Scotland’s oldest book is now available online!
The now-digitised Celtic Psalter dates from the 11th century and contains hand-written psalms in Latin, with both Celtic and Pictish illustrations.
Experts believe that the small book of Psalms may have originated from Iona, although the exact origin is a mystery. The theory is that the book was produced by monks on Iona, who have also been linked with the production of the Book of Kells, another treasures of early Irish Christianity.
As her reign coincided with the dates of the book, it is also possible that it was commissioned for St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland.
The Celtic Psalter was donated to Edinburgh University George Squares library around the 17th century, and documents suggest it was kept in a library in Aberdeen.
Throughout its existence the book had only been available to a small number of scholars and students of medieval manuscript. Later it was made available to the public to view in 2009, and was shown off at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2017.
The original binding has been lost but the script is still perfectly clear with the colours in the illustrations retaining their vividness; it retained its good condition because it has been kept safe from the public for so long.
The book can be viewed by members of the public through the Google Arts & Culture online platform which allows users to magnify objects to see real detail, and read about the stories behind each piece, and facts about the artefacts.
The exhibition is free, and open to all members of the public.
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