Rogart and Tonyrefail (Scotland and South Wales)
Theme: Living off the land with limited resources and a diminishing market, and the challenge of adapting
Rogart is a small village in the Highlands of Scotland near Inverness. Although the population of Rogart Parish is 300-400, the village itself has about 150 inhabitants scattered in dwellings across an area of about two miles – a typical feature of Scottish crofting communities. Rogart’s crofters produce livestock for sale to larger farms further south for fattening and slaughter. Their crofts range in size from 4-5 acres up to 50 acres and only require part-time management, so most of the crofters have a second job. The village has a pub, a shop, a village hall and a ‘request stop’ railway station.
People in remote areas have a tradition of interdependence, pooling their skills and resources to protect themselves against the elements. Although today this reality is cushioned by 20th-century technology, there remains a strong sense of community and ‘place’ exemplified by the number of youngsters who leave to go to university but often return later in life. Architecturally, the dwellings are a mixture of either local stone with slate roofs or newer whitewashed bungalows.
Architecturally, the village still shows its strong mining legacy in the 18th century terraced housing built for the miners. Today, in place of the industrial might of the 18th century, stands new industry - from entrepreneurial individuals to wind farms and industrial parks.
