Arlington Reef of the Great Barrier Reef
This is a photo of Arlington Reef, as one of the major coral reefs of Great Barrier Reef.
Armadale Castle, Gardens & Museum of the Isles
Aros is a popular visitor attraction and community cultural centre offering exhibitions, cinema, live music, comedy, dance, drama, theatre, galleries and workshops. With a family friendly restaurant, gift shop and children’s play areas. We aim to give our customers great memories and fantastic experiences and to inspire individuals through an imaginative, diverse and innovative entertainment and creative learning programme. The arts programme is developed by Aros Community Theatre.
CULTURAL HERITAGE,ARCHAEOLOGY AND BUILT HERITAGE
Audio description of the Calanais Standing Stones
An audio description of the Calanish standing stones which can be used as an alternative to the textural description. Details the history, myths and legends behind the stones.
An audio description covering the history of the Odin Stone, including the legends and stories behind it. An alternative to the textual description.
Audio description of the Ring of Brodgar
An audio description of the Ring of Brodgar, detailing its history and associated legends and stories. An alternative to the textural description provided.
Audio description of the Standing Stones of Stenness
This audio details the history behind the Standing Stones of Stenness, including the legends and stories told about the stones. It is an alternative to the textual description presented.
The Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve is located in the central western Maldives in the Indian Ocean, north of the Kashidhoo Kandhoo channel. Designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2011, it encompasses 1,200 square kilometers of coral reefs, islands, seagrass meadows, and mangroves. The atoll supports one of the largest and most diverse reef systems in the Indian Ocean, functioning as a vital ecological bridge for marine species between the eastern and western Indian Ocean. Home to over 250 species of coral and 1,200 reef and pelagic fish species, the reserve is particularly renowned for its seasonal aggregations of plankton-feeding manta rays and whale sharks. The area demonstrates a long history of sustainable human interaction with the environment through traditional fishing practices. Today, it faces significant threats from climate change, including coral bleaching, sea-level rise, and increasing water temperatures.
Immovable Culture Heritage,Underwater Cultural Heritage,Tourism
Culture,Immovable Culture Heritage,Tourism
Baba Vida is a medieval fortress in the town of Vidin in the northwestern part of Bulgaria and it is the town's proudest landmark. It consists of two concentric curtain walls and about nine towers of which three are preserved to their full medieval height, including the original battlements, and is said to be the only entirely preserved medieval castle in the country. Baba Vida was Vidin's main defensive installation during the Middle Ages and was also the most important defensive point of the nortwestern Bulgaria. It withstood an eight-month-long siege by Byzantine forces in 1356. Today, Baba Vida castle functions as a museum. Being a popular tourist attraction, the fortress is being kept in repair.
Back Beach, Brora, Sutherland report by Joanna Hambly The SCAPE Trust
Report 2012 The 2010 excavations were coordinated by Jacquie Aitken (Clyne Heritage Society) and Joanna Hambly (SCAPE Trust). The site was supervised by Joanna Hambly (SCAPE Trust) and Cathy Dagg (Archaeologist) With assistance from Sarah Salem (St Andrews University).
Baiheliang is a submerged rock outcrop in Chongqing, China that was once used as an ancient device to measure water levels of the Yangtze River. It contains 163 inscriptions and pictures, including 114 hydrological annotations that provide detailed records of water levels over 1,200 years, making it the longest such sequence in the world. The fish carvings on the rock serve as markers of the river's lowest water levels. Despite being submerged to a depth of over 30 meters behind the Three Gorges Dam, Baiheliang remains a valuable historical and cultural site. Climate change could affect Baiheliang by changing river hydrology and potentially altering the preservation of its inscriptions and fish carvings. It is important to monitor how climate change may impact the site to preserve this cultural heritage.
Baiheliang Underwater Museum by China Daily
Overlooking the North Sea, this castle has had its fair share of battles throughout British history. Previously seating Northumbrian kinds, the castle was invaded by Vikings and endured shifts in British political history as a significant stronghold of the North. Bamburgh Castle still houses impressive collections of arms, artefacts and armour, which recall the stories of Britain's power struggle throughout time. Bamburgh is quintessential to England's cultural background, being a popular tourist site due to hit Vikings shows on Netflix being based on the castle. By digitising this structure, we achieve UN SDG Goal 4 of Quality Education by giving virtual tours of the castle with digital artefacts to explore and broaden the educational reach while preserving history.
Baotu Spring, nestled in Jinan, Shandong Province, is famed as the "Number One Spring under the Heaven." It's celebrated for its crystal-clear waters and has historically inspired countless poets and artists across China. This spring stands as a symbol of Jinan's natural beauty and cultural heritage, presenting the harmonious relationship between nature and humanity in Chinese philosophy. The digital techniques on Baotu Spring helps it meet SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), showing the importance of taking care of water. Also, its role in teaching about culture and supporting green tourism fits with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). This highlights how cultural heritage is part of sustainable development.
The Barbados Museum and Historical Society (BMHS) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization with a membership of over 1,000 individuals and companies. A fourteen-member Council and the Director are responsible for its policies and operation. Nine council members are elected annually from the membership of the BMHS; the remaining five are appointed by Government.
By Fred Romero - https://www.flickr.com/photos/129231073@N06/36949300460/in/album-72157686935057113/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76734067
Basque is hypothesized to be a very ancient European language [A]. This is because it does not appear to have linguistic links to other languages of Indo-European heritage or any in the world for that matter [A-B]. It faced major suppression during the Spanish dictatorship in the 20th century [C]. Thankfully, today the Spanish government acknowledges Basque as an official language of the country [D]. It is important to note that Basque is also spoken in a neighboring region in France [E]. Basque has been shown to be a source of discrimination in the past, therefore protecting this heritage is important for the goal of reduced inequalities, sustainable development goal number 10 [F].
Movable Cultural Heritage,Intangible Heritage
Buddha incense Pavilion on Longevity Mountain, Kunming Lake in the foreground.
Terracotta fashioned into an anthropomorphic figurine. Red painted geometric design and inside a small hole can clearly be seen where a thread could be tied to hold a bell. Bronze Age.
This is the Olexandrivska belltower of the Dormition Cathedral in Kharkiv. Its construction was timed to the victory over Napoleon in 1812, and it was named after Tsar Alexander I of Russia. The author of the project – the architect Evgen Vasyliev died before it was finished. After his death, the construction was supervised by Andriy Ton and completed in 1844. In 1924 the first radio antenna in Ukrainian was installed on the belltower. Since then, in Ukraine the Radio and Communications Workers' Day is celebrated on November 16th.
The Belogradchik Rocks are a group of uniquely shaped sandstone rock formations located on the western slopes of Stara Planina (Balkan Mountains) near the town of Belogradchik. The town itself is situated in the northwest Bulgaria. The rocks have different colours varying from red to yellow and some of the bigger ones reach up to 200 meters in height. As mentioned before, the rocks have unique shapes and are often associated with interesting legends. A lot of them are named after the people or objects they resemble. The Belogradchik Rocks are a Natural Landmark in Bulgaria and are a big tourist attraction in the northwest region alongside The Magura Cave. Furthermore, they are the only habitat of the critically endangered Bulgarian endemic plant Hieracium belogradcense.
A photograph of the Ben Nevis Observatory during the summer of 2017.
From 1883 until 1904, at an altitude of 1345m, an operational weather station and observatory existed on the summit of Ben Nevis. The purpose of this weather station was to facilitate meteorological research in the unique environment that the summit of Ben Nevis provides, as it is regularly situated in the direct path of Atlantic storms. Throughout its 21-year lifespan, men lived and worked at the observatory, and the data collected at the weather station is generally considered to be one of the most extensive and insightful collections of British mountain weather data. Certain members of the meteorological team were also inspired to advance multiple areas of scientific research from their time at the weather station. Most notably, Charles Thomson Rees Wilson was inspired to invent the cloud chamber from phenomenon he witnessed at the weather station. Today, the ruins of the weather station and observatory still remain on the summit of Ben Nevis, providing shelter for mountaineers.
During the early nineteenth century crofters driven out from their original homes settled on common land at Bennachie in Aberdeenshire. They established a community which became known as the Bennachie colony. The inhabitants of the colony undertook work such as quarrying, building dry stone walls, and small-scale farming. In the mid-nineteenth century more than 50 people lived at Bennachie. However, they were technically regarded as squatters. During the late nineteenth century local landlords made efforts to clear the community. The person to live in the colony was George Esson, who died in 1939. Researchers from the University of St Andrews’ Open Virtual Worlds team and Smart History worked with the local conservation group the Bailies of Bennachie to represent the appearance of the colony at its height in the mid-nineteenth century. The project also recorded stories about the community. A trail app is available to guide visitors around Bennachie, linking the modern landscape with representations of its historic appearance .Using historical research, digital reconstructions, archaeology, stories song and theater, the app reveals the lives of these incredible people for current and future generations to appreciate. The project was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Baillies of Bennachie archive. Artist unknown.
In the Post-WW2, Cold War era, Germany was divided amongst the Allies and the Soviet Union. As the capital city, Berlin was also divided. The Soviets built the Berlin Wall to prevent migration between the sides. While today what remains is a physical concrete wall, this only represents part of the infrastructure, which included another wall on the Soviet side, an area of no-mans-land known as the death strip, and guard towers. In 1989, the border was opened, and the wall began to be brought down. Major governmental work was required to reunite the country and today, the main remnants are parts of the concrete wall. Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals is regarding Quality Education. Digital representations of the Berlin Wall would allow for increased education about the wall and the history leading up to its creation, enabling more people to learn about it, and promote Goal 16, promoting peace, by understanding past global conflicts. Furthermore, it contributes to Goal 11.4 of strengthening global cultural heritage.
A photograph showing the Berlin Wall in 1986.
Thursday 24th October 2019 Held in Eyemouth by Blue Marine Foundation and Berwickshire Marine Reserve Blue Marine Foundation The Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE) is working to solve the crisis in the oceans through providing innovative solutions to overfishing and enabling the creation of marine reserves. Although BLUE is a small NGO, it punches above its weight, having achieved a tremendous amount for the oceans in a short time. In 2014 BLUE won NGO of the Year in the PEA (People Environment Achievement) Awards in recognition that it was ‘getting results where they matter most’. In 2015 BLUE won four PEA Awards as part of the GB Oceans Coalition including ‘Overall Champion’. For more information visit https://www.bluemarinefoundation.com/ Berwickshire Marine Reserve Scotland’s coastal waters contain a remarkable underwater world, inhabited by thousands of different species. The Berwickshire Marine Reserve works to preserve this unique environment through conservation and education. Located on the east coast of Scotland, between the historic fishing towns of Eyemouth and St Abbs, the reserve supports conservation activities and research, while promoting responsible recreational use of the waters and advocating for sustainable fishing practices. Berwickshire Marine Reserve is a registered charity and is Scotland’s only voluntary marine reserve. For more information visit https://www.berwickshiremarinereserve.org.uk/
The Berwickshire Marine Reserve was established in the 1980s to protect the remarkable coastal waters between Eyemouth and St Abbs Head. This area of the Scottish coastline is home to a remarkable mix of marine life, including grey seals, bottlenose dolphins, and minke whales. Underwater kelp forests are home to many species of fish and extraordinary creature such as sea urchins, starfish, and sea slugs. To highlight the diversity of underwater habitats the Berwickshire Marine Reserve collaborated with the University of St Andrews’ Open Virtual Worlds team and Smart History on a digital representation of three different marine environments. The team digitally represented a kelp forest, a sandy sea-floor, and a more rocky marine environment. The underwater models were informed by a Seabed Interpretation Project undertaken by the University of St Andrews and Blue Marine Foundation. Previews of the digital environments can be viewed on YouTube. A fuller virtual reality experience has been created for use at St Abbs Visitor Centre and to demonstrate at schools and community events. The project received funding from the Scottish Borders Local Action Group.
Situated between historic Eyemouth and St Abbs, Berwickshire Marine Reserve was established by the local community to protect its habitats and species and to ensure that all users can carry out their activities responsibly. Berwickshire’s coastal waters are home to unique marine life found nowhere else in the UK. For example grey seals, broad-snouted dolphins and minke whales can all be seen here.
This is an image of a girl dancing in the Indian Classical Dance form Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam is a major Hindu form of Indian classical dance that originated in Tamil Nadu. The Natya Shastra by Bharata Muni and Abhinaya Darpana (Mirror of Gesture) by Nandikeshvara are considered to be the original sources one of Bharatanatyam (an Indian classical dance form). The dance form is also briefly mentioned in Kannada text Manasollasa written by Someshwara III. It has flourished in the temples and courts of southern India since ancient times.[1][2][3] It is one of eight widely recognized Indian classical dance forms and it expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism, collectively Hinduism.
Blausee is a stunning natural lake nestled in the Swiss Alps near the town of Kandersteg. Visitors can access the lake by car or public transportation, and there is an admission fee to enter the area. Once there, visitors can take a leisurely walk around the lake, go fishing, rent a rowboat or paddleboat, or explore the nearby hiking trails. Blausee is known for its crystal-clear water and the fish and other aquatic creatures that live there, as well as the variety of wildlife that can be seen in the surrounding forests. There are several restaurants and cafes on site, as well as a souvenir shop and public restrooms. Blausee is committed to sustainability and environmental protection, and visitors are asked to respect the natural beauty of the area and dispose of their trash properly. Overall, Blausee is a peaceful and beautiful destination for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts.
Blue and white jar Jingdezhen 1271 1368.jpg
Blue and White Porcelain meaning blue flowers in Chinese, is one of the most famous porcelain in China. It was first founded in the Tang dynasty, its technology came to maturity in the Yuan dynasty and reach its peak in the Qing dynasty. Blue and White Porcelain not only loved by Chinese people but also were popular in the world. In ancient times, Blue and White Porcelain was exported to many countries, stunning the world with its high quality and exotic aesthetics. Many countries imitated it to create their own porcelain, and in ancient Europe, it was equivalent to gold and be collected as artwork. Blue and White Porcelain had its influence on the whole world thus needed to be promoted and persevered.
Blue Tears in Matsu is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the waters surrounding Matsu Islands, Taiwan and China. It is caused by bioluminescent organisms, also known as "sea sparkle," that emit blue light in the ocean, creating a breathtaking spectacle. Blue Tears in Matsu can be observed during summer nights, sometimes on beaches or out at sea, and the best time to view them is usually between April and May. This natural wonder has become a popular attraction for tourists, and an important tourism resource for Matsu.
Doocots are structures intended to house pigeons and doves for later consumption. The structures have openings and provisions for roosting and breeding. Beyond a primary food source, pigeons and doves were an important source of eggs, feathers (pillows, bedding), and dung (fertilizer, softening leather, manufacturing gunpowder). Although doocots are physical structures, they are reminders of intangible aspects of Scottish history and heritage, because they were a part of everyday life. Doocots adapted beyond being a storage house into social status symbols in medieval Europe and are sources of some Scottish mythology (intangible). Into the 20th century, they were built as decorative additions to farm buildings and gardens. Climate change worsens the weather exposure threatening Scottish doocots. In some cases, doocots have been restored; however, their specific structure makes it difficult to adapt, reuse and convert to modern uses. A current attempt at digital preservation of this site is done by the St. Andrews Preservation Trust, where they offer virtual tours. There is also an extensive photo gallery online of volunteers photographing, locating and identifying doocots.
Bopomofo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ), also called Zhuyin Fuhao, is an intangible cultural heritage of Taiwan. It is a phonetic transcription system used exclusively in Taiwan to represent Mandarin pronunciation. Originating in the late Qing Dynasty, it was created to make Mandarin more approachable for learners and improve literacy rates. Unlike Pinyin, which uses the Latin alphabet, Bopomofo was designed as a completely independent script, aligning with the traditional vertical writing format of Chinese. It was added to the Unicode block in 1991, a crucial step in digital preservation. Today, it remains widely used in Taiwan—not only for typing and education but also as a symbol of cultural identity, appearing in signage, songs, merchandise, and business branding. Some experts argue that Bopomofo is a more efficient system for learning Mandarin because it aligns better with Chinese character structure. Digital interpretation, such as interactive language-learning apps and online courses using Bopomofo, can further engage both native speakers and learners. These advancements align with SDG4 (Quality Education) by making language learning more accessible and SDG11 (Sustainable Cities & Communities) by supporting the cultural sustainability of Taiwan’s linguistic heritage.
A Medieval castle, central to the Scottish Wars of Independence. Climate Impacts: Groundwater flooding, slope instability, fluvial flooding
Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves
The Brazilian Atlantic Islands, including the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and Atol das Rocas Reserves, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites located off the northeastern coast of Brazil. These remote oceanic islands are recognised for their exceptional natural beauty and ecological importance. The region hosts some of the richest marine biodiversity in the South Atlantic, including critical breeding and feeding grounds for sea turtles, reef fish, sharks and marine mammals such as dolphins. The islands also support unique terrestrial species and nesting seabirds, many of which are endemic or threatened. These reserves offer a rare opportunity to observe natural ecological processes in action. However, they remain vulnerable to human activities, including overfishing, tourism pressure and climate change impacts such as coral bleaching and sea-level rise. This digital representation serves as an educational tool to highlight the ecological value and fragility of these islands and foster greater public engagement in marine conservation. It supports Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water, which seeks to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources. Promoting awareness of these vital ecosystems is a key step toward ensuring their long-term protection.
This site represents the architectural core of what was once a bustling early twentieth-century “gentleman’s” farm complex. The farmstead, as it appears today, was laid out in a courtyard plan by Hoagland Gates around 1929. Architecturally, Broadlands illustrates the importance of dairying and tenant farming in early-twentieth-century Cecil County. Despite the recent loss of many of the surrounding farm fields, the machine shed with double corn crib and the three tenant houses represent a transition from tobacco to grains, and the subsequent increase in and continued importance of farm tenancy from the mid-nineteenth through the twentieth century in the county. The dairy barn with attached barnyard and silo, including the extant dairy equipment on the first story of the barn, exemplifies the increased importance of the dairy industry to Cecil County agriculture in the early twentieth century. Together, the buildings show a symbiotic relationship between dairying and grain production, in that the farm was designed to continue both practices.
Photograph of a bronze statue of Eros sleeping
This bronze statue of a sleeping Eros, the Roman god of love, is at the pinnacle of Hellenistic sculpture work. The Hellenistic period ushered in the "accurate characterisation of age," which this sculpture exemplifies through the depiction of Eros as a baby. The importance of this statue can be understood through the sheer number of replicas of it – the Roman period was rich with sleeping baby Eros statues throughout public spaces. This sculpture also reframes the narrative around Eros; his softness and vulnerability as depicted here is contrasted with the powerful and cruel characteristic he displays in the poetry of the time. This moveable heritage addresses Quality Education 4.7 and Climate Action 13.
The Virtual Histories Project was a collaboration between four museums (Eyemouth Museum, Shetland Museum, Taigh Chearsabhagh and Timespan) and the University of St Andrews School of Computer Science, the School of History and the SCAPE Trust. In 2009, a community excavation of the site took place. The Brora saltpans community archaeology project: a partnership between the Clyne Heritage Society and the SCAPE Trust. The project documents a significant archaeological site in the town of Brora in Sutherland, Scotland. Producing salt was a very important industry in Scotland and the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Using coal from the most northerly outcrop in the UK, the Sutherland Estate constructed industrial buildings to house saltpans, large metal trays used to evaporate seawater. Using laser scan data, together with supporting information from the excavation, we have created a virtual reconstruction of the Salt Pans as they would have stood in the 16th and 18th centuries. The site at the time of the dig and scan was under dire threat from coastal erosion; now, sadly, after some particularly bad storms in 2012 and 2013, the site has all but been washed away. This highlights the importance of recording and learning from these coastal erosion sites that are in danger before they are lost. The Brora Salt Pans project was a collaboration between Clyne Heritage Society, the SCAPE Trust, Timespan Museum and Arts Centre, and the University of St Andrews.
Brutalism is an architectural style arising in the mid 20th century in the United Kingdom, amongst the European modernist movement in the post-war reconstruction years. Originating from the French word béton brut – translated as rough concrete – it is characterized by exposed raw concrete forms and strong geometry, and prioritizes function over form. In the 1960s, its influences spread to the then-British-controlled city of Hong Kong. Hong Kong is an urban city undergoing constant and rapid remodelling. As many Brutalist buildings were built before the 1980s [15], many have fallen out of favor due to outdated design and lack of upkeep, and – like other old buildings in the city – inevitably face demolition to make space for the new. There has been a renewed interest in this style of architecture in the last decade, with the public and social media attempting to document the building that are still left standing. In a fast-changing city like Hong Kong, this becomes all the more urgent.
Immovable Culture Heritage,Movable Cultural Heritage
The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two statues that were carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley which is in central Afghanistan. The two buddhas are referred to as the Western and Eastern Buddha, the image pictured is the Western Buddha. Through carbon dating, they were found to have been built around 618 AD and 570 AD respectively. The site is surrounded with caves and surfaces covered with paintings that were said to be a combination of Buddhist and Gupta art from India. Unfortunately, in 2001, the Taliban had ordered for the statues to be destroyed, which caused a wave of protest and condemnation worldwide. For one day in 2015, 3D laser light projection technology was used to fill the empty cavities of the statues.
The Buddhas of Bamiyan are two standing Buddha statues that once sat on the cliffs of the Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan. They were built in the sixth century AD and carved from red sandstone. They are classic works of Greek Buddhist art. However, two of the giant standing Buddha statues were bombed by the Taliban in 2001. ICOMOS began to protect the Bamiyan Buddha statue in Afghanistan in 2003. In the autumn of 2006, the University of Aachen in Germany cooperated with the Vienna University of Technology to use a 3D laser measurement system and a digital camera to survey the niches of the Bamiyan Buddha and the surrounding cave structures. An accurate, realistic 3D model of this heavily damaged niche was obtained. Subsequently, the researchers used historical documents and pictures to create a virtual 3D model to restore the Buddha of Bamiyan. Based on this virtual model, researchers are expected to reconstruct part or the entire Buddha statue in the future. In 2015, a couple of adventurers from China used 3D laser projection technology to reproduce the Buddha statue on the original site and presented the whole set of light and shadow equipment to the local government. In 2021, on the 20th anniversary of the bombing of the Bamiyan Buddha, the local people once again used 3D projection to reproduce the Buddha statue on the original site.
Tibetan Buddhism is the most widespread religion in Tibet. Musical chanting, most often in Tibetan or Sanskrit, is an integral part of the religion. These chants are complex, often recitations of sacred texts or in celebration of various festivals. Yang chanting, performed without metrical timing, is accompanied by resonant drums and low, sustained syllables. Individual schools such as the Gelug, Nyingma, Sakya and Kagyu, and even individual monasteries, maintain their own chant traditions. Each instrument mimics the sound of an animal, the drums being the footsteps of elephants and the horns mimic bird calls.
Panoramic view of the Fatehpur Sikri's entrance known as the Buland Darwaza.
Buland Darwaza or the loft gateway at Fatehpur Sikri was built by the great Mughal emperor, Akbar in 1601. Akbar built the Buland Darwaza to commemorate his victory over Gujarat. The Buland Darwaza, approached by 42 steps and 53.63m high and 35 meters wide, is the highest gateway in the world and an astounding example of the Mughal architecture. It is made of red and buff sandstone, and decorated by carving and inlaying of white and black marble. An inscription on the central face of the Buland Darwaza throws light on Akbar's religious tolerance and broad mindedness. The Buland Darwaza towers above the courtyard of the mosque. It is semi octagonal in plan and is topped by pillars and chhatris, echoing early Mughal design with simple ornamentation, carved verses from the Koran and towering arches. There are thirteen smaller domed kiosks on the roof, stylized battlement and small turrets and inlay work of white and black marble. On the outside a long flight of steps sweeps down the hill giving the gateway additional height. A Persian inscription on eastern arch way of the Buland Darwaza records Akbar's conquest over Deccan in 1601 A.D.
The settlement of Caen is located a few miles north of the fishing village of Helmsdale along the Strath of Kildonan road. It is located in a narrow valley along the banks of a tumbling burn that flows into the Helmsdale River.
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the inhabitants of many small farming communities in the Scottish Highlands were forced to leave their homes. Under the guise of improvement, landlords drove out traditional subsistence farmers and created a much less densely occupied landscape. One of the communities affected by this process of ‘clearance’ was the township of Caen in Sutherland. Caen was located in the lower part of the Strath of Kildonan. This area was cleared particularly brutally by representatives of the Duke of Sutherland between 1813 and 1819. Several families resisted the clearances, and soldiers were sent from Fort George to maintain order. Today, only a few foundations indicate where a thriving farming community once stood.
Caen Township represents life in the highlands of Scotland prior to the Highland Clearances. Based on the synthesis of archaeological and historical evidence this reconstruction locates the Caen Township within the context of its landscape in the Strath of Kildonan. It also shows reconstruction of the longhouse and other buildings in the township together with animations of characters and animals.
The Calanais Standing Stones (also known as Callanish Standing Stones) monument is a cruciform shaped stone circle with a central tall stone. It also includes a chambered cairn and rows and avenues of standing stones. It is located near the village of Calanais (also known as Callanish) on the west coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The stone circle and its central stone was erected first around 2900BC. The chambered cairn was added around 500 years later, and it is guessed that the rows and avenues may have been added at the same time as the cairn. The central stone has an impressive height of 4.8 meters. There are numerous theories, legends and stories which attempt to figure out what the purpose of these stones are. In Outlander, a very popular novel series and TV show, the female protagonist is transported back to 18th century Scotland when she touches the central stone in a stone circle. The stone circle is fake (made of props), but it is said to be based on the Calanais Standing Stones. It is not known whether the local people believed that the stones would transport them through time, but it does speak to the impact of the stones. There are accounts from as early as 1680, that show that locals believed that that the stones were the remains of men who had sinned and were punished by the gods by being turned into stone. The stones were sometimes referred to as the “false men”, possibly for this reason. Others claim in their accounts that the site was used as a “heathen” temple where Druids worshipped. Another theory, with a bit more of substantial evidence, is the theory that the site was used as an astronomical observatory. As the stone circle was created first, it is thought that it was built to mark the position of the midwinter sun, as it would have shone through a gap in a nearby hill and the sun rays would hit the central stone. 500 years later, a cairn was built to house the dead and avenues of stones were presumably added around the same time. It is thought that the avenues were added to focus on a special lunar phenomenon which occurs every 18.6 years. Every 18.6 years the moon reaches a point in its long cycle where it rises and sets in its furthest points. When the moon is setting, it appears as if the silhouette of a lying down woman (known locally as “Cailleach na Mointeach” or “the old woman of the moors”) is skimming along the horizon to the south. She then disappears and reappears by lighting up the centre of the circle. It is thought that the local people would have walked southwards along the avenue to watch and celebrate this lunar phenomenon. Patrick Ashmore did excavations of the Calanais standing stones in the 70s and 80s, allowing us to date the stone circle back to 2900BC. He discusses in his work several possible reasons for the original purpose of the standing stones. One idea is that standing stone circles such as Calanais may have been constructed to establish or maintain social rank, almost like “bragging rights”. Another reason could have been territorial, to establish rights to the land and its resources. Within the same vein, its possible that they were constructed to foster a sense of community and identity within the local group of people. He also mentions how they may have been used for religious uses.
The image taken in 2014 shows the central stone circle within the Calanais Standing Stones as the sun appears to to set.
The site sits on top of a hill to the north of the main Calanais site and was excavated by Colin Richards. The site was surveyed and amodel reconstructed by the University of St Andrews as part of the Beneath the Peat project in conjunction with the Callanish Visitor Center.
Callanish X (also known as "Na Dromannan" and "Druim Nan Eun") Callanish (or "Calanais") Stone Circle. The Isle of Lewis has an extraordinarily rich prehistoric landscape, with monuments dating back more than 5,000 years to the Neolithic period. The area around Callanish appears to have been a particularly important Neolithic ritual centre, with a concentration of impressive standing stones. The most famous of these is a cross-shaped arrangement of stones now known as Callanish I. The surrounding landscape contains the remains of several other megalithic structures, including the former stone circle now called Callanish X or Na Dromannan. The stones at Callanish X now lie on their sides but are thought to have once stood upright. These stones have now been scanned as part of the Calanais Virtual Reconstruction Project. Using 3D models of the stones and drone footage of the surrounding landscape, we created a digital reconstruction of how the stones may have appeared when they were in their original locations. The Calanais Virtual Reconstruction Project was a collaboration between Urras nan Tursachan (the trust which runs the Calanais Visitor Centre), the University of Bradford, and the University of St Andrews. The project was led by Dr Richard Bates from the University of St Andrews’ School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and was funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
Calon Lan is a Welsh song which was written as a hymn in the 1890s. Both lyric writer and composer, Daniel James and John Hughes respectively, were born into poverty and worked industrial jobs from their teenage years (Felin Fach 2020). The song was originally written for Welsh hymn-singing festivals such as Cymanfaoedd Ganu however it became very popular during the 1904-05 Welsh Revival (Gower Hidden History 2016). Today the song remains extremely popular with the Welsh. It is consistently sung in Wales national rugby games, as well as by the most revered choirs and soloists in the country (Welldigger 2012). “Calon Lan” is Welsh for “A Pure Heart”. The lyrics describe how a pure and good heart is more valuable and meaningful than any material possession. This song is meaningful to the Welsh culture because of its generational popularity. It has been sung by Welsh people in every significant event of the last century, including both Worlds Wars and Wales winning the Six Nations in 2021. Therefore it units the Welsh people and has a strong cultural connection. Felin Fach. 2020. Calon Lan Lyrics. Accessed 2022. https://www.felinfach.com/blogs/blog/calon-lan. Gower Hidden History. 2016. History of Iconic Hymn. Accessed 2022. http://gowerhiddenhistory.blogspot.com/2016/03/41-history-of-iconic-hymn.html. Welldigger. 2012. Calon Lan Welsh Anthem and Revival Hymn. Accessed 2022. https://daibach-welldigger.blogspot.com/2012/08/calon-lan-welsh-anthem-and-revival-hymn.html?view=classic.
The Scottish government’s commitment to preserving both cultural and natural heritage has created an environment that resonates with artistic expression, inspiring musicians and artists worldwide. As a result, Jay Chou’s fans have developed a deep appreciation for Edinburgh. Beyond its contemporary cultural influence, Calton Hill holds significant historical value as part of Edinburgh’s UNESCO World Heritage designation. Its landmarks, such as the National Monument and Nelson Monument, embody Scotland’s Enlightenment ideals and commemorate influential historical figures, solidifying its importance as an architectural and intellectual heritage site. Calton Hill, located in the eastern part of Edinburgh, is often referred to as the “Athens of the North.” Its monuments and ruins honor prominent figures of the Scottish Enlightenment and the Napoleonic Wars. Digital technology has documented Calton Hill’s unique landscape, including its historic cemetery and urban prison, generating widespread interest among Scottish intellectuals (McKee, 2015). Preserving the natural and cultural landscape of Calton Hill contributes to global sustainability efforts, ensuring a balanced coexistence between economic growth and environmental protection.