Mining Landscapes

All that scoping of sites and our Coalscapes ecology walks we had hoped to find Miners’ Lettuce growing wild despite its scarcity in Scotland. Full of Vitamin C it kept scurvy at bay during the Californian gold rush hence its name. Maybe next year….

Our last Coalscapes event of the series was at Bing, despite the break in the good weather we got a dryish morning and only a gentle breeze. A big thank you to Fallin Community Gardeners for sharing their wonderful space

The weather finally broke end of July for the last week of our Coalscapes events but managed to dodge the rain up at Lochore Meadows Country under the shadow of the Mary head frame . The wind was another matter….

WORKSHOP - DANCES WITH TIME. Two weeks ago I had the great pleasure of working with Mining Landscapes at the former Westfield opencast coaling site near Ballingry in Fife, once the biggest such operation in the whole of Europe! A day to explore a site under regeneration normally closed to the public, to examine the remaining industrial archaeology and geology and have a go at making some art in this unique landscape in my land art taster session.

To read more about the site, the project, Mining Landscapes' virtual museum initiative and what happened on a day where we gave a little love back to this once busy place, head over to this great blog post -

https://www.mining-landscapes.org/blog/dances-with-time

National Coal Mining Museum for England

Back at Westfield opencast were under glorious skies for ‘Dances with Time’ a taster workshop with Winston Plowes - Land Artist. A tantalising glimpse of work developing here. To view the finished pieces and participants gallery nip to https://www.mining-landscapes.org/blog

Mining Landscapes are helping Kincardine Community Council and Local History Group with the contents of the three new proposed interpretation boards Kincardine Power Station, Longannet Power Station and the mine complex and we need pictures (free of complicated copyright) of the inside of Longannet maybe the control room or the turbine hall. Can you raid the shoe box under the bed and grannie’s biscuit tin for us please.
Thank you.

Last of the ‘industrial puddles’ rusty rain dripping from overhead ironwork onto canal towpath

Staying with the theme of ‘industrial puddles’ rain water in coal dust