'Good to think': social constructions of Celtic heritage in Wales

The adoption of Celtic themes in the presentation of heritage sites in Wales builds upon identifiable features of British history and the belief that 'Celtic-ness' has some basic appeal to modern visitors. Whereas such presentations have significant economic impacts, particularly through tourism, they rest more firmly on the bases of myth and nostalgia rather than upon any dynamic vision of a Welsh heritage. Visitors, who are often not Welsh, are drawn to such places as a means of knowing the past and encounter an experience that engenders interest and may help them relate to their own identity. Visiting heritage places is a meaningful act of consumption which asserts the importance of roots and the attractions of a representable past.