The long-awaited government guidance on the official “retain and explain” policy suggests the UK’s contested statues and monuments be retained as long as additional context is provided. But given their controversial past, how do we go about that? Done properly and creatively, with adequate funding and accurate, innovative storytelling, this could throw light on the different … [Read more...] about Flawed plan to ‘explain and retain’ controversial statues
Scottish history
Scotland must lead in confronting its imperial past
Brexit undoubtedly highlighted the question of identity in British politics. English nationalism was at the heart of the EU referendum victory with many Leave voters told that Global Britain could soon recover its former glory under the guise of Empire 2.0. There was little such sentiment in Scotland which voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU. But the legacy of empire and … [Read more...] about Scotland must lead in confronting its imperial past
The paywall keeping the public out of history
Access to the UK census is dependent, admittedly at one remove, on the owner of those other national institutions, The Beano, The Dandy, and the Sunday Post newspaper and its national treasures, “The Broons” and “Oor Wullie”.. Richard RodgerLooking back...and forward, Scotland's census is crucial to understanding the lives of the people who make the nation. … [Read more...] about The paywall keeping the public out of history
Monumental follies 1
Pygmalion, Don Giovanni’s singing stookie, and Jackie Kay’s ‘mythical stone statue that is turning into a person before my eyes’ in her memoir Red Dust Road excepted, statues are inanimate, can’t engage in political discourse, and make easy targets. Many offend our modern liberal and radical sensibilities. Others are useful virtue-signalling distractions for those who like to … [Read more...] about Monumental follies 1
Scotland’s largest Pictish settlement
A much-loved local landmark with an ancient fort at its summit, Tap O'Noth is a gently sloping hill overlooking the lush rolling farmland around the village of Rhynie in Aberdeenshire. Until now, the fort was widely believed to date back to the Bronze or Iron Age. But, thanks to a combination of drone footage, aerial 3D laser-scanning and … [Read more...] about Scotland’s largest Pictish settlement