Julian Cope presents Head Heritage | The Modern Antiquarian Forum | What's acceptable when interacting with sites?

Howburn Digger

986 posts

Re: What's acceptable when interacting with sites?

May 18, 2011, 21:23

Oh what can I say? What is acceptable? Take only photos? Well mibbe not! Where shall I begin?

On Arran a few years back, I'd trudged from Glenashdale Falls over the top of Glas Choirein and wound my way through the last bit of forestry to emerge in the clearing at the mighty Carn Ban. I almost tripped over a couple interacting with one another (and presumably the site's ambience) in the clearing right in front of me. There was the inevitable awkward moment or two as I stumbled over the heather and bracken to walk around them. I had to climb up to the top of the slope and wait till they'd finished before I could take photo's. I felt to have started taking photos immediately would have been unacceptable.
About 15 years ago the highway robbery of the Skye Bridge Tolls was still in full force. I held no truck with such nonsense and always took the wee swing-on chain ferry from Glenelg to Kylerhea. On one occasion the ferryman was having lunch and there were a couple of loads of cars ahead of me so me and my OH took a ramble up to the pair of brochs in nearby Gleann Beag to kill and hour or so. I'd always wanted to see them again since my dad took us there when I was a wee boy. How quickly those exciting childhood memories of playing in the ruined brochs with my wee brother were dashed. I cannot for the life of me now remember whether it was poor unfortunate Dun Telve or poor unfortunate Dun Troddan, but when my OH and I entered the structure there was a Goretexed chappie at his toilet, sitting on the edge of the well-preserved dry-stone walling, bog roll in hand. Again we had to retreat and wait to take our photos.
But let's put the "taking photos" angle aside...
I've found broken bottles, fag ends, joint butts, sandwich boxes, tin cans and just about every form of food and drink packaging you could name on sites. I've visited chambered cairns where people had used the actual chamber as a hearth.
I usually pick up and carry out any garbage other people have left behind (the Dun Telve/Dun Troddan example excepted). In many ways I am glad people still head for sites and have some kinda wee celebration there. I am often disappointed that they simply cannot clean up after themselves.

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What's acceptable when interacting with sites? (summerlands)

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Re: What's acceptable when interacting with sites? (Sanctuary)

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