Historic Environment Scotland

Written by Laura Pollock and read by Billy Gordon From the National News Section Thursday the 1st of October Edinburgh Castle Winter Light Show cancelled after six years Written by Alastair Ferguson A winter light show at Edinburgh Castle has been axed after six years as organisers said it is no longer sustainable.

Historic Environment Scotland, HES, announced on Thursday that the Castle of Light event will not be going ahead this year.

The event has been held every year during the festive period since 2019, with the exception of 2020 due to Covid-19.

It was previously marketed as the UK's largest annual projection show and an immersive light and sound experience set against the landmark building.

The MacNeils eventually lost Barra in the 19th century, but the castle remained the island's unmistakable symbol, a towering reminder of lordship, seapower and clan identity.

Today, it remains closely associated with Clan MacNeil, while its care has passed interstate guardianship in 2000 through a remarkable long lease to Historic Environment Scotland, traditionally described as lasting 1,000 years, and for the token annual rent of £1 and a bottle of whisky.

I just wonder what whisky it is.

What a relief to drive off the ferry and set foot on Barra.

Outside was an enclosed courtyard protected by another defensive wall.

Historical Environment Scotland describes these smaller fortified residences as a response to cross-border raiding, giving landowners some protection for both their households and their cattle.

So if the raiders appeared in the surrounding countryside, the family had somewhere considerably harder to attack than an ordinary house.

The landscape around Hermitage Castle was particularly well acquainted with this kind of violence.

An historical structure in the east end of Glasgow, which has previously been likened to a UFO, has been granted listed status.

The Cranhill Water Tower, which has stood in the area since 1951, has been given Category B listed status by Historic Environment Scotland.

It comes after an appeal was lodged by the Labour MSP, Paul Sweeney, earlier this year, who said that it was important to protect the structure of the tower and to preserve its history.

A public consultation was thereafter opened by Historic Environment Scotland.

Speaking on the news, Mr Sweeney said, I'm delighted that Historic Environment Scotland has confirmed Cranhill Water Tower will be listed at category B and in doing so has recognised its special architectural and historic interest.

Earlier this year, I nominated this striking 1951 structure because it's far more than a disused piece of infrastructure.

Designed by Frank MacDonald and partners for Glasgow Corporation, it was built to serve the new post-war housing scheme and remains the earliest surviving example of its kind in the city.

Category B listing gives this building the statutory protection it deserves so that future generations can appreciate our 20th century heritage as much as our Victorian treasures.

It, it looks exactly like that, and there's some really interesting joins.

Um, Historic Environment Scotland came in and said, "Oh, we haven't seen that kind before." So it'd be boat building skills that would be used in here as well, and it's still standing.

You know, this-

Mm

We have photographs of the building before its 20th century reconstruction.

Historic Environment Scotland's archives include a view taken around 1860 showing the old frontage and another specifically showing the doorway and turnpike stair.

It's somewhere around the upper part of that building that our story begins.

Although exactly when, we don't know.

us how you got involved in this world.

So I worked with Historic Scotland after leaving university.

So I did an archaeology degree and then I went on to work with Historic Scotland's aerial photography department.

So I was working a lot with World War II reconnaissance photography.

All very interesting stuff, but the fundamentals were working in an archive, salvaging material, cataloguing and organising it.

There is a big stone masonry pool of knowledge in this area because of Stirling Castle.

Historic Scotland need to train stone masons for the work of the castle.

But it also means that other historic buildings and traditional vernacular buildings in this area, people have got a bigger awareness There are such things as stonemasons who can repair your buildings for you.

He enjoyed his time out there on the yard.