Understanding Landscape Values: A Scottish Highland Case Study

This work examines the values that people hold for the landscapes of the Scottish Highlands. The central premise of the study is that to make decisions about the best way to curate landscapes it is necessary to understand the values that people have for landscape, and what are the main influences on these values. It is argued that the values the general public have for landscape should be fully incorporated within landscape planning and policy. For this, two key research questions formed the basis of the study: How can qualitative preferences and values for landscape best be captured and measured in a repeatable and reliable manner, and to what extent and in what ways does an increased knowledge of landscape history affect people's landscape preferences and values. This study answers these questions with reference to the landscape of the Scottish Highlands.