Crime fiction, whether for film, TV or paperback, is one of the most popular genres in our society. We have a fascination with who-dunnits, speculating endlessly about the hows, whys and wherefores of increasingly complex and macabre murders.

Now, Ullapool residents and school pupils from Ullapool High School will have an opportunity to gain an insight into the forensic science behind the plot-lines at a ‘Murder, Mystery and Microscopes’ event which will take place on Monday 17 May.

A collaborative initiative between the Macaulay Institute, Robert Gordon University and the University of Aberdeen, the event will see a number of internationally recognised scientific experts exploring the facts, while award-winning crime writer, Stuart MacBride, will discuss the fiction. The event arrives in Ullapool following a highly successful nationwide tour which has taken in Techfest in Aberdeen, Liverpool and Edinburgh Science Week, as part of a Scottish Government programme of science engagement.

Two presentations will take place at Ullapool High School on Monday, and members of the public are invited to the evening event at the MacPhail Centre, Ullapool, from 6.30pm – 8.30pm.

Stuart MacBride will chair the event, read extracts from his books and sign books including his new one, ‘Dark Blood’. Launched just last week, it is the sixth Logan McRae detective novel set in Aberdeen.

Professor Dave Barclay, a world-renowned forensics expert and Senior Lecturer in Forensic Science at Robert Gordon University, will be providing his specialist insight into what is sure to be a very interesting debate. Former Head of Physical Evidence for the UK National Crime and Operations Faculty, Professor Barclay has been involved in reviewing more than 200 murder investigations, cold case reviews and inquiries into alleged miscarriages of justice. These include the Bloody Sunday inquiry, the Omagh bombing, the World’s End murders in Edinburgh, and the Millie Dowler and Soham murders.

Professor Barclay’s extensive experience has led him to become an adviser for the BBC television series ‘Waking the Dead’ and more recently, the Channel Four documentary, Dispatches, invited Prof Barclay to Praia da Luz, Portugal to review the Portuguese police investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

During the event he is going to demonstrate how not everything we see in our favourite murder mystery programmes reflects how it works in the real world. Equipped with a can of petrol, one astonishing part of his presentation will involve throwing a lit cigarette into flammable liquid, and setting his foot on fire!

He explained, “We are hoping to explode a few myths of how Hollywood doesn’t always get the science right and see whether Stuart does. The event will also allow me to demonstrate a bit of real science and give an insight into the exciting nature of studying forensics at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen.”

Dr Lorna Dawson, a Principal Soil Scientist at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, will also be providing expert input at the event, with over 20 years experience in conducting and managing research and application in soil-plant interactions. She has worked on numerous cases with forces in Scotland, England and Wales and is currently the forensics soil advisor for the Forensic Science Service. One of the main thrusts of her work is the research and application of soil and vegetation information in forensic case work, and she has recently worked on an upcoming episode of BBC’s ‘Silent Witness’ advising writers on forensic soil analysis in a murder story.

Dr Dawson added, “We have a duty as scientists to communicate with the public. In Scotland, science is our future. We must attract the next generation and I hope that I can help to do that.”

Dr James Grieve, a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Medicine at the University of Aberdeen and a Police Forensic Pathologist for the North-east, will also be taking part in the event. His background in carrying out numerous post-mortem investigations and giving evidence at Fatal Accident Inquiries will complete the expert trio.

David Miller, Integrated Land Use Systems Group Leader at the Macaulay Institute who has been leading plans for the event concluded, “The event is designed to raise public understanding of the science which underpins forensics investigations, both in the real world and in crime fiction. We are delighted that it has proven to be so popular.”

Tickets are £5 and £3 for concessions. To book tickets, email murdermystery@macaulay.ac.uk or phone 01224 395277. Tickets can be bought on the night on a first-come first-served basis.

ENDS

Notes to editors

Professor Barclay and Stuart MacBride will be available for interviews and photographs. Please contact Sarah Grieve on (01224) 262388 or Andrew Youngson on (01224) 262389 to arrange.

For further information about studying forensic science at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, please visit: www.rgu.ac.uk.

For further information about the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, please visit: www.macaulay.ac.uk.

For further information about the University of Aberdeen, please visit: www.abdn.ac.uk.

Pauline Smith
Communications Officer

Robert Gordon University
Communications Office
Schoolhill
Aberdeen
AB10 1FR

Tel: 01224 262389
E mail: p.smith1@rgu.ac.uk