'Book of Deer': Archaeologists Finally Uncover the Location of Long-Lost Scottish Monastery

For over a decade, archaeologists have been knee-deep in the dirt while looking for Scotland's long-lost "Monastery of Deer," until recently, when the samples gathered in the ruins of Deer Abbey in Aberdeenshire have at long last confirmed its whereabouts.

Although the Abbey itself is dated around the 13th century, archaeologists engaged in the "Book of Deer Project" found stone debris that is from an earlier period of time. All of this pointed them in the direction of the once-mythical monastery.

This discovery is of great importance not only as an archaeological find but also for its value as a central piece to the Scottish Gaelic language. Historians have long believed that the earliest written example of Scottish Gaelic came from the lost monastery, as deduced from the "Book of Deer."

What is the 'Book of Deer'?

The "Book of Deer," or Leabhar Dhèir in Gaelic, is a small illustrated manuscript also known as a "pocket gospel" which was originally in Latin. The book is dated around 850 AD to 1000 AD and despite its compact nature, it is considered one of the most important literature pertaining to the history of the ancient Celtic language. It is currently housed in the Cambridge University library.

Across its pages, during the 11th to early 12th centuries, monks have written in Gaelic additional information along the margins regarding grants of land and how the "Monastery of Deer" was formed. These are the specific passages that have pushed current archaeologists to find the previously hidden monastery.

"Not only does this show that Gaelic was spoken in the region, but it is also the earliest evidence that exists of written Scottish Gaelic by a good 200 to 300 years," shared Gaelic-speaking archaeologist Mairead Morgan in the new BBC documentary, "Làrach Leabhar Dhèir" or "The Missing Monastery."

Back in 2022, a team of researchers, students, and volunteers initiated the excavation project. They created trenches all over the Deer Abbey area in order to scan for important artifacts, before excavating layers upon layers of stone and demolition material. After weeks, the team reached the earliest layers and post holes where timber or stone was once held which suggested the whole building was circular.

Carbon dating of the charcoal material within the post holes revealed that it is from the same period as when the addendum, or the additional information, was added to the "Book of Deer."