UPLAND was a project exploring the ever-changing upland landscapes in the Scottish Borders. The project concluded with an exhibition of paintings and film at Peebles Museum Gallery. There was also a project publication.

This is a crucial point in time in which to investigate changing land use in the Border uplands. Many of the landscapes which we know today, or were familiar to our parents or grandparents, will never be seen by future generations. Renewables, forestry, the implications of Brexit, and re-wilding initiatives will change many parts of the landscape beyond recognition and important parts of the culture of the Borders will disappear with the arrival of these changes.

On the other hand, there are many opportunities for farmers and communities in the uplands of Scotland to take advantage of these forthcoming changes. For instance, upland farms have new opportunities to generate income from investments in biodiversity and carbon capture. Economic factors are the major drivers in changes in land use, as old methods become unprofitable and new opportunities for income are found. However, we should be careful when pursuing change. Rewilding or forestry for carbon capture can have inadvertent consequences, such as reducing habitats for ground nesting birds and flowers, which require the grazed habitats created by sheep and cattle. A balance must be found between the future and the past.

Charles’ artwork combines present concerns with archival and oral historical research. Alongside the paintings selected for display, he has also produced four videos which respond to the changing uplands of the Borders: Brotherstones is a classic folk tale addressing the passage of time through a re-working of traditions surrounding some of the Borders’ prehistoric monuments; The Clipping offers a snapshot of life on a sheep farm near Selkirk in the 1950s; a sound installation in a disused sheep-stell is the subject of Fank; whilst Sound Farm takes the viewer on a journey along the line of sight from the city-centre of Edinburgh to the Border hills.

Project Outputs:

UPLAND, exhibition at Peebles Museum Gallery, September 2022 - February 2023

UPLAND, (Peebles, 2022) [project publication, 30 pp].

‘The Clipping: Return to Caverslea’ All Becomes Art (Glasgow, 2022).