City blessed with benefits

THE A BERTA Y Historical Society’s annual contribution to the Dundee A fternoon Lecture Series takes place at the University of Dundee on Wednesday, February 12.

The speaker is Professor Richard Oram from the University of Stirling and his talk in entitled : ‘The Gift of God’: A n Environmental History of Dundee from the 12th to 17th Centuries’.

Professor Oram is an old friend of the society. Originally from Dundee, and a graduate of the University of St A ndrews, he is one of Scotland’s best known mediaeval historians and is currently Pro- fessor of Medieval and Environmental History at Stirling.

Professor Oram says: “Medieval Dundee was blessed with the benefits of a prime geographical location coupled with a resourcerich hinterland and relatively benign climate.

“Such a positive environmental context set the burgh on a trajectory for growth in its first century.

“However, as climate change made its impact felt from the mid-14th century and recurring episodes of human and animal epidemics swept Scotland, Dundee’s environmental experience became altogether bleaker.”

In this talk Professor Oram will explore the effects of climate, weather, disease and resource availability on the prosperity of Dundee.

The lecture will take place in the D’A rcy Thompson Lecture Theatre, Tower Building, University of Dundee, and will start at 2.15 pm. There is a £2 admission charge.