Outlander ‘exploits’ Scotland’s cultural heritage, says academic

A prominent Scottish academic has accused TV series such as Outlander of exploiting Scotland’s cultural heritage.

Outlander, starring Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe, is a historical drama based on the novel series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon. Balfe plays Claire Randall, a World War II military nurse who finds herself transported back to 18th century Scotland.

As reported by the Scottish Daily Express, the series has been praised for boosting tourism in Scotland, known as the “Outlander effect”. This is due to the significant cult the show has developed around the world, especially in the United States.

But Dr Stephen Collins, from the University of the West of Scotland, said films such as Outlander and Skyfall misrepresented Scotland’s history and heritage. Dr Collins also questioned whether much of the funding from these works should be used to protect the culture they depict.

This follows news that the UK is set to ratify the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Scottish symbols such as kilts, Hogmanay and peat cutting are also likely to be included.

Dr Collins welcomed the move, but said legal protection was needed to ensure Scotland’s cultural heritage was protected in its depiction on television and film, The Scotsman reported. The scholar says Scotland is often used as a backdrop, but no accurate attribution or financial support is given to the communities that produced the traditions shown.

He told the magazine: “There are two important issues that we hope will be resolved by the implementation of the 2003 Convention.One is the preservation and transmission of intangible cultural heritage from one generation to the next. “The problem is particularly acute in areas of Scotland.” Languages ​​such as Gaelic are disappearing there, which means cultural heritage may disappear along with language.

“Secondly, it is the exploitation where intangible cultural heritage is used as the backdrop for films and television programs without attribution of copyright and without funds being channeled back to local communities to support conservation efforts.Regulatory Framework Without it, the worst-case scenario here is that intangible cultural heritage is used in a way that allows for misrepresentation and misunderstanding, as there is currently no way to object to its use.”

Countries such as Ghana and Nigeria provide for the protection of intangible cultural heritage in their copyright laws. This means that a fee will be paid to the affected state or community.

Dr Collins hopes to see similar safeguards in place in Scotland. He added: “If HBO comes and makes Outlander and the money comes in because it’s a multi-million pound venture, where does that money go?

“Can that money go back to the original communities, the bearers of the knowledge of what we see on our screens, to support local education and local preservation? Do we have the right to say no? “This is misleading us. Isn’t this our history? Isn’t this our story?”

Join the Everything Outlander WhatsApp community and get the latest show news sent straight to your phone.