Scotland’s Rock Art Project (ScRAP) was the first major research project focusing on prehistoric rock art in Scotland. This five-year project, which ran from January 2017 to December 2021, was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). It was hosted by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), in collaboration with Edinburgh University’s School of History, Classics and Archaeology, and Glasgow School of Art’s School of Simulation and Visualisation. Throughout the project we worked closely with our project partners – Kilmartin Museum, Archaeology Scotland, and the North of Scotland Archaeological Society (NOSAS) – as well as with local communities, heritage professionals, and land managers across the country.
Our aim was to enhance understanding and awareness of Scotland’s prehistoric rock art through community co-production and research. We trained and supported twelve Community Teams to gather detailed information, including 3D models, on prehistoric carvings across Scotland. Over 1600 rock art panels were investigated and recorded. This information enabled us to study the rock art, and to raise local, national and international awareness of the carvings.
You can search the records produced by our Community Teams using our database and map search tools. Records created by Community Teams have also been deposited with the National Record of the Historic Environment of Scotland (Canmore), and regional Historic Environment Records (HERs), where they are permanently accessible to everyone for research, education, heritage management, and general interest.
This project was inspired by the work of dedicated British rock art enthusiasts and researchers. It builds on the experience of community-led rock art recording projects in England (Northumberland and Durham Rock Art Project and Carved Stones Investigations: Rombalds Moor), and on carved stone research in Scotland.
Our 2021 survey clearly demonstrates that our work has already made a significant difference to people’s views on rock art. You can see the results of our ScRAP April 2021 Survey here
