We must battle to save stages where history was made

Scotland’s battlefields are under threat, writes Arran Johnston

Over the next two weeks one of the biggest and bloodiest battles ever fought in this country is being commemorated in East Lothian. The Battle of Pinkie saw the loss of thousands of lives and ushered in a brutal and costly three years of conflict, driving the infant Mary Queen of Scots into the arms of France. Supported by Eventscotland, there will be a range of events, from a battlefield tour to a wreath-laying ceremony.

Then, on 16-17 September, there will be a major reenactment event at Newhailes House near Musselburgh, where visitors will be able to listen in on councils of war, see and touch the armour and weapons of the age, and witness the ferocity of a cavalry charge. There will be activities for all ages, including children’s crafts and a chance to loose a longbow. But this is much more than a colourful historic pageant: by bringing together some of Britain’s finest living history societies, its purpose is to present a visible, tangible, memorable tableau of the events of 1547. It is designed to inspire a long overdue surge in popular interest. On the historic battlefield itself, meanwhile, a housing estate is rising.

Scotland’s battlefields are under threat, and high-profile sites are far from immune. From houses at Culloden to industrial substations proposed at Prestonpans and, most recently of all, yet more commercial plantation on Sheriffmuir, the vulnerability of our battlefield herit- age has rarely been in sharper focus. Scotland’s principal battlefields are registered on a national inventory of which Historic Environment Scotland are guardians, but it falls far short of providing meaningful protection. It is usually left to interested citizens, historical societies and charities such as the Scottish Battlefields Trust to highlight threats and campaign against insensitive developments. Too often such voices are not being heard.

But why should this cause concern? Because battlefields are irreplaceable assets. To communities they can provide a sense of place, a direct connection to the wider national experience. They can provide valuable green space too, harnessed for their natural outdoors potential. They also have a powerful capacity to attract visitors. Battlefield management is not about commercialising or stagnating these landscapes, but rather, opening them up for sensitive use, appropriate access and meaningful interpretation. Not every battlefield needs a multimillion-pound visitor centre, but well-presented and accessible sites that are free to explore can still contribute directly to the local economy. In a country so committed to tourism and aware of its heritage as Scotland, it is extraordinary that the nation’s approach to harnessing and protecting battlefields is not more robust.

Battlefields are the scenes of remarkable and defining moments