Consultation on Preserving Scotland's Significant Battlefields

Time to Speak Up for Our Battlefield and Many More ...

After really quite a long gestation Historic Scotland has now produced its Consultation Paper on the proposed policies to be adopted towards the nation's Historic Battlefields - and most importantly what to actually do about them in Scotland. The full text is to be found HERE. And you will see when you link there that with a wry sense of humour they have selected Culloden for their front cover - perhaps the last battle they expect to join the proposed National Inventory!

It is a very well presented analysis of the issues although it conspicuously fails to address the arrival in all our lives of virtual reality or, surprisingly, the role of the community per se in which the battlefield is to be found. However, the Trust has every intention of drawing these dimensions to their attention by the July 25th 2008 deadline for Responses to be with Christine Kelly. Much of its analysis is of top down approaches. There is nothing said of empowering local communities, within proper national guidelines, to take up the challenge with adequate resourcing. But more of that debate in the future.

As we proceed the Trust shall of course be liaising with colleagues at Pinkie and Dunbar, who have perhaps even greater concerns than Prestonpans that their battlefields should be protected since their campaigns are not yet so far advanced as our own.

click to enlarge all images


Will all who have views please both tell Christine Kelly directly at Historic Scotland, and also please give the Trust here at waukin@battleofprestonpans1745.org the benefit of their opinions as well.

The Trust will also be convening its own Public Meeting in The Pans in June to which all Supporters and local interest groups will be invited. At that meeting the Trustees will present their carefully considered views and proposed responses for local public debate, improvement and endorsement - before their submission to Historic Scotland.