Paper short abstract:

This paper examines how sense of place is formed at battlefields through on-site interpretation. This research can aid in understanding how visitors identify themselves in the physical context of a non-built heritage site, and how this is shaped by on-site interpretative strategies.

Paper long abstract:

This paper examines how sense of place is formed at battlefields through on-site interpretation, drawing upon results of a pilot study at Culloden Battlefield in Scotland. Due to a lack of built heritage, battlefields can be inconspicuous if not memorialised and interpreted; relying on the authority, potential bias and historical accuracy of the authorities in charge. The ways in which information about the conflict is presented greatly influences the historicity and self-reflexivity of visitors' engagement with 'hallowed ground'. In light of this, battlefields are often contentious places where national and collective identity can be exulted or lamented. To better conceptualise how visitors construct ideas about the conflict, interviews were conducted with 27 tourists at Culloden over a four-day period in July 2010. Results from this pilot study suggest that prior understanding of the battle is frequently incongruent to historical fact, complicating how people negotiate their national and individual identity. Interviewees often referred to the 'atmospheric' sense of the ground, fulfilling their vision of what Scotland is 'supposed' to be like. The initial conclusions suggest that it is not only important to visit Culloden in order to form an idea of the events that transpired there, but also to place oneself within the context of the space. This performativity is heightened by third-person interpreters engaging the visitors with workshops designed to inform about the events around the battle, and to challenge preconceived ideas. This engagement appears essential at encouraging an introspective and self-critical understanding of what the battlefield means today.