The Ethics of Landscape: Discourses of Cultural and Environmental Sustainability in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site

A study of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site reveals how competing discourses on cultural and environmental sustainability shaped debates over renewable energy development. Using ethnographic methods from anthropology and archaeology, the research examines public meetings, media statements, and a 2008 Scottish Government inquiry to analyze arguments for and against a wind farm proposal near the site. Findings highlight tensions between preserving the landscape's aesthetic and symbolic value as a 'commons' while leveraging its potential for sustainable energy production, illustrating complex moral economies in heritage conservation.

(Ed.). (2016). The Ethics of Landscape: Discourses of Cultural and Environmental Sustainability in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site. World Heritage, Tourism and Identity, 229–238. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315546315-20