Bags of Help contributed £2,000 to help volunteers restore Castle Hill, in Cullen to its former glory, so that local people and visitors to the area can enjoy the historic site and the spectacular panoramic view of Cullen Bay.

On most sites clearing gorse would have been relatively easy, but Castle Hill in the Royal Burgh of Cullen is a scheduled monument. Volunteers worked with Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and their archaeologists to clear gorse and restore the path network based on an aerial photograph from 1949. They negotiated a six year lease with Seafield Estates and raised £20,000 to carry out the work that also included installing benches and restoring the flagpole. The paths comply with HES standards and ensure that any future archaeology work on the hill should easily differentiate between old and new. They were constructed like a timber rail track around the 8 acre site and filled with over 1,000 tons of hardcore. Archaeologists made test digs to ensure anything of historical importance was not disturbed and they supervised the removal of the six inches of earth that covered the old paths.

"Thirty volunteers spent 2,800 hours removing 28 trailers of gorse and creating 500 metres of paths. These link the hill to the Moray coastal path, creating a fantastic viewpoint. It has become a very popular walk for locals and visitors and can be accessed by those with wheelchairs and pushchairs. Brownies and Rainbows have planted thousands of wild flowers and trees have been planted to fill the gaps in the avenue leading to the hill. A May Fair, complete with a Medieval village and actors in period costume, was held on the hill. We are proud to have realised the vision for the site, and of the community coming together to achieve this."

▬ Stan Slater, Cullen Past and Present Volunteers Group

You can read more about the Caste Hill project here.

Key Facts
Location: Cullen, Moray
Project type: Outdoor Improvements
Bags of Help Funding: £2,000
Grantee: Cullen Past and Present Volunteer Group
Facebook: Cullen Past and Present Volunteer Group

View the printable pdf  Cullen Past and Present Volunteer Group

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Up to £2000 is available from Tesco Bags of Help to support a wide range of projects that benefit your local community. Tesco Bags of Help is administered by Groundwork working with greenspace scotland to support applicants and successful projects in Scotland. 
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