Welcome to Iterations, the new home of the Black Isle Archaeology Study Group. The Black Isle Archaeology Study grew out of the WEA Exploring Your Past community project group that met at Fortrose Leisure Centre through the spring and summer of 2007. The work of this group culminated in a display of research on the Black Isle Ferries and the Wild Rock-Caves of Rosemarkie at Fortrose Library. The community project has now finished but a small group continues its study of the Black Isle, the caves, and their inhabitants, and the work of the original excavator, Doctor William Maclean. The group publishes a small newsletter, The Caird, and this website to keep the original members of the community group in touch with the latest developments and to publicise the study of the people and the archaeology of the Black Isle to a wider audience. The website's name is related to the learning process that underpins the work of the group. ITERATION Iteration: repetition, recapitulation, periodicity An iterative approach to learning is cyclical, encouraging a process of: analysis - design - implementation - evaluation The iterative model of learning sees creative activity as a process of review and revision or, more simply, as learning by doing and amending. In such a process errors and mistakes are not negatives - to be avoided at all costs - but are natural stepping stones on the journey to success. THE MACLEAN PROJECT The actual project was undertaken within a standard, six step information problem-solving framework.* 1. Defining key questions and lines of enquiry Who was Doctor Maclean? Defining the man in terms of: · family · education · job · interests and hobbies · status in community · qualities How did Maclean become involved in the excavation of Caird’s Cave? What is Maclean’s contribution to archaeology? · In the context of his own time · In the context of our time 2. Gathering relevant information from: · Archives · Reference Libraries · Internet · Local People · Museums · Fieldwork 3. Recording 4. Searching for explanation and 5. Interpreting and making judgements · Recognising limitations of evidence · Looking for bias · Distinguishing between fact and opinion · Judging contradictory evidence · Drawing conclusions · Verifying conclusions with evidence 6. Communicating Creating a Maclean Archive in the local library at Fortrose Publish a ‘Life of Dr Maclean’ Create an Internet Website dedicated to Dr Maclean Give lectures and talks to local heritage groups In summary we discovered that Dr Maclean was: · Respected · Well liked · A keen Sportsman · Considered a ‘Sound diagnostician’, always well read and up to date · A Scholar and Polymath · An Antiquarian in the ‘Loamshire Tradition’ * Information Skills in the Secondary Curriculum (Marland. Methuen, 1981) * Information Problem-Solving (Eisenberg and Berkowitz. Ablex, 1990) Photo: The grave of William and Louisa Maclean, Fodderty Cemetery.