Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands: New community organisation invites Highland residents to help develop project plans

The directors of a new and innovative community venture, Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH) are inviting Highland residents to attend an Advisory Group Meeting, to be held from 7:30pm – 9:00pm on Wednesday 21st January 2009 at Dingwall Community Centre, Old Academy Buildings,Tulloch Street.

ARCH is a newly established venture that aims to provide learning opportunities and activities that will encourage people in the Highlands to learn about, record and participate in increasing knowledge of their local heritage. They are inviting all those who are interested in finding out more to come to the Advisory Group meeting, which is open to all, in order to give feedback on their initial proposals, suggest possible projects and help shape the future development of ARCH.

Responding to a growing interest in archaeological heritage in the Highlands, ARCH is developing projects that will give local communities the chance to experience and develop a whole range of heritage related skills and activities including: courses, field survey and recording, excavation, researching aerial photographs, historical maps and archives, creating a record of heritage in their area, oral history, exhibiting fieldwork results and contributing to both regional and national archaeological records.

The Highlands is an area with a rich and diverse archaeological heritage, ranging from the scatters of stone tools left by the earliest people to walk the shores and straths to the places, buildings and objects that reflect the most recent events in the lives of today's Highlanders. ARCH hopes to enable people of all ages and abilities to learn about and contribute to recording this past, for the benefit of both the local population and of visitors to the area.

Hilary Lawson, one of the directors of ARCH, who will chair the meeting, expressed her excitement at the launch of this exciting endeavour: 'The members of ARCH are thrilled at the prospect of working together with communities in the Highlands to ensure that the importance of the past is acknowledged today, so that it might continue to be investigated, recorded and celebrated long into the future.'

The meeting will be held upstairs in the Community Centre. Tea and coffee will be served. Free parking is available in both the Community Centre and Cromarty car parks.

f you are unable to attend and you would like to find out more about the work of ARCH or wish to be added to their mailing list, please contact Susan Kruse at 01997 421171 or archhighland@googlemail.com