What Do We Support:
Heritage
The original financiers of the foundation had a keen interest in our heritage, specifying that one of the foundations aims was “the preservation and beautification of historic properties”. The foundation continues to support the built environment and will support our literary and artistic heritage as well as architectural.
The Built Environment
The phrase “built environment” refers to the manmade surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging from the large-scale civic surroundings to the personal places. As well as the substantial donations to the National Trust for Scotland and the Scottish Civic Trust in Barcapel’s history the trustees continue to support smaller, but no less important projects.
Cultural Heritage
It is more important than ever to support our literary heritage in an increasingly digital age. As well as acknowledging the importance of literary figures, for example Robert Burns in a Scottish context, the foundation recognises that all forms of historical literature from poetry to prose and plays is vital in influencing and educating future generations, and as such need to be preserved and promoted. Barcapel’s annual funding of a scholarship for the Royal Scottish Academy for Music and Drama reflects this interest.
Barcapel also supports the preservation of our artistic heritage, not only by donating to established galleries and other organisations which display the arts of a previous age, but also to more contemporary artistic endeavours with a view to ensuring their longevity. An example is our enthusiastic support for the Little Sparta Trust, a unique display of Ian Hamilton Finlay’s greatest work of art.