29 February 2008

Scotland’s Rural Past Project

Launches Teachers’ Resource Pack

An exciting heritage project that was established in October 2006 to investigate and document abandoned rural settlements throughout Scotland is about to launch a Teachers’ Resource Pack for use by teachers and pupils throughout Scotland in the Curriculum for Excellence.

Scotland’s Rural Past is a project that supports local communities to investigate the remains of long abandoned settlements in their area that often date back hundreds of years. The project encourages members of the public to discover more about historic rural settlements, by learning valuable new techniques and skills in archaeological identification, surveying and recording, to rediscover a sense of place and gain a greater understanding of the changing historic landscape around them.

The Teachers’ Resource Pack has been developed after a series of close consultations and training courses with volunteer groups, Young Archaeologists Clubs and schools around the country. The pack comprises case studies designed to present teachers with the types of evidence – aerial photographs, old maps, archaeological plans and records, and historical documents – that will enable schools to become actively involved in the exploration of Scotland’s rural past within the Curriculum for Excellence framework.

The Teachers’ Resource Pack is suitable for P6-P7 and S1-S2 year classes. It has been written with the new Curriculum for Excellence in mind and offers a range of activities suitable for social studies topics. By using these resources with their associated activities, pupils will have opportunities to extend their experience of becoming successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. In October 2007, the SRP team carried out a two-day training course with Islay High School Archaeology Club and Islay Archaeology Society. It was an opportunity to look at the relevance and effectiveness of the Teachers’ Resource Pack in relation to the Curriculum for Excellence. Sandy Smith, Design and Technology Department, Islay High School said:

‘In terms of the value of the training to the students, I think it is tremendous. It was only when watching the initial trainees pass on their skills to their new group mates that I realised just how much they had taken from the two days. Not only were the new trainers demonstrating their plane table and sketching skills, but they were also pulling upon their knowledge of: map reading, GPS, geographical land, interpreting ruined buildings, rural life in Scotland and interaction with adults. It's this breadth of skills that makes the activities so valuable and makes it tie so brilliantly with our up and coming Curriculum for Excellence.’

Scotland’s Rural Past works closely with experienced staff from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments Scotland (RCAHMS) to provide training for volunteers in archaeological field techniques and documentary research. It also offers support to develop educational projects to raise awareness of and improve access to Scotland’s rural history.

Professor Tom Devine, OBE, FRSE, FBA, Sir William Fraser Chair of Scottish History and Palaeography, University of Edinburgh says of Scotland’s Rural Past:

‘I am delighted to support this highly imaginative initiative which I regard as one of the most significant heritage projects in Scotland of recent times. Not only does it encourage community involvement and interest but the work will also help to provide a new and deeper understanding  of the nation’s rural past than can be achieved by written records alone.’’

The project has received tremendous support from enthusiastic members of the public and over two hundred volunteers are currently registered. Over the past year, highly successful field trips and workshops have been held in Killin, Bute, Lanarkshire, Braemar, Glen Clova, Mull, Islay, Edinburgh, Inverness, Wigtownshire, Moidart and East Lothian. Over 100 volunteers have now received professional training and 19 local projects are so far underway around Scotland with volunteers researching and recording their local rural heritage. The project has also recently launched an interactive website to enable volunteers to share their ideas and research.

Dr Tertia Barnett, project manager for Scotland’s Rural Past said:

‘We are delighted that this important project has been such a success over the past year – communities have worked together to learn new skills and to engage with their environments. We’re now very proud to be launching a resource that has already been lauded by the education sector. A significant contribution has also already been made to Scotland’s recorded heritage and we now feel that this resource will make a significant contribution to its greatest natural resource – its people.

The Scotland’s Rural Past Teachers’ Resource Pack will be launched on 13 March 2008 www.scotlandsruralpast.org.uk

For further information please contact:

Helen Loughlin at Colman Getty Scotland Consultancy

0131 558 8851 / helenloughlin@colmangetty.co.uk

1. Scotland’s Rural Past is a nationwide project launched and supported by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), the Heritage Lottery Fund, the National Trust for Scotland, Historic Scotland, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

2. The project was developed through the work of the Historic Rural Settlement Trust which recognised the need to improve our understanding of rural sites and encourage their conservation by involving local people.

3. Scotland’s Rural Past will run for five years, finishing in September 2011.

4. Brian Wilkinson, SRP Interpretation Officer who developed the Teachers’ Resource Pack, is available for interview along with Dr Tertia Barnett, the SRP project manager.