A Day in the Life of Gavin MacGregor, Lead for Aim 4: Encouraging Greater Engagement
Dr Gavin MacGregor is the Chief Executive of Archaeology Scotland and serves on the Scottish Strategy Archaeology Committee as the lead for Aim 4 – Encouraging Greater Engagement.
I have worked exclusively in Scottish archaeology since graduating from the University of Glasgow and had different roles as an archaeologist in university, developer funded roles and third sectors. Throughout my career I have had the privilege of working on and supporting community projects and I’m passionate about the benefits which participating in archaeology can bring to individuals and communities. So, I was proud to join Archaeology Scotland in 2022 and to work with the team to deliver opportunities for a wider range of people to learn about, get involved in and support Scottish archaeology.
Every day is different, some are more focused on the primary responsibilities I have as Chief Executive. For example, this week I was preparing papers for the Board meeting of Archaeology Scotland Trustees and have been contributing to securing funding for the programmes and projects that Archaeology Scotland delivers with partners’ support such as Historic Environment Scotland. Also, to be honest, in my role there is a lot of firefighting at times, with new challenges coming in almost every day.
But a ‘day in the life’ also has real moments of joy, which I am privileged to experience with my role. For example, last year the Archaeology Scotland team ran our first excavation at Newbattle Abbey College The Big Dig, with support from AOC Archaeology. One of the joys was meeting all the people who were participating (which included local people, archaeology students and a group of New Scots from our New Audiences ESOL project in Dundee) and to learn how much they were gaining from their experience. Another joy is working with individuals and organisations who also champion Scottish archaeology, for example last year we met with groups across Scotland (with support of National Lottery Heritage Resilience Fund) to explore how we can work better together. This comprised visiting some amazing archaeologically important places and organisations, such as Isle of Ulva and Calanais (The Standing Stones Trust, Urras nan Tursachan), who have exciting plans for the future.
Another one of those moments was today, meeting with colleagues about an exciting new project: Scotland’s Earliest Megalithic Monuments (supported by the Audrey Henshall Legacy Fund and in partnership with the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland) which we are planning to run this year with communities in several parts of Scotland. Working with the Archaeology Scotland team, their dedication to Scottish archaeology and the groups and individuals they work with, is second to none. So, another great day moment was when we learned the 2024 Archaeological Achievement Awards Early Career Archaeologist Award had been given to Kieran Manchip who runs our New Audiences project.
However different (or at times difficult) each day is, I always remind myself how important the work we deliver is at this time, finding ways to get more people and communities involved in Scottish archaeology is something which keeps me motivated every day.
If you are interested in Scottish archaeology and supporting the work we deliver, please consider joining Archaeology Scotland.