IHBC officers Stuart West and Tom Hunter, at the Orkney Island Council (OIC), a co-
sponsor of the IHBC’s 2014 Annual School, have announced programme details for the ‘Orkney Opportunity’, the no-cost optional extra for 2014 School delegates that offers guided tours and occasional hosting over 3 days in Orkney, from 9-11 June.
Anyone interested in attending this UNIQUE opportunity must make their own travel and accommodation arrangements from the Edinburgh School, and confirm their attendance BY 19 MAY AT THE LATEST by contacting Tom Hunter at Tom.Hunter@orkney.gov.uk.
Stuart West IHBC, Planning Manager at OIC, said: ‘The IHBC annual school this year will showcase many of Edinburgh’s fine places and will be of great interest to the delegates that travel north to attend.’
‘We have taken this year’s theme ‘the Art of Conservation’ and have put together an action packed itinerary for those wishing to go that little bit further and attend the Orkney Opportunity event after the main school closes.’
‘All events are free – delegates just need to register with us and book their own travel and accommodation. We look forward to welcoming visitors and to providing them with an experience they will not forget.’
IHBC’s 2014 School ‘Orkney Opportunity’ themes include:
The ritual landscape of the Neolithic: The sites in and around Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site, including the village of Skara Brae, the tomb of Maeshowe, the Ring of Brodgar stone circle, and the emerging complex at Ness of Brodgar.
Picturesque coastal towns: Stromness is one of the most picturesque towns in the British Isles, with a rich mercantile, naval and artistic heritage.
Designed landscapes:The cottage and woodland at Happy Valley, created by the stonemason Edwin Harrold over six decades, is an intensely personal expression of natural beauty.
Wartime murals:At Ness Battery, a coastal defence battery just outside Stromness, the original wooden huts from WW2 survive complete with the murals painted by homesick English soldiers.
The Arts and Crafts movement:The Arts and Crafts architect W.R. Lethaby was one of the early pioneers of conservation architecture in Britain and one of his significant achievements was the sympathetic expansion of a traditional farmhouse to create a beautifully ornate mansion at Melsetter, on the island of Hoy.
Intangible cultural heritage: The crofting village of Rackwick, set in a secluded bay surrounded by dramatic red cliffs, is widely held to be the most beautiful place in Orkney.
For details and to download the draft programme see HERE
