Association for the Preservation of Rural Scotland (A.P.R.S.) 

ANNUAL REPORT 

1941 

44 QUEEN STREET 

EDINBURGH, 2 

Telephone, 30317 

OFFICE-BEARERS 

Honorary President 

Sir JOHN STIRLING MAXWELL, Bt., K.T. 

President 

The Rt. Hon. THE EARL OF HADDINGTON, M.C. 

Vice-President 

Sir IAIN COLQUHOUN, Bt., K.T., D.S.O. 

Chairman of Council 

Hon. W. T. H. SCOTT, MASTER OF POLWARTH 

Joint Hon. Secretaries 

F. C. MEARS, A.R.S.A., F.R.I.B.A. 

LESLIE GRAHAME-THOMSON, A.R.S.A., F.R.I.B.A. 

Hon. Treasurer 

Professor F. G. BAILY, M.A., M.I.E.E., etc. 

Organising Secretary 

EDWARD M’GEGAN 

OFFICE: 44 QUEEN STREET, EDINBURGH 

Telephone 30317 

ANNUAL REPORT, 1941 

THE Council have pleasure in submitting the Annual Report of the Association, together with a Statement of Finances for the year ended 31st December 1940. 

Cordial thanks are again due to the office-bearers of the Association for their personal services during the course of the past year. 

The death of Mr D. Gordon Shields, who was a Member of the Council for many years, is recorded with deep regret. 

The Council have met regularly each month (August and September excepted). By courtesy of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland the monthly meetings of the Council have been held as for some years past at 15 Rutland Square, Edinburgh, and they desire to express again their cordial thanks to the Royal Incorporation for this facility. 

The Press has to be warmly thanked for its interest in the objects and work of the Association. 

In the interest of economy the Council issue only a brief report this year. 

In November 1939 the Council notified all members that they had decided to make every effort to keep the Association in active existence during the war, and they appealed to members to continue to give the Association their fullest possible support. The decision was unanimously endorsed by the Annual Meeting held on 14th May 1940, and the Council are glad to record that their appeal for continued support is still meeting with a very encouraging response. They again confidently appeal for the support of all members throughout the period of the war. Every care will be taken to economise the financial resources of the Association, and every effort will be made to maintain the organisation in such a state of efficiency as will enable it to meet all war-time demands and effectively to undertake its post-war responsibilities. 

The Council wish to express their grateful thanks to the Carnegie United Kingdom Trustees for their generous guarantee up to £200 against a possible deficit during the year 1940. 

Hydro-Electric Development in the Highlands

During the last thirteen years several attempts have been made to establish hydro-electric schemes on a large scale in the Highland area, all promoted by companies to serve their own ends. In 1928 appeared the Grampian Power scheme, covering Glen Affric, Glen Cannich and Glen Farrer. This was followed in the same year by the West Highland scheme for Glen Moriston and Glen Garry. The Caledonian Power scheme, a modification of the West Highland scheme, was introduced in 1935, and brought forward again in 1936 and 1937, and 1937 also saw the Loch Sloy scheme. The last-named scheme was withdrawn, and all the others were rejected by Parliament. 

In November 1940 the Grampian Electricity Supply Company lodged a Draft Provisional Order for the construction of hydro-electric works in Glen Affric and Glen Cannich, thus reviving the Grampian Power scheme of 1928, reduced by the omission of Glen Farrer. The Council of the Association carefully considered this Provisional Order and decided to oppose it, and in due course they lodged a Petition with the Secretary of State for Scotland. It was hoped and anticipated that the Order would, following the precedent of the three Caledonian Power schemes, be proceeded with as a Private Bill in Parliament, but in February the Chairmen of the Committee of Ways and Means of the House of Lords and the House of Commons decided that the Order should be referred for inquiry to Commissioners sitting in Scotland. The Commissioners held their Inquiry in Edinburgh from 15th April to 25th April, but in terms of a certificate granted by the Secretary of State in pursuance of the Defence (General) Regulations (1939) the Inquiry was held in private. The Council were represented at the Inquiry and evidence in support of their Petition had been prepared. The Secretary of State for Scotland announced in the House of Commons on 6th May that the Commissioners had found the preamble of the Order “proved” and had passed the Order subject to certain amendments. Owing to the Inquiry having been taken in private the Council are unable to publish any report of the proceedings. 

At the moment of writing it is anticipated that the necessary Confirming Bill will be introduced in the House of Commons within a week or two, and the Council are therefore taking all the steps possible to it to press their opposition to the scheme. They take the view that of all the schemes for the construction of large hydro-electric power stations in the Highlands it appears the most undesirable by reason of unsuitability of the times and conditions, the notable beauty of the glens to be exploited, and the smallness of the advantages which would accrue to the Highland area from the electric power to be produced. 

The present time is peculiarly inopportune. No progress can be made with its construction at a time when neither materials nor men can be spared for the work. After the war there will obviously be so urgent a demand for construction and reconstruction of all kinds that a further period of time must elapse before the scheme could be even begun. 

Nothing will be lost if the matter is postponed, and much benefit will be gained. The economic condition of the Highlands has been a serious problem for many years, and is now receiving close attention with a view to definite proposals for its betterment. The districts offer few natural advantages and the water power can be a substantial asset if each possible source is skilfully developed for the benefit of the locality. The present scheme, however, as put forward by the promoters, was clearly intended for the supply of additional power to the towns on the east coast from Nairn round to Fife, and for sale of a large surplus to the Electricity Board for distribution in the industrial area of Scotland. As all these districts obtain coal either in their neighbourhood or by short sea transport, this supply from Highland sources is certainly unnecessary and uneconomic. In common fairness to the Highlands their whole resources should be conserved until the possibilities of planned development have been fully examined. 

The two glens singled out for exploitation are renowned for their characteristic beauty. The lochs of Beneveian, Affric and Mullardoch, with tree-fringed shores and hillsides, the rocky gorges and waterfalls of the rivers and the enclosing heather-clad hills form two continuous lines amounting to some twenty-five miles of picturesque scenery, well known to numerous travellers and holiday-makers. Under the scheme the lochs would become reservoirs behind huge concrete dams, surrounded in the summer with wide stretches of muddy and sodden shore when the water is run off, while the rivers and waterfalls would disappear altogether, leaving only a dry stony bed. The combined effect of all these changes would be disastrous. 

Records of Scenes, Buildings, etc.

The Association was asked by the Recording Britain Scheme (Pilgrim Trust Grant), the offices of which are at the National Gallery, London, to compile a list of subjects – scenes, buildings, etc. – in the County of Fife which are characteristic of a district or an era and in danger of destruction or injury during the war, and suitable for recording by professional artists whose livelihood has been seriously interfered with by the war. The Association thereupon formed a Committee representative of the Royal Scottish Academy, the National Trust for Scotland and the Association, and this Committee drew up a list of suitable subjects. Some of these subjects have now been recorded and the work will doubtless be resumed when weather and other conditions are more favourable. 

The Association also approached the Principal of the Edinburgh College of Art with the suggestion that measured drawings of important and historic buildings in Scottish towns and villages might be made by students of the College. The suggestion was at once adopted, and a Committee representing the College of Art, the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, and the Association prepared a scheme. In December a most interesting exhibition of measured drawings of buildings in Edinburgh, Stirling and elsewhere was held at the College. 

It is of interest to note that, at the invitation of Lord Reith, Minister of Works and Buildings, a National Building Record Council for Scotland has just been formed, with the Marquis of Bute as Chairman. The object of the Council is to make a register of all buildings of merit, whether in town or country, with a view to possible reparation of any which may suffer by enemy action. Arrangements are being made for the work to be started in areas apparently most subject to attack. 

[see PDF for statement of accounts]

General

The pre-war activities of the Association in such subjects as the lay-out and design of housing schemes, the preservation of buildings and monuments of historical or architectural interest, roads and bridges, national parks, rivers pollution prevention, regulation of advertisements, litter, etc., have been continued whenever possible, and action has been taken in a number of cases concerning the preservation of amenities which were brought to the notice of the Council. 

The Council have given and are continuing to give consideration to problems concerned with the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Distribution of the Industrial Population and of the Highlands and Islands Committee of the Scottish Economic Committee. They are also following developments in connection with the work of national planning and reconstruction which falls within the scope of the recently created Ministry of Works and Buildings, and contact with the Department has been established. 

Branches. 

The Council tender their thanks to the officers and members of the Branches, and would urge them to do all that they can to maintain the organisation which has been built up. The following is a list of the Branches:- 

Finances

The Association has gained few new members in the last year but the old members have continued their support with few resignations, and these have generally been accompanied by a promise of renewal when conditions improve. The guarantee of seven years’ membership, by which the Association can recover from the Treasury the income tax paid on the annual subscription, becomes increasingly advantageous with rise of income tax, and this year every ten shillings paid under the scheme will bring in another ten shillings with no additional cost to the subscriber: in fact all such payments form a deduction from his surtax return, and gain that benefit for himself. Members will greatly help the Association by joining in the scheme, and the Treasurer will gladly forward the required form to applicants. 

The Carnegie United Kingdom Trust generously gave the Association a guarantee against a deficit up to a sum of £200 for the year 1940, and it is satisfactory to record that this was more than sufficient. The actual sum required is approximately £154. The achieving of this result has entailed severe economy in the office, and the limitation of active promotion of new branches has reduced travelling expenses, but all opportunities for useful work of various kinds have been given full attention. The grant has been renewed up to a limit of £150 for the current year, and the Council are very grateful for the continued help.