SPP Consultative draft

The Scottish government are inviting comments on Scottish Planning Policy, which affects everything to do with the planning process in Scotland, including Cultural Heritage. The draft policy documents and where to send comments to can be found here. 

Article for EWHT Journal

I was recently asked to write an article for the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust's first ever journal. It turned out to be a  nice little publication and one that is great for reading over a coffee -  if you can get your hands on a copy. Go to www.ewht.org for further details. 

Repairs to the Robert Burns Monument

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Burns Monument while repairs were being carried out to the structure. In having the opportunity to climb up the scaffolding and view the structure up close, it was fantastic to be able to see the detail of Thomas Hamilton's designs for this structure.

Detail of the cupola roof covered in imitation laurel leaves, which is taken from Stuart and Revett's Choragic Monument of Lysicrates - This can also be found on the Alloway Burns Monument.

Detail of the sejant, winged lions (not griffins, as they are described in Edinburgh's Buildings of Scotland guide) which support the finial. According to Joe Rock, in his publication on Thomas Hamilton's work, these are based on Charles H. Tatham's "Etchings of Ancient Ornamental Architecture", dating to 1806.

Detail of a lion water spout, situated at the wallhead guttering

Detail of the scrolled copings.

Many thanks to the City of Edinburgh Council and Ediburgh World Heritage Trust for allowing me to carry out this fascinating visit.

Cambridge Conference

I was asked to present a paper on Calton Hill at the 10th Annual Cambridge Heritage Seminar at Cambridge University. The weekend was interesting, with many different speakers coming from all over the world, but unfortunately highlighted the same problems in heritage conservation appear to be recurring again and again, whichever part of the world you hail from. You can find both my paper here and along with the other speakers papers on the website  - just follow the links provided.  

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.