The UHI Archaeology Institute and Glasgow School of Art, in collaboration with the National Trust for Scotland, are delighted to announce a new ARCS funded PhD opportunity investigating the heritage of Fair Isle – the most geographically remote inhabited island in the UK.
Aerial view of North Haven, Fair Isle. (📷 Lis Burke / Aerial view of North Haven, Fair Isle. CC BY-SA 2.0)
The project, Stepping Stone? Investigating the cultural, natural and intangible heritages of Fair Isle, will take a multidisciplinary approach to investigations on Fair Isle, situated 24 miles south of Shetland and 27 miles north of Orkney, combining archaeological excavation of targeted heritage features, palaeoecological studies to establish the long-term ecological heritage, and investigating the intangible heritage of folk customs and traditions. Advanced digital visualisation techniques will also be explored to disseminate information and island narrative, for example via immersive systems.
The PhD project will be supervised by Associate Professor Dr Scott Timpany (UHI Archaeology Institute), Professor Stuart Jeffries (Glasgow School of Art) and Dr Daniel Rhodes (senior archaeologist at National Trust for Scotland).
The PhD will be based in UHI Orkney and the student will be expected to spend time on placement with the National Trust for Scotland, including fieldwork on Fair Isle. This PhD opportunity is fully funded through the ARCS doctoral research programme, part of the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (SGSAH). Funding covers tuition fees and has an annual stipend of £21,805 per annum (current rate). The PhD can be studied full-time or part-time.
Applicants should ideally hold a Masters-level qualification in a relevant subject area or be able to demonstrate equivalent experience in a relevant professional setting.
To apply send a CV and cover letter, including your research interests in relation to the degree, to scott.timpany@uhi.ac.uk by June 3, 2026.
