Scotland’s Rural Past Project launches teachers’ resource pack

An exciting heritage project that was established in October 2006 to investigate and document abandoned rural settlements throughout Scotland has launched a teachers’ resource pack for use by teachers and pupils throughout Scotland in Curriculum for Excellence.  

Scotland’s Rural Past is a project that supports local communities to investigate the remains of long abandoned settlements in their area that often date back hundreds of years. The project encourages members of the public to discover more about historic rural settlements, by learning valuable new techniques and skills in archaeological identification, surveying and recording to rediscover a sense of place and gain a greater understanding of the changing historic landscape around them. 

The teachers’ resource pack has been developed after a series of close consultations and training courses with volunteer groups, Young Archaeologists Clubs and schools around the country. The pack comprises case studies designed to present teachers with the types of evidence - aerial photographs, old maps, archaeological plans and records, and historical documents - that will enable schools to become actively involved in the exploration of Scotland’s rural past within the Curriculum for Excellence framework. It offers a new perspective for investigating topics within the social studies curriculum, particularly the Clearances.

The resources are online at Scotland's Rural Past