MSP attends event championing Scotland’s historic environment 

 Foysol Choudhury MSP for Lothian has attended an event held to highlight the role Scotland’s unique heritage has to play in the country’s economic and green recovery. 

The session at the Scottish Parliament was hosted by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), the lead public body that investigates, cares for and promotes the country’s historic environment, including over 300 properties in care.  

The event, How Scotland’s Past Can Support Its Future, championed the important role that Scotland’s historic buildings, sites and heritage sector plays in creating jobs, promoting tourism and supporting the environment. 

Figures from Historic Environment Scotland show the historic environment sector generated £4.4 billion for Scotland’s economy in 2019 and supported 68,000 full-time equivalent jobs in heritage, tourism and construction sectors.  As many as 86 per cent of people also reported a wellbeing benefit from their local heritage. 

The historic environment also has a key role to play in terms of the journey to net zero. A fifth of Scotland’s residential buildings were constructed before 1919 using traditional materials and building skills.  

Making these buildings as energy efficient as possible is a crucial part of the road to net zero, as well as supporting opportunities for re-use and retrofit, helping to boost jobs and skills through the need for skilled labourers and craftspeople. 

MSPs were also updated on progress on the high-level masonry inspections underway at HES to tackle the effects of climate change and other factors on a number of properties in care.  

Since the programme started, HES has been able to reopen or increase access at more than 30 sites, including reopening Dundonald Castle, Burleigh Castle and Inchcolm Abbey, while Doune Castle has almost completely reopened with a safety corridor in place. Inspections have been completed at 25 sites with a further 13 sites due to be completed by spring. 

Foysol Choudhury MSP for Lothian said: “It was great to meet Historic Environment Scotland at the Scottish Parliament, to learn more about Scotland’s heritage and how HES is supporting the economy and journey to net zero.

“I recently raised a question in the Chamber in support of Historic Environment Scotland. I asked the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that Historic Environment Scotland’s properties will be able to open to a sufficient degree, to allow HES’ revenue to rise as predicted in the budget.

“I look forward to learning more about HES’ projects in the future and to seeing more of these important HES properties open again for the public.” 

Alex Paterson, Chief Executive at HES, said: “Scotland’s historic environment is a part of our everyday lives. It’s our homes and high streets, schools and hospitals. It’s also transport infrastructure like canals and bridges. The historic environment is central to our lives and our sense of place, identity and to our wellbeing.  

“There is clear economic value in investing in the historic environment to deliver these core agendas, with the reuse and adaptation of existing heritage assets being integral to a net zero transition.

“I would like to thank Graeme Dey for welcoming us to the Scottish Parliament and to all the MSPs who came to find out more about how Scotland’s past can support its future”.