Fury as planners approve plan for 16 houses on part of Culloden site

● Historian claims area is part of the battlefield and could be seen as a war grave

Permission has been granted to build 16 new homes on the edge of Culloden battlefield despite widespread protests over the plans.

Kirkwood Homes has been given approval for the development at Viewhill Farm after reviving earlier plans for the land.

The new homes were given the go ahead despite Viewhill Farm now being included in an enlarged Culloden Muir conservation area to reflect its significance during the battle on 16 April, 1746.

The National Trust for Scotland said the go-ahead for the development was a “blow for the site”.

Diarmid Hearns, the charity’s head of policy, said: “We strongly feel that this is the wrong development for Culloden and are deeply disappointed at the planning system’s failure to protect this important site from the threat of development.

“The Trust, the community, the local authority and many others with an interest in Culloden have made their views known. We do not appear to have been heard, however.

“Scotland’s historic sites and stunning landscapes could be lost forever. We need to make sure that the places which make Scotland so special get the protection they deserve.”

He added: “This is very concerning, particularly in light of the proposals for a new Planning Bill, which if anything, would give people even less of

0 Protests over plans to build homes on part of the site of the Battle of Culloden have been going on since 2014 but later approved by the Scottish Government reporter in 2014.

Fresh permission was required for a series of amendments after the new Aberdeen-based developer got on board.

The site sits around half a mile north of the core battlefield and visitor centre across the B9006.

It is believed government lines extended to the area, where heavy losses are likely to have been counted towards the end of the battle with bodies buried where they lay. Dr Christopher Duffy, a historian and authority on the 1745 rebellion, said this week that the area should be considered a war grave.

Dr Duffy, speaking on behalf of the the Historians Committee On Culloden, said the Scottish Government had been given incorrect information about the battlefield geography ahead of its decision to approve the original housing plans in 2014.