THE unique atmosphere, importance as a place of history and remembrance, and the open aspects of Culloden Battlefield must be protected, according to the public.
The National Trust for Scotland yesterday revealed the findings of its Culloden 300 consultation, on the 275th anniversary of Charles Edward Stuart’s arrival in Scotland which ignited the 1745 Jacobite rebellion.
Last year, around 3000 people took part online and in person in the consultation, aimed at establishing how people wanted the site of Britain’s last pitched battle to look in 2046 – 300 years on from the event that marked the conclusion of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s attempt on the British throne.
Of the participants, 68% came from Scotland, showing strong national concern for the future of the battlefield, with a significant response from the of the UK (11%) and the wider world (21%).
Culloden attracts more than 300,000 visitors every year and the impact of the battle and its aftermath still resonates across Scotland and the wider world.
However, in recent years, the site has come under increasing pressure from piecemeal development.
The Living With The Battlefield report is the latest action from the charity, which owns and protects much of the important site, to tackle this issue.
It sets out what people think is so special about Culloden, namely how it is “open and empty”, its “peacefulness” and “unchanged” atmosphere, and shows the overwhelming support for protecting these qualities.
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