We went to Aberdeen Art Gallery today to see the Book of Deer which is a 10th century manuscript thought to be of Scottish origin and which references the monastery of Deer in Aberdeenshire. It’s currently on loan from the University of Cambridge where it has lived since 1715.
The book is written in Latin and Gaelic and contains gospels which would have been for private use. It was hand-written and illustrated by an Irish scribe on animal skin. The hand writing is beautiful as is the decorative detail which you can see on the page below:
It will be in Aberdeen until the 2nd October at which time it will return to its home in Cambridge. It’s worth seeing as it’s not everyday you get to see a book that’s 1,000 years old.
Also at the gallery is some Viking treasure – The Galloway Hoard – thought to have been buried in Scotland around AD 900. It includes some Anglo-Saxon brooches which you can see in the second photo.
There’s also some fun things for kids.
A nice view from the balcony.
rachel.blog 