Results from a survey on the architecture and archaeology of Cape Wrath Training Centre in North West Sutherland, which took place in 2008, have led to the creation of the RCAHMS Defending the Past project.  Asked by Defence Estates to share the heritage information amassed by the survey with the local community, RCAHMS devised ‘Defending the Past’ which will run from September 2009 for 12 months.

 

Funded by Defence Estates and now the Lottery Heritage Fund, ‘Defending the Past’ aims to bring to life and showcase the built heritage of the military training area at Cape Wrath where professional and highly trained RCAHMS staff will work with local primary and secondary students in encouraging them to access, enjoy, and share understanding of the built heritage with troops who come to the area to train. Defence Estates staff will bring their knowledge of outdoor pursuits, teaching, archaeology and health and safety to the project

 

Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Scotland, said:

 

“This is an excellent project, actively involving young people in their heritage on their doorstep and in doing so giving them a window to life in an era very different from today. The Heritage Lottery Fund is delighted to be able to help open up the history of Cape Wrath Training Centre so that the local community can explore, learn from and enjoy ‘Defending the Past’.

 

Head of Outreach and Education at RCAHMS, Rebecca Bailey, is pleased with the award and is looking forward to taking this project forward.  She said:

 

“I’d like to thank HLF and Defence Estates for their contribution and support to this project. The project aims to provide intensive and sustained involvement of the local community in Cape Wrath, especially primary and secondary school students.

 

“Students will be offered the chance to camp over night at the training area to undertake detailed exploration of how people once lived in this remote and barren place. Work with these students will be cross-curricular with strong emphasis on the principals of the Curriculum of Excellence.  

 

“There will also be opportunities for adults to get involved in the project by volunteering to help develop and make creative interpretations of collective heritage data for briefing materials for the troops.”

 

As well as being a fun and an explorative project ‘Defending the Past’ aims to engage local pupils in specific curriculum-related activities  such as creative interpretation of heritage for Expressive Arts, surveying sites for Maths and Design Technology, and historical research for Social Studies.

 

To showcase all findings a celebratory community based three day event will take place in late summer 2010 at Durness Village Hall, facilitated by volunteers from the Durness Development Group.  The event will include an expanded exhibition, showcase of work by young people, readings by the writer’s group and a display of works by the artist group all enlivened by live traditional music.

 

All findings and outcomes of this project will be available on leaflets and DVDs for the troops, educational resources for use at local schools such as a portfolio of activities and web based activities through Am Baile and RCAHMS extensive image database Scran. Reusable exhibition panels will also be given to the local community for them to use at further community based events.

 

 

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