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THE STATE OF SCOTLAND'S FARMED ENVIRONMENT 2005

5. LANDSCAPE

HISTORIC LANDSCAPES OF SCOTLAND

For its size Scotland has the most varied geology and natural landscapes of any country on the planet (SNH, 2002). It has been influenced by six thousand years of farming, and many physical traces survive of past land use, particularly since medieval times (Ritchie, 2003). Individual features of the past combine to form historic landscapes and these can be significant both visually and archaeologically. The Historic Land Use Assessment (HLA) website, developed by HS and RCAHMS, has mapped relict historic landscapes. (Council for Scottish Archaeology (CSA), 2005)

Scotland 's lowland managed landscapes are cultural landscapes of varied and distinctive character. Their basic structure still reflects the period of enclosure and improvement which reached its peak in the late 18 th and early 19 th centuries, as well as the suitability of land for different agricultural systems.

Scotland 's moorland, hill and mountain are characterized by bold landforms and openness. They are generally viewed as wild and predominantly natural (SNH, 2003).

Landscape encompasses the physical foundations, natural land cover, and cultural influences. Scotland 's landscape has been shaped by six thousand years of farming. Whereas the uplands are viewed as predominantly natural, the character of the lowlands shows the suitability of the land for a variety of agricultural systems.

INTEREST IN SCOTTISH LANDSCAPE OVER TIME >>