Battlefield sites ‘threatened’ by A9 expansion

MSP says alternative has ‘less impact’

Protections for Scotland’s historic battlefields will be “worthless” if plans for the expansion of the A9 at Killiecrankie go ahead, a Tory MSP has said.

Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser raised concerns at Holyrood about the impact of the dualling of the road north on the site of the Battle of Killiecrankie, which took place in 1689 during the first Jacobite rebellion.

Addressing Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop, he said: “The success of the Outlander books and TV series has caused a renewed interest Jacobite period.

“And yet at the same time two important Jacobite battle sites are being threatened by development, one being Culloden, the other being Killiecrankie in the area I represent, where plans by Transport Scotland to extend the A9 dual carriageway to the south would cover what is the most sensitive part of the battle site where most of the casualties were incurred.

“This is particularly unfortunate as there is a viable alternative to extend the A9 to the north side with less impact.“ in the

A campaign has been mounted against the plans, while Historic Environment Scotland has also objected to the proposed scheme “for its potential impacts on the Killiecrankie battlefield”.

Ms Hyslop said “Scottish planning policy sets out the matters planning authorities should consider in determining planning applications relating to historic battlefields, including protecting, conserving and enhancing their key landscape characteristics and special qualities.

“A further layer of scrutiny is provided by a planning direction from 2012 which sets out where ministers have to be notified over planning proposals affecting historic battlefields, and where development is not within the planning system – for example in forestry or trunk road proposals – Historic Environment Scotland’s policy statement sets out that public bodies should ensure nationally important battlefields are given consideration in their plans.”

Ms Hyslop insisted the expansion of the A9 would make a “transformational difference to the transport between Inverness and the south”. An environmentalist will be the first person to paddleboard from one end of Britain to the other – and will pick up plastic pollution from the shores as she goes.

Cal Major plans to travel up the British coastline from Land’s End to John O’Groats and clean up plastic floating in the sea and washed up on the beaches.

The 29-year-old vet from Warrington has previously paddleboarded around the Isle of Skye and Cornwall to take away bottles, packaging and netting.

But in May the University of Edinburgh graduate will embark on her most extreme challenge to date by travelling from the most southern to the most northern point of the UK.

The journey is expected to take four months, and she will paddle across oceans and some mainland canals to get to her final destination. She said: “I want to show that everyone can identify with plastic pollution from Ireland to Scotland and I’d like to link up communities to work together and tackle plastic pollution.”