Community Rescue: Saving sites from the sea

Abstract

Erosion threatens coastal sites around the globe and Scotland has been pioneering a methodology of community action that brings local groups and professional together to work at sites before they are destroyed. This builds upon the Historic Scotland rapid coastal surveys and the follow-up analysis of collected data to prioritise action. Projects such as Shorewatch and the Scotland’s Coastal Heritage at Risk Project (SCHARP) have seen communities update records and participate in practical work. This paper presents the background to these community initiatives, giving details of two projects; the excavation of an Iron Age Wheelhouse in the Hebrides and the relocation of Bronze Age structures in Shetland.