Bannockburn , the very name makes most Scottish people beam with pride.
It is a huge piece of our history and very much part of what the Scottish nation stands for. It was on the 24 th June 1314 that the fierce battle took place, the Scottish army defeated the might of the English, who were lead by Edward the second. He was son to Edward the first known as �The Hammer of the Scots'. The battle had gone well for the Scots but the major turning point was when the English army saw a crowd on a nearby hill, while the Scottish army was charging at them. They thought it was reinforcements for the army and their ranks broke in disarray. It was in fact camp followers, and gillies along with local people coming to watch the outcome of the famous battle. This fatal miscalculation of the battle led to Edward's retreat from the field.
The hill had become almost as famous as the battlefield itself. The Scots love to crow about their famous victory and worship the place where it took place. There are commemorations every year as near to the actual date as possible.
It was with somewhat dismay that Scotland became aware of the plans for Gillies Hill, as it became known after the battle. There has been small-scale quarry work on the site for over a century, but recent announcements for its future angered and dismayed the local people and most of Scotland , because the historic mound is set to be eradicated as a result of quarrying for stone to use in making roads.
One of the local people, who asked not to be named, said: "This physical icon of Scotland 's greatest battle should not be smashed away. It is a beautiful area for people from Cambusbarron and further afield and the impact of the quarrying on wildlife will be immense."
Historians and campaigners last night warned that an important landmark in Scottish history was about to be obliterated. Bannockburn expert Dr Fiona Watson, a lecturer in medieval warfare at Stirling University , said the site played a "huge part in the story of the historic battle in 1314".
Cambusbarron Community Council has set up the Murrayshall Quarry Liaison Group to ensure the concerns of the community are heard.
Michael Graham, who is Convener and former community council chairperson, spoke about the quarrying and said it would involve the removal of substantial proportions of the hill.
"There is an awful lot of history at Gillies Hill and I am sure 99% of local people would back the sentiment that it should not destroyed. The impact of quarrying there is a real concern but whether anything can be done about it is another matter as a planning consent is already in place�
"There is an awful lot of history at Gillies Hill and I am sure 99% of local people would back the sentiment that it should not destroyed. The impact of quarrying there is a real concern but whether anything can be done about it is another matter as a planning consent is already in place"
Stirling Council's regional archaeologist Lorna Main said that quarrying the Gillies Hill would also impact on an Iron Age fort in the area.
�The area has been nibbled at for up to 150 years," she said. "When they [the quarry companies] are finished there may be no hill left."
The two companies involved in the quarrying plan are Hanson Aggregates and Tarmac, which will extract whinstone for road building.
Stirling Council's planning department in a statement from a spokesman said that consent to quarry the site was originally granted in 1982 and that the new work could start within "a couple of months. Both companies propose to reactivate the Murrayshall Quarry at Gillies Hill. Tarmac will begin work again in the next few months and Hanson have advised they will start in the summer. A substantial part of the area will be quarried out."
The council confirmed that they could not stop the work taking place as consent to quarry the area had already been given. "There are conditions affecting access, hours of working, dust, noise, blasting and vibration, but nothing to prevent the work taking place," he added.
Tarmac, also made a statement because the company own part of the Murrayshall quarry, they said: "There is already a hole in the hill, and that hole will become larger.
"There is an approved planning scheme, but it is difficult for me to picture the difference to the overall size of the hill."
Hanson Aggregates said their company could reactivate part of the quarry "later in the year" but added: "We are aware of local concern and we are speaking to the local community council.
"We have also spoken to Historic Scotland and Scottish National Heritage and have had archaeologists look at the site to review our information. It is not in Hanson's interests to work against communities."
Crann Tara, ask you to play your part by making your views known to the council and the companies concerned. Write to the council or post a comment on their web site. Your history is at stake so please make the most of this opportunity to save an extremely valuable Scottish site.
http://www.ecommunitycouncil.org.uk/cambusbarron/
http://www.ecommunitycouncil.org.uk/cambusbarron/item.asp?id=556
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