We hold a conservation call off contract with Historic Environment Scotland to assess and treat artefacts from their Properties in Care, and designated excavations.   Work includes laboratory based assessment and conservation of portable archaeological objects and social history collections, work on location for less portable items, and involvement during archaeological fieldwork to assess and stabilise objects and to advise and undertake specialist lifting.

Recent conservation programmes include the cleaning and conservation of the iconic Mons Meg, a medieval  bombard gifted to King James II of Scotland by the Duke of Burgundy in 1454.  As well as being a popular attraction at Edinburgh Castle it is one of the world’s most famous guns. The cannon is health checked regularly but in 2015, for the first time in 30 years, it was taken off site for a major service including removal of paintwork using high pressure water and bead blasting by AOC conservators, and a thorough conservation assessment, prior to repainting by Historic Environment Scotland.

Our conservators undertake a rolling programme of maintenance on the famous Seafield Collection This collection of 18th century arms and military equipment  includes muskets, bayonets, pikes, swords, ammunition pouches and knapsacks with many objects dating from the Napoleonic wars. It is housed in the Grand Magazine, Fort George, built following the 1746 Battle of Culloden and once the largest fortification in Northern Europe.

We also regularly undertake conservation on a wide range of newly excavated material from across the Scottish mainland and islands. Recent examples include prehistoric pottery and iron age grave goods.