Strictly embargoed until 1000hrs, Tuesday 3 October 2006 HLF helps find Scotland's lost communities A survey undertaken by the RCAHMS in 2001 identified 22,000 ruins across Scotland which although depicted on the earliest Ordnance Survey maps, are otherwise unrecorded and undocumented. Today that changes, as the Heritage Lottery Fund announces a £594,000 grant for an ambitious project to record and care for many of these insights into our rural past. They also announced today a £142,500 grant to preserve a rural croft house and horse mill dating from the late 18th century. Over 2000 volunteers across the country will be trained for a major five-year project. From Unst to the Rhins of Galloway, abandoned farmsteads, townships, crofts, weaver's cottages, mills, quarries, field systems and illicit stills will be recorded and cared for, and their place in Scotland's history interpreted for the communities in which they stand. Photo/interview opportunity: Tuesday 3 October 2006, 10.00am Culture Minister, Patricia Ferguson will launch the Rural Past project with the first group of volunteers. Picture opportunities: Old horse mill with 2m wheel and Clydesdale horse, volunteers with surveying equipment, Museum of Scottish Country Life, Philipshill Road, Kittochside, nr East Kilbride G76 9HR Although central to the lives of our ancestors over the past 1000 years, these sites are little understood or appreciated today. Yet they are a vital source of information such as land use and social history. They also show how Scottish society changed as a result of the Clearances, and the agricultural and industrial revolutions. One of the key aims of the project, which took over ten years to research, is to raise awareness of the sites and their relevance. This will range from exhibitions, talks and guided walks to high quality educational resources for schools. ...more 2/... Commenting from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Colin McLean, Manager for Scotland, said: "This is a fascinating project. Our rural communities have on their doorstep hidden clues to the way our ancestors lived and how our lives developed to what they are today. By delving into the history around them, this project will help shape the sense of identity of rural communities, while also providing a unique national archive." Culture Minister Patricia Ferguson said: "Scotland has a rich and varied history, and its unique landscape has many stories to tell us. I welcome this opportunity to record Scotland's natural heritage. "I am particularly pleased that this project will provide so many volunteers with the skills to undertake such preservation in the future." The project is the result of years of research, planning and development to provide an integrated approach to the issue of threatened rural heritage. It is led by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) working with the Historic Rural Settlement Trust, Historic Scotland, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and the National Trust for Scotland. There will also be many local partnerships with universities, local councils, heritage groups and museums. Horse Mill A rare example of a cruck-framed cottage with an adjacent threshing and granary mill with a horse walk is to be preserved thanks to a grant of £142,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The buildings are thought to form part of a rural community of lime burners dwellings. They sit in isolation at an important archaeological site at Auchtavan in Glen Feardar, near Braemar, part of the Cairngorms National Park. The cottage has a rare 'hingin lum', a hanging chimney constructed from wooden boards at the front and sides, and a heather thatched roof. It is a rare and important survivor of the Scottish open fire tradition when the fire was used for many purposes, its mill a central part of daily rural life. The site will be conserved and interpreted involving volunteers and local schools. - ENDS- ...more 3/... Notes to editors: Heritage Lottery Fund The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) enables communities to celebrate, look after and learn more about our diverse heritage. From our great museums and historic buildings to local parks and beauty spots or recording and celebrating traditions, customs and history, HLF grants open up our nation's heritage for everyone to enjoy. * We have supported more than 16,500 projects, allocating over £3.3 billion across the UK. * In Scotland, over 2,100 projects have received £429m * Scotland's rural heritage has benefited from 815 grants totalling over £75.7million Further information Heritage Lottery Fund: Please contact Shiona Mackay on 01786 870638 (shiona@theprdepartment.fsnet.co.uk) or Sam Goody on 020 7591 6033 (samanthag@hlf.org.uk) Website www.hlf.org.uk RCAHMS: Rebecca Bailey/ Steve Boyle on 0131 662 1456 Horse Mill: Bill Marshall on 01339 741695 ?? ?? ?? ??