Parchment manuscript

Parchment, made principally from the skin of sheep, goats and calves, was used as a medium for writing from prehistoric times and remained dominant across the Christian, Jewish and Islamic worlds throughout the middle ages. This pocket gospel book was written in the first half of the tenth century in Latin. Notes were added in Gaelic or Middle Irish, and it is believed to be the earliest surviving manuscript produced in Scotland. It is known as the Book of Deer since later notes in it refer to the monastery of Deer in Aberdeenshire.

This manuscript has been digitised in full and can be viewed by clicking ‘Open Digital Library’ below

MS Ii.6.32, ff. 29v