Uist Virtual Archaeology Project

The project is led by Dr Emily Gal and Dr Rebecca Rennell, UHI North, West and Hebrides Archaeological staff, working with digital design team Peel Interactive.

The teams are working together with schools and other community groups to create realistic and immersive reconstructions. The first site to be reconstructed and animated in 3D were the Bronze Age roundhouses and mummified remains at Cladh Hallan, South Uist which date to around 1500 BC. The reconstructions allow visitors to explore these sites, peel back layers and gain valuable interpretive insight that has never been possible before.

The Uist Unearthed app has now been downloaded over 6500 times since its launch in 2021. The project enhanced five archaeological sites along the Hebridean Way with innovative digital interpretation. It directly engaged more than 11,000 people via the Uist Unearthed app, exhibition or through engagement activities and pop-up events. The app uses a GPS map that highlights and promotes other heritage sites and visitor attractions.

The five sites reimagined by the app are:

Bronze Age Cladh Hallan, South Uist
Iron Age Cill Donnain, South Uist
Viking Bornais, South Uist
Iron Age Dùn Torcuill, North Uist
Multiperiod Dùn an Sticir, North Uist

The Uist Virtual Archaeology Project is supported by the Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund, a new programme of projects which will invest almost £9 million in the Highlands and Islands to provide more and better-quality opportunities for visitors to enjoy natural and cultural heritage assets. The Fund is led by NatureScot and is part-funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).