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The Face of a Witch

Susan Morrison and Louise Welsh swap tales of Scotland's darker history in a spooky Time Travels special.

Susan Morrison and Louise Welsh swap tales of Scotland's darker history in a spooky special, finding out who gets buried in a bog and getting up close and personal with an accused witch from the early 1700s - Lilias Adie. Susan heads to Dundee University to reconstruct Lilias’ face while Louise Welsh goes to visit what remains of a person who became a bog body, to look at the reality behind one of Scotland’s most famous Gothic novels The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg.

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28 minutes

Last on

Sun 3 May 2020 07:00
±«Óătv Radio Scotland

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Clips

See all clips from The Face of a Witch (4)

Susan Morrison with Dr Chris Rynn as Lilias Adie’s face is reconstructed

Susan Morrison with Dr Chris Rynn as Lilias Adie’s face is reconstructed

Dr Christopher Rynn, lecturer at the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at  the University of Dundee shows Susan how he works on digital facial reconstruction 

Lilias as she may have been in modern times

Lilias as she may have been in modern times

Dr Christopher Rynn brought Lilias right up to date as a contemporary elderly woman 

Louise Welsh with the remains and clothes of 18th century Arnish Moor Man

Louise Welsh with the remains and clothes of 18th century Arnish Moor Man
Louise went to the National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh with Trevor Cowie and Colin Wallace where the remains of the bog body, which was discovered in 1964 on Arnish Moor on the Isle of Lewis, is kept.

The beautifully preserved wool bonnet found with the body

The beautifully preserved wool bonnet found with the body
Wool lasts a very long time in bog conditions and every stich of the knitting on the bonnet is visible.  Analysis shows it had been died, probably an indigo colour and around the rim there was a diced band – familiar to us from old images 

Broadcasts

  • Tue 31 Oct 2017 13:30
    ±«Óătv Radio Scotland
  • Sun 5 Nov 2017 07:00
    ±«Óătv Radio Scotland
  • Wed 27 Dec 2017 12:30
    ±«Óătv Radio Scotland
  • Sun 3 May 2020 07:00
    ±«Óătv Radio Scotland except Highlands and Islands

Podcast

  • Time Travels

    Susan Morrison explores the rich and sometimes murky depths of Scotland's past.