Culloden 1746 Statement

In response to a next-stage planning application for the 16 house Viewhill development on Culloden 1746 Battlefield, the director of the Trust has issued the following brief statement:

"A planning application was submitted in July for 16 houses in the Viewhill area of Culloden Battlefield - within both the National Inventory and Conservation Area boundaries. We are among several organisations and countless individuals who have voiced concerns about the encroachment of housing developments onto the battlefield, and this particular plan has been hard fought against for some years now (particularly by members of the volunteer Group to Stop the Development at Culloden). The Scottish Battlefields Trust is disappointed that we were not aware of the new application and were therefore unable to comment formally in July, but we here reiterate our objection to it and have written to the local authority nonetheless. The attached post from the 1745 Association shows that they are of the same mind.

This case demonstrates the need for continued vigilance at all our battlefield sites. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have concerns over development proposals for any battlefield site in Scotland, and we will do our best to help."

The Trust has written to the planning authority expressing its concerns about the encroachment of housing onto the battlefield, reiterating its support for the conservation area which the council extended around the battlefield after the first-phase application for Viewhill was approved by a Scottish Government Reporter.

We will continue to monitor events at this highly significant and sensitive site.