Radical plans emerge to buy up Culloden on “behalf of nation”

[Jock Scot]

Without the benefit of maps, or knowing who owns what and where and how far the important areas of the battlefield stretch it is difficult to comment accurately. However Tobus does raise pertinent points. As far as I am aware, the National Trust owns about a third of the area of the battlefield so that should be safe. I am not aware how much more of the important battlefield marker points are outwith the National Trust area, so again maps would be useful. As a local observer, building land is not in desperate shortage , so at least on the face of it, there are alternatives.

To be fair, the Scottish Government and their predecessors have/had to make similar difficult decisions in the past, such as putting the main A9 trunk road right through the battle lines at Killiecrankie and now they are putting a duel carriageway in, to double the disturbance and as another example, the putting of a huge Electricity pylon right in the middle of the site of "the battle of the Shirts", so there is form! However, there is no excuse for planners to sacrifice historic sites without careful thought. So yes, protection may be necessary, the problem is that in a country with limited resources, a sympathetic Governmental "ear" is often difficult to find.

We need to know the facts.

[figheadair]

Without the benefit of maps, or knowing who owns what and where and how far the important areas of the battlefield stretch it is difficult to comment accurately. However Tobus does raise pertinent points. As far as I am aware, the National Trust owns about a third of the area of the battlefield so that should be safe. I am not aware how much more of the important battlefield marker points are outwith the National Trust area, so again maps would be useful. As a local observer, building land is not in desperate shortage , so at least on the face of it, there are alternatives.

We need to know the facts.

For an understanding of the ground I can thoroughly recommend Culloden: The History and Archaeology of the Last Clan Battle by Tony Pollard

[lschwartz]

Without the benefit of maps, or knowing who owns what and where and how far the important areas of the battlefield stretch it is difficult to comment accurately...

Jock, here is a link to the Google maps satellite view of the battlefield: https://www.google.com/maps/search/b.../data=!3m1!1e3

Larry

[Jock Scot]

Jock, here is a link to the Google maps satellite view of the battlefield: https://www.google.com/maps/search/b.../data=!3m1!1e3

Larry

Thank you for that. Actually Google maps are not helpful for finding land boundaries, who owns what, where the pertinent battlefield markers are, proposed planning applications, where does the land in question stand in the minds of officialdom(if it does) for future planning applications, etc..

Actually, I know the battlefield area pretty well, what I don't know is who owns what and where. Where the National Trust bounderies are etc.. What and where outwith the NT area is going to be protected in future and at what cost. Is a compulsory purchase order a possibility? How much is the public expected to contribute? Is this good use for public funds when there ARE other pressing issues needing the finance? Personally I would need to know all of the above before I part with a penny.

Sorry, but its the farmer in me at work here.

[Bad Monkey]

Thank you for that. Actually Google maps are not helpful for finding land boundaries, who owns what, where the pertinent battlefield markers are, proposed planning applications, where does the land in question stand in the minds of officialdom(if it does) for future planning applications, etc..

Actually, I know the battlefield area pretty well, what I don't know is who owns what and where. Where the National Trust bounderies are etc.. What and where outwith the NT area is going to be protected in future and at what cost. Is a compulsory purchase order a possibility? How much is the public expected to contribute? Is this good use for public funds when there ARE other pressing issues needing the finance? Personally I would need to know all of the above before I part with a penny.

Sorry, but its the farmer in me at work here.

In my past life as a project manager, I could always find parcel boundaries and designations from the municipal tax/parcel data maps online. However, I'm not in Scotland and don't know if the same are available as a resource. I would imagine the information is readily available but I've been wrong once or twice before.

I may try digging up some info when I get back from the studio but it'll take me a while since I'm starting from square one on this and am unfamiliar with how the system works in Scotland. Someone with some local knowledge could probably dig the relevant information up in a quarter hour or so.

[Jock Scot]

In my past life as a project manager, I could always find parcel boundaries and designations from the municipal tax/parcel data maps online. However, I'm not in Scotland and don't know if the same are available as a resource. I would imagine the information is readily available but I've been wrong once or twice before.

I may try digging up some info when I get back from the studio but it'll take me a while since I'm starting from square one on this and am unfamiliar with how the system works in Scotland. Someone with some local knowledge could probably dig the relevant information up in a quarter hour or so.

Indeed much of the information will be available, it is perhaps available on the internet if you know how the system works. If there are gaps then questions need to be asked to those who ought to know. If they don't, one wonders why?

I suspect "someone" has raised a genuine concern and is seeing where things might lead and that "someone" is testing the "depth of the water" so to speak. To my mind, without a concrete proposal based on all the facts, rather than some fanciful idea(?) with no facts available other than a scare story, that may have some basis, in a news paper.

What I need to see is a proposal that shows the area of the battlefield. Which bit is needed to be saved? How much an acre is the purchase price? How many acres are needed to preserve the site for posterity? How close to the proposed boundary will future developments come? How much will the Government/local authority contribute? How much will the National Trust contribute? How much are the public required to contribute? Until I have those answers, my loot stays where it is.

[Bad Monkey]

I'm on the same side of the fence. No detailed project/business plan, no capital from my pocket.

I'm mostly curious as to what the scope of the project might be.

[ThistleDown]

All of what Jock says is true and much more information is yet to be revealed and perhaps even assembled. This is not a fund-raising forum, however, so interest in and 'support' for the concept should be the only things on our minds here. The project -- whatever its scope -- is about the retention of historic sites and prioritising levels of importance. Where the funds come from, and when, is a far cry down the line.