Transcript: VFT 3: Kilmartin Glen - Interview with Matt
Ritchie, Forestry Commission Archaeologist
In the following audio clip Matthew Ritchie, the Forestry Commission
archaeologist, discusses the key issues surrounding the management of
archaeology within forestry and woodland in Scotland, specifically around
Kilmartin.
I work for The Forestry Commission, Scotland, and I work specifically on the national forest estate, that is
around about 8% of Scotland, it’s 660,000 hectares. We probably own and manage about half the forest
and woodland in Scotland. We (Forestry Commission and all other forest owners/managers) all work to the
UK Forestry Standards, which has a suite of guidelines one of which is ‘Forests and the Historic
Environment’ and any student who’s wanting to learn about the context of managing archaeology within
Scotland’s woodlands and forests would do well to start there – it’s a really robust suite of guidelines.
The important thing to remember is the UK Forestry Standards is a very holistic document and the suite of
guidelines includes things like biodiversity, water, protection, access and the local community. So the forest
or woodland manager in Scotland is juggling a lot of different competing – often competing, sometimes
complimentary – objectives and archaeology is just part of that. They often need advice or guidance and
the role of the archaeologist is to provide, enable, and provide that advice within forestry.
The good thing to remember I guess is that archaeology is now firmly embedded within forestry and
woodland planning and so the requirement, for example, to provide baseline data by means of an
archaeological survey is understood by foresters and the conservancies and our job is to facilitate that. I
should say that the at national forest estates we write design plans for all our forester blocks and the
Forestry Commission conservancies are the grants and licenses side and they oversee forest design plans
but also forest plans by the private sector. So it’s really the Conservancy Officer, what’s known as the
Woodlands Grants Officer, who oversees the implementation of the UK Forestry Standard within all forms
of forest planning.
So, the role of the archaeologist is to provide the baseline data by means of comprehensive and clear
survey report. The local authority archaeologist would comment on these survey reports, often write the
brief or help the forester write the brief and then the information is taken and placed within that woodland
planning context of perhaps of access for local communities, monitoring or good work for UK BAP priority
species (http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-5717) are often part of that. Again, it’s a holistic situation.
The archaeologist should always think about providing categorised surveys – so that’s informing the
forester what are the most significant sites and what are perhaps less significant or looking more in a
landscape context. So it’s always very useful and very important to highlight the most significant sites as
these are the ones which may get further works in terms of conservation and presentation. And it’s
important to remember that funds are available for the protection, conservation and presentation of
significant sites but the forester might not necessarily recognise they are. And it’s our role to enable that.
In terms of the local context of the Kilmartin Glen, it’s such a rich landscape the detail of baseline forestry
surveys is really important. Flagging up scheduled sites, for example the Achnabreac cup and ring mark rock
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Transcript: VFT 3: Kilmartin Glen - Interview with Matt
Ritchie, Forestry Commission Archaeologist
27/02/13
art. We’ve also got Ormaig [rock art] on the national forest estates, another very good rock art panel and
the various long cairns, duns and forts. It’s easier…the protection is there.
Protection by scheduling means that there’s no impact by forestry other than perhaps on setting and often
this is being enhanced by either pulling back forestry blocks or forestry boundaries where possible or
opening up views. A good example is at Ormaig where the view was opened up out over the sea below but
also back up the small valley that it’s in. what a scheduled monument also requires is conservation
management and there’s a suite of good case studies available on our website for any student that’s
looking to learn more about conservation management. And in terms of the Kilmartin Glen that’s often
keeping bracken down, checking or monitoring visitor access and that erosion is not a problem, proving
more appropriate ways of reaching sites.
So in terms of management of scheduled sites in the Kilmartin Glen it’s perhaps less about protection now
it’s now more about conservation management and recognising those significant sites that would perhaps
benefit from public access and interpretation.
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