Hill farming identities and connections to place

Sense of place can be described as the distinctiveness of a place for people, whether they are the local population or transients (see earlier chapters in this book). Typical aspects of the concept include: natural and man-made features; heritage, culture and traditions; and produce and industries developed as a result of that place. The idea of geographical place has received extensive attention by geographers (see the review by Castree 2004) where structures, processes and networks are perceived as important. In other disciplines the psychological lived experience of place is also significant (Hay 1998). By combining both these approaches, sense of place can be used as a practical rural regeneration tool to aid struggling communities. This has been enthusiastically embraced by many farming businesses seeking to diversify their farm incomes (eg Bessière 1998; Robinson 2004); upland farming communities are no exception. As a result farmers seem to be commodifying their own sense of place. This chapter will begin by exploring the relationship between sense of place and the upland farming system in terms of geography and lived experience. Next it will consider how both these ideas of sense of place can be used to promote rural regeneration. Finally, it will examine whether constraints created by other controls on upland farming systems are detrimentally affecting the application of sense of place and how these can be overcome.