Join us in coastal heritage surveys of your area

Over 2022, SCAPE is walking parts of the Moray Firth and Aberdeenshire coastlines to update records of heritage sites on the coast and intertidal zone. The surveys will continue in other areas of Scotland next year.

We welcome volunteers on the surveys. They are wonderful ways of discovering the hidden history of your coast and sharing your knowledge of it with others. The results of the surveys are submitted to Scotland’s regional and national historic environment databases.

What’s involved?

The surveys involve walking the coast and using the SCAPE app to update records of existing sites and record new ones. We organise two to four days of survey, to coincide with low tides. We walk around 6-8km of coastline and are out for about 5 hours.  The surveys will vary in ease of access and terrain. If you register your interest, we will tell you about the detailed routes and times a week or two before a survey so that you can choose which ones you would like to join. No experience is required, and we will help you out with everything you need to know.

What’s coming up?

There are two more surveys planned in 2022. Rattray Head to Peterhead on 1-3 October, and the coastline around Forvie National Nature Reserve 15-17 October.

How to get involved

Contact Joanna jh105@st-andrews.ac.uk  and Sarah slb78@st-andrews.ac.uk if you’d like further information about the October surveys.

Start exploring now

To start exploring coastal heritage sites in your area now, register as a user on the Sites at Risk page. Then download the free SCAPE app for Android and iOS to access and contribute to information about all sites on the coastal heritage database when you’re on the coast.