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Language and Landscape in Holyrood Park

View of Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park on a bright sunny day, showing rugged rocky slopes and grassy hills.

Discover the stories of Holyrood Park through British Sign Language (BSL), and explore the richness of this visual language.

Introduction

A partnership between Historic Environment Scotland and Kings College London, the Language and Landscape project explores what British Sign Language (BSL), as a visual language, can bring to our understanding of landscape. It has been developed in response to the 2015 BSL (Scotland) Act, and seeks to explore how public bodies can promote the use of BSL.

Performed by Edinburgh-based BSL Guide Trudi Collier, the films are designed to tell the stories of Holyrood Park for both Deaf and hearing visitors.

The performances and supporting films reveal how the grammar of BSL works to create drama in a storytelling context.

Download the Holyrood Park BSL map

The Language and Landscape Project

Dr Ellen Adams introduces herself, and BSL linguist Robert Adam, with a taster of what the project is about.

Stories from Holyrood Park

Watch performances inspired by the park and its history, and learn more about BSL along the way.

St Anthony's Chapel

Watch a British Sign Language (BSL) story about St Anthony's Chapel, then discover how she uses the grammar of BSL to tell its tale.

The Holyrood Coffins

Children exploring Holyrood Park in 1836 made an intriguing discovery…

Geology of Holyrood Park

Discover, in British Sign Language, Holyrood Park’s key role in our understanding of the Earth.

David and the Stag

The story of how an encounter between King David and a stag gave Holyrood Park its name, and discover how signers use signing space to create atmosphere and drama in BSL.

A project in partnership

This project has been produced in partnership between Historic Environment Scotland and King’s College London, and aims to raise awareness of the performative richness of BSL as a visual language.

Did you learn anything about BSL through these videos? Tell us more in our survey.

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Plan your visit

Inspired to visit? Find out everything you need to know about visiting and using Holyrood Park.

Visit Holyrood Park
Snow-covered landscape in Holyrood Park with a partially frozen loch in the foreground, where swans and ducks gather on the water and snowy banks. In the background, the ruins of St Anthony’s Chapel stand on a hillside. View from Arthur’s Seat showing rocky foreground, two people seated, and Edinburgh cityscape with Edinburgh Castle visible in the distance under a hazy sky. Ruins of St Anthony’s Chapel with Calton Hill and its monuments visible in the background under a clear sky.