protective legislation: the care and movement of stones

Until each Government department has its own webpage explaining clearly individual areas of

responsibility in the protection and conservation of stones, cultural and ecclesiastical heritage, and

means of looking to the future with a clear eye on the past, we are happy to provide a few pointers.

Currently, with a national Government intent on throwing the baby out with the bathwater, we are not overly

convinced that the status quo is sufficient to conserve our dwindling heritage in Scotland in general and in

Aberdeenshire and Northeast Scotland in particular. The upper house - Westminster's House of Lords -

has traditionally been aware of landowning responsibilities, and Scots who are members of that house have

had their share of looking after ancient monuments at their own cost - as guardians for a nation. However,

not only have their powers been historically limited as to how few [or how many] matters relating to Scotland

they are able to discuss in the House, but its very existence - and their unpaid protection of our antiquities -

are now threatened.

The Scottish Executive, based in St Andrew's House in Edinburgh, telephone 011+44 (0)131-556 8400,

now has responsibility for the antiquities of the nation, with 'operational responsibility for safeguarding

Scotland's built heritage' in the hands of Historic Scotland (HS) - the north-of-the-border equivalent of

English Heritage. The offices of this executive arm are also in Edinburgh, at Longmore House, Salisbury

Place EH9 1SH, telephone 011+44 (0)131-668 8777. They maintain and update a publication 'List of

Ancient Monuments in Scotland' annually, available from them on request.

Historic Scotland was in 1991 created out of the former Historic Buildings and Monuments department of

the Scottish Office, which itself was formerly a division of the Ministry of Works [some ancient monuments,

like the Castle of Boyne in Banffshire, still display their Ministry of Works metal plaques dating back to 1931

and some to 1913 - so longevity is a strong point]. HS has responsibility for over 7,000 scheduled monuments

in Scotland and is essentially in charge of deciding which monuments countrywide meet the criteria for 'national

importance'. If an ancient site is considered worthy, it is added to the List of Scheduled Monuments. If not, it

is not.

So damage or defacement to stones in the 'unscheduled' category goes unpunished. More precisely,

vandalism or damage caused to an unscheduled stone or cluster of man-made prehistoric or historic structures

does not fall within the area of protective custodianship of a department responsible to the Scottish Executive

and to the First Minister of Scotland in charge of caring for Scotland's cultural heritage. Such places, even if

forming historically-important landmarks, sited in some of our most striking settings with stunningly grandiose

views of unaltered wilderness and beauty, are not cared for by this executive department. They are out on

their own.

The responsibility for keeping monuments in good order lies with owners

This is fine and dandy if the owner cares. And historically, owners have, on balance, cared.

But the future of landownership is Scotland is not at all secure. So where does that leave our antiquities?

Historic Scotland's new name for the 'nineties is laudable, and, according to a recent statement from HS

Director Heritage Policy, '. . . since [HS] came into being, the list of scheduled monuments in Scotland has

increased by over 50%.'

FOGS prehistoric map shows predominant clusters of Neolithic (red) & early historic (Pictish) monuments in NE Scotland - shown as purple dots. For a higher resolution map click here to stone circles, cairns and Pictish carved and symbol stones in Northeast Scotland.

The 'scheduled' monument category covers all types of 'Ancient Monuments' - prehistoric ritual and funerary,

prehistoric domestic and defensive, Roman, crosses and carved stones, ecclesiastical, secular and industrial.

Counting all seven categories, there is presently a total of 432 scheduled monuments in the former Region

of Grampian, presently designated in governmentese as Aberdeenshire and Moray, but covering the counties

of Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, Kincardineshire and Moray.

So, in an area half the size of Switzerland, with an unofficial count of prehistoric, early-historic and

medieval antiquities, settlements, ecclesiastical and agricultural remains running in the thousands,

but protection is given to a mere 16% of the national total.

It is perhaps as well that the landowners of Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, Kincardineshire and Moray are content

to care for the antiquities on their land without recognition or recompense. We owe them a debt of gratitude.

The picture is clouded by an historical precedent set in 18-19thC Scotland when gentlemen-archaeologists

chose to excavate and remove stones from original positions. While protected by a thin veil of respectablity,

this practice continues and, at the turn into the 21st Century, many portable stones of unquestionable

importance to their own locality are still being removed to Edinburgh (homebase of Historic Scotland) for

'study and conservation'. This invariably leaves nothing in the original site which would allow countless visitors

to explore their own inspiration, research, sacred quest or scientific bent.

At worst, some stones are given artificial lighting, heating and recirculated air in dry indoor conditions. There

are exceptions: some monuments in Angus, Forfar and Fife have been provided glass covers to protect them

from the worst elements, while continuing to afford the stone the type of environment in which it originally

thrived (wet, breathable air, natural seasonal changes). A rare example in Grampian is the glass canopy

sheltering Sueno's Stone at Forres (9thC).

While Historic Scotland has official care on behalf of the Nation of the Scots of 'scheduled' monuments, and

landowners are expected by law to care for 'their' monuments, there are other forces at work.

Most creditable and above politics are the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of

Scotland (RCAHMS), founded in 1908 and still surveying every inch of Scottish soil. They are presently

conducting the 'Strathdon' survey, roughly following the line of country within the catchment of the Don and

her tributaries. It is the first full survey of this kind in Aberdeenshire. RCAHMS maintains a photographic and

survey record of all sites of note, as well as thousands of donated records, journals, photographs, manuscripts,

treatises and suggestions from learned bodies and the public. Their attitude to assistance from volunteers is

truly non-partisan and, as such, they have amassed a database second to none. This is gradually being digitised.

Meantime, RCAHMS resources can be viewed online at Canmore. They also produce an annual Review of

Monuments on Record, as well as the excellent and recently re-assessed publication Pictish Stones - an

illustrated Gazeteer (updated from the former 'Pictish Handlist').

In Scotland, the Council for Scottish Archaeology (CSA) acts rather like its parent, the Council for British

Archaeology (CBA), but whereas CBA publishes a monthly magazine, British Archaeology (except in

January and August) and a monthly Briefing newsletter, CSA publishes a thrice-yearly newsletter, Scottish

Archaeological News (SAN), and can be reached via email. It is supported in kind by the Museum of

Scotland and in grants by Historic Scotland.

A series of policy documents issued in collaboration with Historic Scotland, CSA and the Scottish Museums

Council deal with various aspects of the Nation's antiquities and recommended routes to follow. These include

recent policy on Treasure Trove (essentially the right asserted by the Nation to 'own' all finds of importance

on private land in exchange for a trove fee). There is also a leaflet on policy for 'Carved Stones in Scotland'

which maintains that Historic Scotland, endorsed by the Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland, has a

'presumption in favour of retaining carved stones in situ', but that those stones which 'require to be moved'

should normally stay locally. This neatly covers all acts of removal.

Huge collections are now held in Edinburgh at the Museum of Scotland and Royal Museum of Scotland

amalgamated with the former National Museum of Anquities collection. Regional museums fare less well, with

the exception of the fine award-winning Elgin Museum, (akin to its larger neighbour in Inverness) and

Aberdeen's Marischal Museum which has benefitted from a long legacy of donations over two centuries. A

suitable building has yet to materialise to house the magnificent collections of the former North East of Scotland

Museums Service and until a concerted effort is made to recognize the value and diversity of those collections,

pieces will continue to be displayed on a sporadic basis in small museums like Banchory, Inverurie and Deer

presently under the umbrella of Aberdeenshire Council's poorly-funded Heritage department.

With major interest shown at home and from overseas in our clearly irreplaceable heritage, our antiquities

attract the casual visitor, genealogist, geologist, author, prehistorian, ecclesiastical historian, photographer,

placename devotee and dedicated academic, not to mention the fringe elements including detectionists,

magnetometrists, weaponry theorists, collectors and, sadly, graffiti vandals and bonfire-builders.

Friends of Grampian Stones are convinced a clearer show of national responsibility and awareness needs

to be manifest, which takes account of public opinion and attachment to our unique heritage and acts in the

interest of our antiquities in their original context, and not necessarily in the interest of amassing or hoarding

in centralized banks.

contact Friends Of Grampian Stones by e-mail

©1998-2004 Friends of Grampian Stones - Editor: Marian Youngblood