Culloden and Cantraybridge College partnership provides growing opportunities

Students from Cantraybridge College have been busy at Culloden Battlefield this summer, propagating heathers and learning about the historic uses of some battlefield plants.

Their work with our conservation charity on this project will build towards a John Muir Award, which recognises their skills and contributions to the care of one of Scotland’s most important historical sites.

Students from the college’s Horticultural Unit have also been researching plants which are relevant to the history of the battle, and will be designing new planted areas that showcase these fascinating stories – for example by giving an insight into 18th-century medicine and plants, and plants that are linked with specific clans.

Culloden Operations Manager, Raoul Curtis-Machin, said: ‘This is a really exciting project to add to the stories we tell here at Culloden. The students are bringing their horticultural expertise and enthusiasm. They have the skills to propagate the plants, tell the historic stories about how the plants were used and help us beautify the car park and landscaping around the visitor centre. This is a great showcase for their work which will be seen by 250,000 visitors every year, who flock to Culloden from all over the world.’

Cantraybridge College is a specialist further education college for young adults with additional support needs. It promotes the skills and talents of young people with disabilities and champions the rights of young people by creating opportunities to learn and grow. The college offers both day student places as well as residential accommodation and provides a variety of courses and learning experiences across its rural campus.

Ann Torrance, Horticulture Enabler at Cantraybridge College, Croy said: ‘Our partnership with the team at Culloden is a great opportunity for us to become involved in a local project which offers us a fantastic location which we can use to further our students learning and interaction with the countryside around them. We are thrilled to be a part of this and look forwards to learning more about the battlefield and its value to conservation and diversity along with its connections to people. The students are really excited about being involved in this project.’

The National Trust for Scotland works every day to protect Scotland’s national and natural treasures. From coastlines to castles, art to architecture, wildlife to wilderness, we protect all of this For the Love of Scotland.

In Our Strategy for Protecting Scotland’s Heritage 2018–23, we set out how we’re planning to work towards our vision that Scotland’s heritage is valued by everyone and protected now, and for future generations.