Dates announced for built environment heritage lectures

08 October 2019

The art of conservation, a visionary thinker and Britain’s greatest gardens will be explored in a series of public talks in the Granite City this autumn. 

Aberdeen City Heritage Trust – which is supported by Aberdeen City Council and Historic Environment Scotland – is hosting “Aberdeen Heritage Lectures” in association with the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and the Built Environment at the Robert Gordon University, where the lectures will take place. 

In "From Walling Brick to PhD. What's the Point?" [October 9], Tim Meek will describe the importance of lime harl and other traditional coatings as surface finishes throughout Scottish history. Tim’s work includes repairs at Brodie Castle in the early 1990s and the Great Hall at Stirling Castle. 

Dr Peter Burman will profile “John Ruskin (1819-1900), the ‘Good Steward’” [October 30]. Ruskin’s ideas about art and conservation, as well as the environment and sustainability, were revolutionary and helped inspire the foundation of the National Trust in 1895. 

Robert Grant will present “Paradise Lost – Reflections on the Evolution and Decline of Great Gardens and Designed Landscapes” [November 6]. With illustrated examples, including case studies from the North-east, Robert will identify the defining features. 

Councillor Marie Boulton, convener of the Council’s Planning Development Management Committee, said: “The Trust’s autumn lecture line-up offers plenty of variety for anyone with an interest in heritage and conservation or in the built environment in general. 

“Our area is architecturally rich not just because of the brilliance of the original designs but because groups like the Trust have over the years helped us to understand why and how we must safeguard the legacy that is place.” 

For more information or to book, click here.