Research Conference

I recently gave a conference paper at a student research conference at the University of Edinburgh and I thought that I might stick it up here for all those that were unable to attend at the time. 

The paper, entitled "Whats the use? Fighting an 'uphill' battle within a World Heritage Site" was my first attempt at combining some of the archival research that I have been busy with over the past few months together with a selection of many of the 'real issues' that currently affect the site. It was interesting to see the reaction of many of the people who attended the talk, as both those who were familiar with the site and those who were not were fascinated by the complexities of the Hill's development and its history, as well as the problems that the site currently faces.    

Repair work to the National Monument

I have been having a busy couple of weeks since setting up this page, so as a result, I have not had much time to update this site on all that I've been up to!

Last week, I had the opportunity to go up The Hill to watch the some of the ongoing repair work being carried out to the National Monument and it was fascinating to watch the builders in action. A condition survey carried out by the conservation architects for the structure had noted that a lintel on the northern side of the monument had moved slightly and a huge machine was required to lift this piece of stonework back into place.

The National Monument was constructed of a material called Craigleith sandstone - this was the same material used to construct much of the New Town - which came from Craigleith Quarry, approximately 2 miles from the City Centre. This quarry is no longer in use, so it is vital to preserve as much of the stonework as possible as although substitutes can be found they are not as durable or as beautiful as the Craigleith Stone.

Conservation Plan for Calton Hill

A conservation plan for Calton Hill was produced by LDN Architects in 1999. It is an in-depth and comprehensive piece of work that includes amongst other things, archaeological, geological and architectural appendices that are a fascinating read in their own right and give you a bit of an idea how much there is going on with this hill, and where the knowledge gaps still lie. The plan can be downloaded from the City of Edinburgh council website, or can also be found in hard copy in the Main Edinburgh library of George IV Bridge. 

Some general info

A bit of background on Calton Hill


http://www.ewht.org.uk/GetFile.aspx?ItemId=478

For starters...

Welcome to the Calton Hill Research Project!

This is a blog to record my PhD research on the cultural and intellectual scope of The Hill, as well as looking at the practical conservation work being carried out there at present.

In addition to updates and information I come across - or that occurs during my ongoing research - there will be some historical allusion in this blog, and references on where to look for the history of the hill, but it will not be a fully comprehensive history of the site. I will aim to only publish information that is accurate and will reference any research papers and academic analysis within this site. In addition, I will amend any errors as soon as I am aware of them but please note that this blog records research in progress. As such, my viewpoints, perspectives and conclusions may change during the course of my work.

This project is in collaboration with a leading academic institution and a local heritage body, but all opinions on this site are solely that of the author.

Admin bit done! - I hope you find this site interesting and informative and an enjoyable read. Please feel free to email me any comments or pieces of information that you feel may be useful to my research, or if you wish any further information on any of the posts that I have supplied.

Kirsten