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This thesis presents the results of a multichannel reflection survey conducted off of the Western Isles of Scotland in 1981 in the Sea of the Hebrides region. Ten profiles were acquired to 12 seconds two-way time using an air-gun source and a 2.4 km 24 channel receiver, yielding 24 fold coverage with a gather spacing of 50 metres. The data have been processed at Durham using the reflection seismic processing software developed there over the past six years. The interpretation shows that the Mesozoic basins lie unconformably on up to 5 km thickness of Torridonian sediments, which in turn lie uncomformably on Lewisian crystalline basement. The presence of eastward dipping events in the basement are associated with thrust faults and are probably of Caledonian age. The later reactivation of these faults has controlled the formation of the Mesozoic basins. The thesis also contains details of the modifications made to both the computer hardware and the processing software of the Durham Seismic Processing System during the life-time of this project. The expansion of the facility has enabled a larger selection of faster algorithms to be written for the processing of multichannel reflection data. These include velocity filtering, autostatics and dip filtering routines. Particular attention has been given to the accurate determination of the velocity function used when processing the data and how this information may be used to help the geological interpretation.

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The thesis attempts an investigation of social change and development within late medieval urban and landed society in North-East Scotland. Analysis has been concentrated on the social implications of the evidence produced by a study of the Aberdeen burgh property market in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. To deal with the often copious evidence has entailed the use of basic computing techniques. Aside from this research has been made on the processes of social interaction within urban society and includes investigation of the elite families, heiresses, the craftsmen of Aberdeen, and the social composition of the burgesses of guild between 1399 and 1510. A chapter has been devoted to comment on the activities of the notaries of Aberdeen in the later middle ages. They were a vigorous and enterprising group of men busy building up their fortunes. After examination of the social developments within Aberdeen urban society the emphasis of the thesis moves to the investigation of the major landed families of north-east Scotland. This includes the Gordons, the earls of Mar, the Forbes, the Irvines of Drum, the Hays, the Lesleys, the Keiths, and Setons of Meldrum. Their accumulation of estates, marriages, royal favour, and bonds of manrent all receive comment. The final section of the thesis is devoted to the subject of both the political and economic-social interaction between burgesses and landed men. There was a variety of contact along these broad fronts. Aside from the chapters and conclusion the thesis contains three appendices of useful information. The first sets out the genealogies of the eleven elite families of Aberdeen, the second looks at medieval urban price data between 1435 and 1531. The third covers the taxation of medieval Aberdeen from 1448 to 1472.

As a woman the queen in fifteenth-century Scotland could not exercise authority in her own right. She did, however, possess power. Her power was derived from that of her male relatives and was dependent upon the recognition and acceptance of the political community; as the queen's relationships to powerful men changed, so did the extent and nature of her power. As a daughter, a girl possessed little power, particularly with regard to marriage decisions made on her behalf, but the ceremonies surrounding her marriage and coronation demonstrated her future importance as wife, mother and link in a broader family network. As queens consort, Joan Beaufort (?-1445) and Mary of Guelders (1433-63) shared close working relationships with their husbands, James I and James II. The ties these queens established as consorts with leading members of the political community and with royal officials were of particular importance to their abilities to maintain a role on the regency councils governing during the minorities of their sons. Both queens maintained contact with their blood families and political sponsors throughout their lives, as did the six daughters of Joan Beaufort and James I, all of whom spent considerable time in continental courts. The importance of such ongoing communication to medieval diplomacy was fostered by female support networks in which women trained other women for their future roles. The practice of birth and surrogate mothers preparing and educating girls for their adult careers engendered in royal women a sense of their own importance. The effort and expense invested in sending eight royal women, two queens and six princesses, to and from Scotland in the first half of the fifteenth century and the variety of activities they undertook after their marriages indicates that the powerful men from whom they derived their own power were similarly aware of their contribution to political life.

Scottish military offensives against England from 1369 were largely the product of governmental policy, and involved the participation of much of the political community of the realm. They were launched with careful timing, taking account of international developments and domestic problems in England. In the reign of Robert II they involved close co-operation with France and succeeded militarily, enabling the Scots to regain English-occupied lands in southern Scotland and achieve diplomatic gains. Military success encouraged the Scots to the point where they were willing to engage in attacks on England beyond the ambition of their French allies. Diplomatic gains, however, fell well short of forcing English recognition of Scottish independence. Hopes of achieving this aim by military means were ended in the reign of Robert III when the Scots were heavily defeated in 1402. English hopes of reconquest were similarly dashed in 1403 when victory in the north brought only severe political unrest. Relations between the realms were never to be so consistently conflictual again. War was not fought, however, with only political objectives in mind or other 'rational' factors such as the quest for financial gain. The Scots went to war, and their leaders organised it, for emotive reasons also, such as hatred of the English and enjoyment of martial endeavour for its own sake. There is no sign that the impact of war in the years under consideration led to the development of a distinctive set of attitudes and mode of social behaviour among the Scottish borderers.