Dùthchas*
…intergenerational justice; responsibility in transition.
To belong to a place is to remain accountable to its changing conditions.
‘Cairngorms 2030’
Artist in Residence.
(Commencing April 2026)
*Dùthchas is a Gaelic concept which encompasses ideas of kinship, heritage and connections between nature, people and place.
There are four ‘definitions’ of dùthchas which Edward Dwelly noted in his dictionary:
The Place of one’s birth.
Heredity, native or hereditary temper, spirit or blood.
Visage, countenance.
Hereditary right.
Dùthchas could be one of the cornerstones of a reconstructed Gaelic worldview. The identity of a person could undoubtedly be forged by the place of their birth and the community of that place, particularly at a time in the past when populations were less mobile.
Source:
https://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/blog/what-can-proverbs-tell-us-about-duthchas?l=en
Further Info
Cairngorms 2030
Cairngorm National Park Authority
‘Made up of 20 long-term and impactful projects, Cairngorms 2030 is on a bigger scale than anything previously attempted in the UK. With over 80 partners involved, and more than £42 million of funding, we’re focussed on delivering the transformational changes necessary to deliver on our collective climate and nature responsibilities. By designing projects with communities for communities, this programme creates meaningful and sustainable solutions that benefit people and nature alike.’
Cairngorms 2030 is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to players of the National Lottery.
https://cairngorms.co.uk/what-we-do/cairngorms-2030
https://cairngorms.co.uk/news/this-years-recipient-of-cairngorms-2030-artistic-residency-announced
Bothy Project
‘The residency is designed to offer time-and-space for the artist to consider their practice and develop their project, which will be shared with an audience later in 2026. The residency is part of the Cairngorms National Park Authority’s Community Arts and Culture project.’
https://www.bothyproject.com/press/art-monthly-the-uses-of-huts/
Art Monthly Talkshow Podcast > ‘the uses of huts’
Location: Glen Esk Folk Museum
The Museum was established in 1955 by Greta Michie, a local schoolteacher who was inspired by folk museums in Scandinavia. The building used for the museum, known as 'the Retreat', had been constructed as a retirement cottage in the 1840s by Captain J.E. Wemyss. It was later expanded and used as a shooting lodge, and later a summer house by the Earls of Dalhousie, before falling into disuse. Lord and Lady Dalhousie assisted with the establishment of the museum on this site.
The museum was refurbished and expanded in 2007