowledgeable local historian involved in activities such as leading architectural walks in Paisley. He currently leads the Paisley and District U3AArchitecture Appreciation group which visits buildings and places of interest in the area about once a month.

The Archaeological Origins of Drumelzier's Merlin Legend
2026-02-12 19:00 - 21:00
Laura Muser, GUARD Archaeology
The archaeological origins of Drumelzier’s Merlin legend
Probably as far back as the 12th century written references to Merlin’s grave at Drumelzier have been made. Is there any archaeological proof?
Dr Ronan Toolis is CEO at GUARD Archaeology Ltd. He has over 30 years experience in a wide range of archaeological projects in Scotland and Germany. He has published the results of his work on assessing and investigating sites and analysing evidence in journals and books. His work has covered a very wide range from the Later Prehistoric to Early Mediaeval.

In the Footsteps of Bonny Dundee? Hunting for (Archaeological) Traces of Covenanters in the Clyde Region
2026-03-12 19:00 - 21:00
Dr Edward Stewart, CVARF Engagement Officer, University of Glasgow
Dr Edward Stewart is the Clyde Valley Archaeological Research Framework (CVARF) Engagement Officer at Archaeology Scotland. He is a field school co-director and excavation director of the Glencoe field school run by the University of Glasgow. He is passionate about making archaeology relevant to contemporary society and has collaborated on projects with the National Trust for Scotland, Glencoe folk museum and local communities in Glencoe and Ballachulish. His PhD in archaeology at the University of Glasgow explored shieling landscapes and the interpretation of upland archaeology in the Scottish Highlands.

AGM
2026-04-09 19:00 - 21:00

The History and Archaeology of the Treshnish Isles
2026-05-28 19:00 - 21:00
Derek Alexander, Head of Archaeology, National Trust for Scotland
Despite the fact they’ve been uninhabited since 1857, there’s a rich human history to the Treshnish Isles. Currently, there are at least 21 known archaeology sites on the islands, spread across the Dutchman’s Cap, Lunga, Fladda, Cairn na Burgh Mor and Cairn na Burgh Beag. These include two medieval chapels, a 15th- or 16th-century castle and an 18th-century barracks.
Derek Alexander is the Head of Archaeological Services for the National Trust for Scotland. After working as a commercial archaeologist he joined the National Trust in 2000 as the West Region Archaeologist and was appointed Head Archaeologist in 2011. He has undertaken fieldwork on many Trust properties including several small islands in the Hebrides some of which are the Treshnish Isles and Staffa. Many books, academic papers and magazine articles on a wide range of archaeological subjects have been written by Derek, including a book about Renfrewshire.
