Historic Perthshire castle at risk of downgrading
castle’s standing could “undermine” its ability to resist develop plans in the future.
She said: “The remains of Auchterarder Castle certainly date from the mid-17th century and the castle is reputed to have been around for much longer than that, traditionally considered to have been a hunting seat of Malcolm III of Scotland in the 11th century.
“Indeed, it could well be that it is the one remaining link to the Lang Toon’s medieval past.
“However, a proposal being made by HES would, on the one hand, remove the remains of Auchterarder Castle from the Schedule of Historic Monuments but would also - at the same time – add, not only Auchterarder Castle, but also other parts of Castlemains Farmhouse and Folly, to the list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest at category C.”
An application to demolish buildings and replace them with 12 houses at the farm was rejected in November 2018, citing a potential “adverse effect on the integrity of a scheduled monument and its setting.”
She added: “The scheduling and listing system is an important part of the way in which we protect and preserve historic monuments and our built heritage for Auchterarder Castle located in the Castlemains Farm Steading
future generations.
“I am aware that there is the potential for the continued development of housing in the area to threaten the future of this ancient piece of our local heritage and serious consideration must be given to whether the proposals by HES strengthen
or undermine our ability to prevent that happening.
“The consultation period regarding these changes was opened on June 19 and initially intended to end on July 10.
“I have received notification from HES that the consultation has been extended to July 19 and I would urge anyone who has a view on this proposal to share that with HES so that all relevant voices are heard in the decision making process.
“Decisions regarding the national importance of ancient buildings need to be informed by local voices.”