Scotland's Battlefields Must Be Listed: Nothing Less Does Justice to the Nation's Heritage

Trustees and Others Publicly State their Disappointment with Historic Scotland's Consultation Paper

The press cutting below from The Sunday Post hints at disappointment from the Trustees of the Battle of Prestonpans that SNP Ministers on Linda Fabiani's watch have produced such a 'slight' set of proposals to protect the nation's battlefields. Their formal Response linked below has now been tabled at Historic Scotland with letters also personally addressed to the First Minister and Minister of Culture.

click to enlarge the press cutting


What the Trust had to say to Historic Scotland is linked HERE

For any who have not lately viewed the Historic Scotland Consultation paper the full text is to be found HERE.

Few will be surprised at the Trustees' Response, least of all the Minister of Culture who is fully aware that the campaign from Prestonpans is dedicated to the Presentation of the Lessons arising from our battle as much as the field of battle and the tactics pursued thereon. They are certainly significant as is the work of archaeologists that helps to ensure their accuracy. But there is much to be learned of the nation's heritage which will not come from such a limited perspective.

From Victory at Prestonpans sprang Hope and Optimism in the hearts and minds of much of Scotland. There was both an immediate and subsequent flowering of literature, poetry and song. The myth of Bonnie Prince Charlie was born. Yet at the same time many clearly wanted the Union to survive seeing very great benefits for Scotland.

These debates find their echoes today. These are the type of perspectives on Scotland's battlefields that the Trustees at Prestonpans expect to be addressed nationwide, not simply encouraging the creation of an archaeological inventory as now proposed by Historic Scotland.