Battles ahead

I WRITE on behalf of the 1745 Association in support of the important issue raised by Sir Kenneth Calman in his capacity as chairman of the National Trust for Scotland.

While the 1745 Association is concerned to protect sites relevant to the Jacobite period of history, there is a much wider issue at stake in relation to the protection of all historical sites from incremental encroachment which could hinder our interpretation of their significance, as at Culloden.

In the case of battlefields, their location is often a contributory factor to understanding the outcome of the engagement.

Culloden is such a case, as the moorland terrain most definitely affected the outcome of the battle. If iconic battlefield sites are hemmed in too closely by modern developments, an important aspect of their significance is lost.

For the future, we join with the NTS in advocating a review of planning procedures in order to ensure that the entire context of heritage sites is examined, rather than allowing a narrow focus on piecemeal developments. In particular, we urge the strengthening of the Scottish Government’s Scottish Historic Environment Project (Shep) on Historic Battlefields in order to achieve this level of protection of sites which are an integral part of our heritage.

(Very Rev Dr) Alexander Emsley Nimmo

Chairman of the 1745  Association

St Margaret of Scotland

Gallowgate, Aberdeen