Context 158 - March 2019

16 C O N T E X T 1 5 8 : M A R C H 2 0 1 9 development point of view, it is much harder to access training, and to meet other conservation professionals, as this usually involves at least one flight or several days’ drive if video-conferencing facilities are not available. The weather in the Highlands and Islands is notoriously unpredictable, and much wetter and windier than the rest of the country. One major difficulty this creates, particularly in winter, is disruption to travel, as snow or high winds regularly close roads and stop ferries and flights from operating. This compounds the already significant challenges of getting to site visits and meetings or (perhaps more important) getting back from them. Needless to say, investing in appropriate gear is essential: alongside my waterproof jacket and trousers I found it useful to invest in a waterproof tablet case for taking notes in stormy weather. Perhaps the most significant problem for build- ing conservation, however, is the rate at which buildings deteriorate in this environment: main- tenance of traditional buildings is a major issue, often requiring material specifications right at the limit of what is commercially available. This climate means that dealing with buildings at risk has added urgency, as vacant buildings can very quickly develop major structural faults (typically caused by water ingress). While it is a challenging physical environment to operate in, the Highlands and Islands are rich with heritage. The low population den- sity ensures that relatively little has been lost to development over the ages, resulting in land- scapes where historic sites from the neolithic to the mid-20th century coexist side by side. These sites are diverse in character, including not only vernacular crofthouses and medieval fortresses but also more recent industrial, mili- tary and maritime remains. The time-depth and complexity of some of these sites is especially noteworthy: west of Kirkwall in Orkney there is a working farm where the oldest structure is around 2,000 years old; at Dounreay in Caithness the post-war nuclear research facility is built around a 16th-century castle. A detailed understanding of local histories and vernacular building styles is essential here, as historically isolated communities each developed distinctive building techniques and continue to exist in very different socio-economic and cultural contexts. Alongside this are the global connections that coastal communities in the Highlands and Islands have enjoyed for millennia. The region’s strategic location between North America, Scandinavia and Europe has resulted in strong cultural links to Ireland, Norway, Canada and elsewhere. Understanding and working with these local and international connections in the context of building conservation makes for some really fascinating and distinctive projects. Some of the most memorable sites I worked on include the cathedral-like, second-world-war underground fuel storage complex on Hoy, Orkney, and the centuries-old lighthouse at Eilean Glas, on Scalpay in theWestern Isles. The Highlands and Islands are of course much more than an empty landscape, and it is their social context which is in many ways their most interesting aspect. Heritage, both natural and cultural, has a high priority in the community here, and almost every town, village and hamlet has a wide range of clubs and societies which celebrate their wildlife, landscape, intangible Port Ellen on the island of Islay was founded in 1821 (Photo: Fiona Newton)