Comments on: Sustainable Design Awards: the Conservation finalist

By: Argyll News: Sustainable Design Awards: More on Machriemore :Argyll,Argyll Bute,public vote,For Argyll, | For Argyll

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:16:13 +0000

[...] we published our article on its entry, we said we were curious about some things we had no information about. The owner has now sent us [...]

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By: newsroom

newsroom — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:17:13 +0000

Great poem. And we’re with you on Historic Scotland. The heritage philosophy is overdue for a fresh set of perspectives where respect for the past does not require a grovel and where the ‘taste police’ element might be sent into cold lay up.

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By: Ken MacColl

Ken MacColl — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:57:37 +0000

I can recall seeing this building before it was restored and the finished article certainly looks splendid from what we can see of it. Argyll has a long list of “lost” buildings that were allowed to moulder away in the past. Marian Pallister’s book on Lost Argyll lists many of these with photos of what was there from the archives.
Conservation is problematic for some and the attitude of Historic Scotland is a mystery to me when they oppose the restoration of some buildings (notably Castle Tioram in Moidart -muttering about the attractions of ruins in a landscape -while permitting others to be restored and used -surely the primary function of a building.

I am reminded of a favourite poem from the late Norman McCaig;

CHARACTERISTICS

My American friends
who claim Scottish ancestry,
have been touring Scotland.
In ten days they visited
eleven castles. I smiled -
How American.

They said they preferred
the ruined ones. I smiled again.
How Scottish.

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