FEATURES
PROJECTS
Icelandic turf and stone
construction
The iconic turf building complex at Glumbaer.
In this article Neil Buchan, Vice Chairman of Castletown Heritage Society, explores the traditional building techniques of Iceland and how
they are being used to conserve and interpret historic sites.
T
he Cultural Heritage
Interpretation and Sustainable
Tourism (CHIST) programme
aims to give those who work in
the field of Scottish Heritage Interpretation
and Tourism an idea of what is being
undertaken in their field out with the UK,
and the inspiration to apply new methods
at home. CHIST is coordinated by ARCH
Network and funded by the Leonardo da
Vinci programme of the European
Commission Directorate General for
Education and Culture. The programme's
primary focus is vocational training and the
provision of “opportunities for those
involved in the design, delivery or
implementation of training or careers
guidance to undertake visits to partner
organisations to exchange experience and
best practice.”
During 2014 there were a total of five
18 I
CHIST programmes – Cyprus, Iceland,
Slovakia, Bulgaria and Estonia. The
programme that I took part in was hosted
by the Fornverkaskólinn Heritage Craft
School in northern Iceland.
ARCH Network is a Scottish nongovernmental organisation promoting
learning and development in natural and
cultural heritage between Scotland and
other European countries. Fornverkaskólinn
Heritage Craft School is a partnership
project between the Carpentry
Department of the Northwest Iceland
Comprehensive College, Skagafjordur
Heritage Museum and the Tourism
Department at Holar University College.
The Craft School supports and promotes
historic building skills as well as recording
and preserving the vernacular names and
terminology associated with traditional
Icelandic building methods, which are all in
THE ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND
I
AUTUMN 2014
danger of being lost. The School also seeks
to build a network of cultural institutions,
professionals and companies in the industry
and promote research and exchange of
cultural sciences.
My desire to participate in the CHIST
Iceland programme arose from my role as
Vice Chairman of Castletown Heritage
Society (CHS), a community-led
organisation dedicated to the preservation
of the character, history and traditions of
the village of Castletown and the parish of
Olrig in Caithness, in the far north of
Scotland. Like all other CHS members I am
an unpaid volunteer.
Based in Castlehill Heritage Centre, we
regularly organise and deliver a programme
of interpretive and collaborative events and
workshops to showcase, stimulate and
sustain community interest and participation
in a range of craft, arts and vernacular skills.