Social Values Assessment Report: Balmacara Estate

Abstract

This report is based on the findings from a rapid, qualitative assessment of the social values associated with Balmacara Estate, a property in the care of the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) in Lochalsh on the West coast of Scotland. The main body of the report provides a brief context to the assessment, outlines the research process and methods, summarises the findings, and considers their potential implications. It also notes the gaps and limitations of the study, suggesting future research directions. The assessment found that place-based identities and attachments are particularly complex due to the scale and extent of the property. For people who live on the Estate, specific settlements tend to be the primary focus of social values relating to home, roots, family connections and social memory, but there are complex, cross cutting networks of attachment to place within and beyond the Estate. Social values linked to the varied environment and the living heritage associated with crofting are also prominent aspects of Balmacara Estate. The research demonstrates that the social values associated with the Estate intersect with concerns about sustainability, continuity and change, particularly in the areas of housing, crofting and the future of communities. However, what should be retained, what can or should change, and who decides are questions embedded in social dynamics, meaning that social values linked to the area can be fraught and contested. In terms of both social and environmental sustainability, value-related tensions are often rooted in diverse forms of care and how these are understood and recognised. The findings are illustrated with material from semi-structured interviews, observation, and participatory methods. This assessment was undertaken as one of the pilot studies for the collaborative research project, Social values of NTS heritage places: towards an organisational approach.