A romanticised perception of Scotland’s historic buildings has left traditional earth-built homes - once inhabited by the majority of the population - underappreciated
Dr Paul Adderley, University of Stirling
November 15, 2017
Our latest research shows that cutting the links between Scottish people and the landscapes from which they traditionally drew the materials of everyday life has heavily influenced the present-day perception of Scotland’s built heritage. This has placed the focus too heavily on grand structures such as castles and cathedrals, and more recent rural dwellings such as crofter's cottages, rather than the traditional vernacular buildings that were once home to most of the population.
Historic earth-built structures were once a common part of both our urban and rural settlements. However, many of these structures were destroyed, repurposed or left to deteriorate following changes in attitudes during the period of Improvement in the 18th Century and those that remain are now hidden within our landscapes.
To find out more, see the University of Stirling press release and the original research paper.
You can also watch SEPA's Our soil matters - culture video to learn more about the cultural importance of soil.
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