Perth Charterhouse Dig 2026

Hidden beneath the streets of Perth lies an unresolved medieval mystery. In AD 1429, King James I set up Scotland’s only monastic house of the Carthusian Order on the edge of the booming royal burgh of Perth; they called it the Charterhouse after the home of the Carthusian Order at La Grande Chartreuse in the French Alps. At the heart of the monastery complex was a church priory described as one of the most lavishly decorated in the whole Kingdom of Scotland. Within this beautiful church, James commissioned a new royal tomb for the Stewart dynasty and was buried there in AD 1437 following his brutal murder in Perth. 130 years later, Perth’s Charterhouse was attacked and suppressed following a thundering sermon of reformation by John Knox in St John’s Kirk. After centuries of stone repurposing and urban development the exact location of Perth’s Charterhouse has been lost to the sands of time.

Informed by Ground Penetrating Radar survey and archive documentary research, a team of historians and archaeologists now think they have found traces of this missing medieval marvel buried deep beneath the streets of Perth. With support from local residents, the Guildry Incorporation of Perth and Perth Society of Natural Science, a dig team led by AOC Archaeology will undertake the first dedicated excavation to search for evidence of Perth’s Charterhouse this September.

Perth visitors and residents are warmly invited to come along during the dig week to observe the excavations and catch up on the latest discoveries at the dig info station by the Carthusian Monastery Monument (at the corner of King and Hospital Streets). The Perth Charterhouse Project will be hosting two Open Days on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 September between 10am and 4pm with walking tours of the Charterhouse precinct at 10am and 2pm led by members of the Project team. Dig talks offering site orientation and discussion of the discoveries will take place at 11am and 3pm – all from the Carthusian Monastery Monument. Family friendly practical archaeological skills activities and artefact handling will also be available throughout the day. Come along and find out more as we rediscover the story of King James I, his Charterhouse and his big plans for Perth.

Activity Details:

• Dig info station: Monday 14 – Saturday 20 Sept
• Open Days: Friday 18 and Saturday 19 Sept, 10am-4pm
• Charterhouse precinct guided walks: 18 and 19 Sept, 10am and 2pm
• Dig talks: 18 and 19 Sept, 11am and 3pm
• Family-friendly archaeology skills activities: 18 and 19 Sept, drop-in 10-4pm