Daphne Brooke gained a degree in history from University College London. After retirement from the Civil Service, she settled in south-west Scotland and spent the next twenty-five years researching the place-names and history of early Christian and medieval Galloway, transforming understanding of the complex cultural heritage of this region through a series of academic and popular publications. She was an occasional lecturer for Glasgow University, contributing to their Adult and Continuing Education programme in Dumfries and Galloway, and a founding member of the research committee of the Whithorn Trust, which led to close involvement in the archaeological excavations at Whithorn.

Richard D. Oram gained an MA (Hons) in Medieval History with Archaeology and a PhD in Medieval History, both from the University of St Andrews. He is currently Professor of Medieval and Environmental History at the University of Stirling. A former Director of the Centre for Environmental History and Policy and member of the Historic Environment Advisory Council for Scotland, he is now a Trustee of the National Museums of Scotland.