Protecting Scotland's Battlefields

Scotland's Story

The ALBA Party recognises that Scotland has many Historic battlefields and that we are currently and imminently at risk of losing our history and heritage through the growth of developments on Scotland’s Heritage Sites.

The Battle of Culloden at Culloden Moor, situated on the outskirts of Inverness the Capital of the Highlands, was the last major battle fought in the British Mainland. The Highland Clearances and the Act of Proscription that followed the Battle of Culloden were a direct attack on the Highland way of life. They are often untold but remain a dark chapter in Scotland’s history.

The Highland culture was demolished, the Gaelic native language and the wearing of Tartan were banned and outlawed. Since the mid-nineteenth century the battlefield has been a place of pilgrimage for people from Scotland and throughout the world.

With ongoing archaeological research and fresh historical interpretations, the story of Culloden is far from over. Yet, Culloden like so many other Heritage Sites and Battlefields are constantly under threat from development and developers.

ALBA are concerned about the danger which Commercial and housing development has on our historic Battlefields and the recent and current attempts to develop parts of Culloden Battlefield.

We believe that there is a moral duty on our generation to preserve, not just Scotland’s Natural Heritage, but also historic areas like Battlefields.

ALBA asserts that any detrimental development, individually or corporate, should be prevented from building on our Sites of Historical, Cultural and Natural Beauty.

ALBA Party calls on the Scottish Government to resource Historic Environment Scotland adequately so that it can protect historic Battlefields and urges changes in Planning legislation to enable the prevention of developments in these areas..