Lost Winters is a climate-heritage project led by Dr Rachel Hunt at Edinburgh University and funded by The Carnegie Trust. The project is designed to explore what happens to a region known for winter, when winters begin to warm. The project begins by documenting the past, present and future of historic curling ponds in Badenoch and Strathspey. A favourite Scottish game for centuries, Curling’s written history began in 1541, and was traditionally played on natural lochs and specially constructed ponds. January 2025 was the hottest January ever recorded globally. These ponds were once a winter-gathering place for communities, yet as we moved from loch to pond, not a slither of ice remained.

Lost Winters asks questions about how climate is nested in place, how regional identity is linked to seasonality, and how heritage, value and loss are understood with respect to climate change.