Tag: Historic Environment Scotland

History of Scotland’s Libraries explored in Edinburgh Exhibition

An exhibition celebrating Scotland’s libraries has opened at Edinburgh Central Library. ‘Inspiring the Nation: 300 years of Libraries in Scotland’ explores the history of libraries in Scotland and how they’ve developed from private book collections to vital spaces at the heart of our communities. 

Featuring images from Historic Environment Scotland’s archives, the exhibition charts their innovation and growth from the 17th century through their continued evolution in response to the changing needs of society to become the varied public services they are today. 

The exhibition marks the 100th anniversary of the 1925 ‘National Library of Scotland Act’, which saw the establishment of the National Library of Scotland, one of the largest libraries in the United Kingdom. 

Across the road, The National Library of Scotland has also opened an exhibition to commemorate their centenary. ‘Dear Library’ is described as a love letter to libraries, aiming to give visitors a whole new perspective on how libraries can help you, and how you can help them.

Browse bookshelves in an open reading room filled with recommendations from the public and well-known Scottish figures. See libraries in popular culture, protest banners and badges, vintage film footage, and more. 

Claire Whitbread, Exhibitions Manager at Historic Environment Scotland, said: “Through this exhibition, we’re shining a light on the vital part libraries play in Scotland’s social history, illuminating the continuing importance of these places in our lives today. 

“It’s wonderful to be opening this exhibition at Edinburgh Central Library, a very fitting venue and the first public library building in the city, opening in 1890.

“It’s also just across the road from the National Library of Scotland, so I hope visitors enjoy exploring both of our exhibitions and discovering more about the fascinating world of libraries.” 

Martha Burns Findlay, Head of Public Programmes at the National Library of Scotland, said: “We’re delighted that Historic Environment Scotland’s new display at Edinburgh’s Central Library will coincide with our own ‘Dear Library’ exhibition across the road at the National Library of Scotland.

“In our 100th year we’re championing the vital role that libraries play in Scotland, so the twinned exhibitions provide a great opportunity for people to rekindle their love of libraries.” 

‘Inspiring the Nation: 300 years of Libraries in Scotland’ is on at the Edinburgh Central Library from Friday 11 July – Saturday 20 September 2025.

Entry to the exhibition is free and no booking is required. 

For more information, visit historicenvironment.scot/whats-on.

Family Friday Tours at Trinity House

⚓️ Family Friday tours at Trinity House ⚓️

Don’t forget to visit Trinity House in Leith for their ‘Family Friday tours’.

Until 8 August, at 11am on Fridays, you can enjoy a relaxed tour of the house with activities to suit younger visitors.

Discover the animals that sailors might meet on their travels and take part in an activity trail. You can also visit the sixteenth centuries vaults – once used as a school for young sailors to learn mathematics and navigation – and handle objects used at sea.

Find out more at https://www.historicenvironment.scot/…/whats-on/event/…

Historic Environment Scotland calls for public stories for national wellbeing exhibition

  • ‘Historic Places, Breathing Spaces’ campaign launches today to help boost wellbeing through connection to heritage 
  • 60% of people say their wellbeing improved because of visiting a HES site
  • Leading Scottish influencers support campaign for wellbeing heritage

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is calling for people across the country to connect with heritage to boost their wellbeing as a part of a national campaign, Historic Places, Breathing Spaces. 

It comes after a recent HES survey* found 60% of people reported improved wellbeing because of visiting a HES site, and 74% of people felt a sense of connection to the sites after visiting.

Now HES is working with wellbeing organisations, influencers and communities across the country to encourage more people to visit heritage sites and discover the benefits it can bring for mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. Historic Places, Breathing Spaces is the latest action from HES to encourage community participation in heritage to support wellbeing.

As part of the initiative, people are invited to submit their photos and videos expressing how heritage makes them feel to hes.scot/wellbeing. HES will create an online exhibition to further inform and develop the role of heritage sites in supporting wellbeing.  

To inspire those looking to explore Historic Scotland sites in new ways this summer, staff have recommended their favourite walks to help the public discover some of the lesser-known areas at local landmarks. HES has also curated playlists inspired by Scotland and its cultural impact for visitors looking to further enhance their walks with an auditory experience, available now on Spotify.

This national initiative follows regional work by HES and partners to encourage heritage engagement to boost health and wellness.

Laura Macdonald, a public health researcher specialising in place-based health inequalities at the University of Glasgow, worked with HES in 2023 to lead research revealing the important links between heritage and mental wellbeing*.

Speaking about Historic Places, Breathing Spaces Laura Macdonald said: “Our research has found that people living near to local heritage sites, who actively visited them, reported significantly better mental health.

“Many heritage sites, particularly historic parks and gardens, provide valuable access to green space, creating a powerful combination of cultural and natural assets that work together to reduce stress and promote mental health. 

“Community engagement initiatives play a vital role in making these benefits more accessible – by raising awareness of local heritage through activities such as guided walks and heritage volunteering, communities can help more people interact with heritage and experience the mental health benefits it can provide.

“It will be fascinating to see how the Historic Places, Breathing Spaces campaign will bring further awareness of this on a national level.”

As the national body in Scotland responsible for investigating, caring for and promoting Scotland’s historic environment, HES plans to use information gathered through this latest initiative to explore the social value of heritage sites, and how that can support the country’s wider wellbeing agenda. 

The Historic Places, Breathing Spaces initiative is endorsed by Black Scottish Adventurers; a community dedicated to encouraging participation of ethnic minority individuals to enjoy and engage with Scotland’s outdoor environment.

Alistair Heather, known online as “Historic Ally”, is also participating in the campaign to encourage more people to connect with heritage and history in Scotland.

HES Director of Marketing and Engagement, Stephen Duncan, said: ““We are proud to launch Historic Places, Breathing Spaces to encourage people to boost their wellbeing by visiting heritage sites across Scotland.

“We want people across the country to share their stories about what heritage means to them, and how their wellbeing is boosted by connecting with it.

“Scotland’s historic sites attract visitors from around the world to discover and learn about our rich history, but what heritage can also offer is a place to reflect and reconnect with ourselves in the modern world. We want to collaborate with more organisations and individuals to encourage people to explore our sites in news ways and connect with their local heritage.

“Our research shows that 60% of people who have visited HES sites report improved wellbeing from engagement with the historic environment. This summer we want to encourage everyone to engage with heritage and discover for themselves the wellbeing boost it can bring, and to be part of a national exhibition that celebrates Scotland’s historic environment in a new way.”

Grant funding targets heritage for all

HES’s annual grants report, published today (Wednesday 11 June) as part of Scotland’s Historic Environment Forum, shows a significant increase in support for projects in Scotland’s most deprived areas.

Investment through HES grant programmes in areas in the most deprived quintile of Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) account for 20% (20.9%) of the total £12.4 million funding package administered by the public body.

The SIMD is the Scottish Government’s standard approach to measuring deprivation and looks at the extent to which an area is deprived across multiple domains, including income and employment.

£2.5 million of HES’s grant funding for 2024-25 was awarded to projects in the most deprived 20% SIMD, beating the previous figure of 6.34% by a significant margin. This figure surpasses previous years and speaks to HES’s Heritage for All vision set out in its new Corporate Plan 2025-28.

HES is committed to using insights from its annual grants report to refine and enhance its funding approach, promoting greater transparency and helping the organisation’s ambition to achieve equitable grant distribution.

The most popular type of grant awarded to these areas was HES’s express grants (up to £25,000). These grants are open to applications year-round with a target ten-week turnaround period. This programme of funding is vital for communities to be able to repair, care for and cherish their historic environment.

Projects successfully awarded express grants in the past year include the Whithorn and the Machars Pilot Archaeology Field School (hero image), where 51 pupils worked on excavating in one of the de-turfed areas of Sinniness, and the community of Luing and surrounding areas where a HES express grant funded guided tours, art demonstrations, multilingual song and more, all in celebration of Luing’s slate heritage past and its future.

With in-house experts on everything from traditional thatching to archaeological fieldwork, HES offers bespoke advice and works closely with projects to establish early success. This is vital for building confidence in new entrants who have not worked with the historic environment before and helps set them up for further success with more ambitious projects that may be eligible for larger grants.

Almost 50% of the overall funding (48.49%) went towards area-based regeneration schemes, including the successful Heritage and Place Programme which funds community-led regeneration projects.

In the past year the programme has celebrated projects such as the revitalisation of Granton Waterfront in Edinburgh, the development of a state-of-the-art heritage quarter in Forres, and more. These projects demonstrate how investment in heritage can help support local economies and enrich communities’ sense of place.

Alison Turnbull, Director of External Relations and Partnerships, said: “For too long, heritage funding has mirrored the inequalities we see in wider society. Our ‘Heritage for All’ vision means we seek to allocate our grants equitably to ensure our historic environment belongs to everyone.

“By working with communities in the most deprived SIMD quintile, we increase the diversity of voices and projects in the historic environment. We are committed to supporting projects that include a wide variety of people in decision-making about their heritage.

“We encourage new entrants to heritage projects in particular to reach out and learn how we can help you engage with and look after the heritage in your community.”

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “This report highlights the real impact that investment in our historic environment can have in addressing inequalities and supporting regeneration in communities that need it most.

“By targeting funding towards the most deprived areas, Historic Environment Scotland is helping to unlock opportunities, support skills development and bring people together through a shared connection to place and heritage.

“This level of progress is welcome and reaffirms the commitment to ensuring that our historic environment is accessible, inclusive and benefits everyone across Scotland.”

Explore the world heritage on your doorstep with trove.scot

This World Heritage Day, rediscover the Forth Bridge with HES’s new digital portal

In celebration of World Heritage Day on 18 April, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is highlighting how its new platform trove.scot can make it easy and exciting to discover more about the unique World Heritage site of the Forth Bridge.

The  Forth Bridge was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2015. It is one of the world’s greatest cantilever trussed bridges, and was innovative in both style, materials and scale when it was first built. Even today, the distinctive industrial silhouette of the Forth Bridge is iconic across the world.

On trove.scot, visitors can explore archive records and images to walk through the immense process of building the bridge through photographs and artwork, and digitally get into the nooks and crannies that are inaccessible in person.

James Bruhn, Head of World Heritage and Heritage Policy at HES, said: “World Heritage Sites are globally important and part of everyone’s heritage, and we are excited to make them more digitally accessible than ever.

“With trove.scot, both local residents and visitors from all over the world can learn more about this unique and world-famous site.”

Unlock Scotland’s world heritage anytime, anywhere with trove.scot, the key to Scotland’s past.

Historic Environment Scotland awards £3.9m to third-sector organisations

Seven projects will receive a share of funding through Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) Partnership Fund.

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has announced over £3.9 million in funding to seven organisations with a track record of making a significant contribution to Scotland’s historic environment through its latest round of Partnership Fund grants.

The Partnership Fund was created in 2021, replacing HES’s Organisational Support Fund, to better help Scotland’s third sector promote, celebrate and enhance the country’s rich and diverse heritage. It funds organisations that engage with communities and make a national impact on Scotland’s historic environment through targeted activity, national programmes and financial support.

Alison Turnbull, Director of External Relations and Partnerships at HES, said: “Community engagement is at the heart of our work, and what better way to involve communities than by supporting the organisations that serve them?

“Our Partnership Fund has awarded grants to seven projects which reflect our commitment to strengthening the resilience of Scotland’s historic environment in different ways.

“These projects support investment into traditional skills and retrofitting, encourage communities to engage with their local archaeology and places of worship, and help communities adapt historic buildings for social and economic benefit.

“At their core, these initiatives embody the principle of heritage for all, ensuring that everyone can access, participate in, and benefit from Scotland’s rich historic environment.

“And this is just the beginning. We expect the benefits of these projects to have a long-lasting and sustainable impact on the historic environment and communities across Scotland for years to come.”

The largest single award, £1.9 million, was granted to the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) to support its ongoing efforts to help community-led groups across Scotland find sustainable new uses for historic buildings in ways that directly benefit local people and places.

The AHF’s ‘Heritage Developed & Sustained’ project enhances community engagement with historic environments and its use as a catalyst for climate action which supports key HES priorities in supporting Scotland’s journey to net zero.

AHF has a particular focus on supporting groups with developing projects that serve areas of multiple deprivation or involve a building’s energy efficiency or environmental sustainability.

HES has previously provided grant funding for this project through the Organisational Support Fund, the predecessor to the Partnership Fund. Through advice and the financial support that it can offer as a result of the grant, the AHF has helped repurpose buildings to be used as affordable housing, community centres, workspaces and childcare facilities.

Matthew McKeague, CEO of the AHF, said: “We are immensely grateful to Historic Environment Scotland for this renewed and increased investment in our grants and support programme.

“It will extend our valued long-term strategic partnership and will enable us to continue providing funding and guidance over the next three years to support communities across Scotland, to take control of and adapt historic buildings for sustainable social and economic impact.”

The announcement took place at Gracemount Mansion in Edinburgh, a community-led repair project supported by both HES and the AHF.

Further information on the Partnership Fund is available on the HES website. Organisations who are interested in applying to the Partnership Fund can submit an expression of interest no later than 15 August 2025.

History of Scotland’s gardens explored in new exhibition

‘Seeds of Time: Scottish Gardens 1600 to present day’ is a brand-new exhibition opening tomorrow (Saturday 5 April 2025) at Stanley Mills in Perthshire. 

Using material from Historic Environment Scotland’s archives, the exhibition explores the history of gardens in Scotland, delving into what they can tell us about the people who grew them and the world they lived in.

Gardens and green spaces are an important part of life for people in Scotland, providing places in which to relax and reconnect with nature, as well as serving more practical purposes such as spaces to grow food in. Gardens can also offer a window into the past, revealing stories of the people who used and shaped them.

Claire Whitbread, Exhibitions Manager at Historic Environment Scotland, said: “When thinking about our built heritage, castles, buildings and monuments may first come to mind, but our gardens are also a part of that history and provide a sort of living time capsule.

“These green spaces can show us so much about our past, from the grand designs of the aristocracy and the role of empire in revolutionising plant diversity at home, to the vital role city allotments have played in feeding the nation.

“We’re thrilled to welcome visitors to explore this exhibition which aims to show what we can learn from the gardens of our past and what we can take from those that continue to grow around us into the future.”

‘Seeds of Time: Scottish Gardens 1600 to present day’ is on at Stanley Mills from Saturday 5 April 2025 to Sunday 29 June 2025.

Entry to the exhibition is included with admission to the site. Tickets can be booked in advance. Entry is free for Historic Scotland members.

For more information and to book tickets, visit  historicenvironment.scot/whats-on. /

The exhibition is only accessible via a staircase.

Heritage Matters!

FOYSOL CHOUDHURY MSP SPONSORS EVENT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF RETROFITTING TO NET ZERO

Foysol Choudhury MSP has sponsored an event at Holyrood on the important economic and environmental benefits that retrofitting Scotland’s traditional buildings would bring.

The MSP for Lothian joined staff from Historic Environment Scotland (HES) at a parliamentary reception to learn more about the issue.

The event, on November 7, gave politicians a chance to speak to the heritage body about its work in this area and how retrofitting can contribute to the nationwide push for net zero.

Entitled ‘The greenest building is one that already exists’, the event made the case for improving the nation’s existing buildings, making them as warm and efficient as possible.

Around one in five of Scotland’s homes were built prior to 1919. Research by HES has shown that owners collectively spend £1.3 billion each year on repairing and maintaining such buildings, which make up a distinctive part of Scotland’s towns and cities and create a sense of local identity and place.

At the event, MSPs learned how pairing retrofitting technologies and traditional building skills with new innovations could provide jobs, as well as increasing the energy efficiency of homes.

Recent research commissioned by HES shows that a clear majority of people in Scotland are supportive of retrofitting when it comes to managing traditional buildings.

In a survey of more than 1,400 adults in Scotland carried out in September, more than two thirds (67 per cent) said investing in retrofitting was the best way forward.

Recent data published by the body also revealed the critical economic role that heritage plays in Scotland. The historic environment generates £6 billion per year for the economy, £2.1 billion of which is attributable to heritage tourism. It also supports over 81,000 jobs.

The HES event covered the huge potential economic benefits and new employment opportunities that could be realised through ensuring existing buildings are in a good state of repair, and that retrofit measures are technically sound and effective.

HES has been awarded £1M from AHRC to establish a new national centre for the retrofit of traditional buildings, which will expand the organisation’s technical research and put heritage science at the heart of its approach to developing best practice for the retrofit of traditional buildings.

The new hub will also focus on delivery of training and foster innovation in the use of low-carbon retrofit materials.

Foysol Choudhury said of the event: “It was great to see the work HES are doing to improve and protect our built environment.

“Scotland’s built heritage is vitally important to our culture and economy. Traditional buildings aren’t just nice to look at, they are people’s workplaces and homes, and through retrofitting we can make them warmer, cheaper and more efficient”.

Roger Curtis, Head of Technical Resources at HES, said: “It was encouraging to see so many MSPs keen to learn more about how retrofitting and reusing historic buildings can help Scotland’s national drive for net zero.

“Traditional buildings can sometimes be seen as a draughty hindrance to cutting emissions, but this is a misconception. Many were built with our climate in mind and are inherently adaptable.

“Giving a new lease of life to these older buildings will not only help us retain the distinct historic character of local places, but will also drive economic investment, jobs and tourism.

“In order to maintain these buildings and improve their energy efficiency, we also need to make sure we have a workforce with the necessary skills to do so.

“This is one of the reasons why we are in the process of creating a new national centre of expertise for retrofitting, which we hope will help improve energy efficiency across Scotland, inspire others and play an important role in helping us reach net zero.”

National Trust for Scotland flies the flag for House of Binns anniversary

  • Conservation charity works with boatbuilder to replace historic flagpole on Binns Tower
  • Tower built as a result of wager on most frivolous use of £100
  • Flag raised to celebrate 80th anniversary of House of Binns acquisition

Celebrating the 80th anniversary of its acquisition of the House of the Binns in 1944, Scotland’s largest conservation charity is hoisting a flag on the prominent Binns Tower – for the first time in almost a decade.

The raising of the flag has been made possible by a newly-completed project by the National Trust for Scotland to replace the broken flagpole on top of the famous Binns folly, which was purportedly built as the result of a wager on the most frivolous way to spend £100.

To maintain a historical connection with the old mast, said to have been a ship’s mast from a nearby breakers’ yard, the Trust commissioned the new flagpole from Fairlie Boat Builders on Scotland’s west coast, fabricated using traditional techniques.

The Trust also carried out vital conservation on the Tower itself, ensuring it can be seen and enjoyed for generations to come. The Trust worked with Conservation Surveyors Adams Napier Partnership to develop a package of work, including high level harling repairs, maintenance to the roof structure, lime washing, and other repairs.

They were carried out by G Brown Stonemasons over a period of 10 weeks. The conservation works were made possible by the Historic Environment Scotland Partnership Fund Grant, an ongoing partnership that enables the charity to not only carry out vital work but to support the continuation of traditional crafts and skills.

Leading the building conservation project was Maintenance Surveyor at the National Trust for Scotland, Megan Gardner, who said: “It sounds a simple thing to replace a flagpole, but in this case it really wasn’t.

“The whole process has been an interesting one, throwing up some unusual challenges along the way, particularly the location of the Tower at the highest point of Binns Hill.

“Being in such an exposed location, it gets a lot of wear from the weather, so it was important to find the right solution for the construction of the new flagpole that was appropriate to the structure and its location and heritage.

“Due to the Binns Tower’s prominent position and background, we felt that the traditional techniques used in the flagpole and its construction from a ship’s mast were a significant part of the building and its story.

“We looked at how masts were traditionally constructed and are delighted that we have been able to include these traditional shipbuilding elements in the new flagpole. It’s a great example of how we’re delivering our strategic objective to be a learning organisation by championing skills to support traditional conservation and innovation.”

There were also practical challenges in carrying out the work. The height of the Tower required significant access equipment, and scaffolding had to be carried up the hill manually because the amount of rainfall during the spring and early summer made it impossible for vehicles to get over the fields.

For internal work, space inside the Tower is extremely limited and the top is only accessible via two ladders and a narrow hatch onto the roof.

Stuart Maxwell, Edinburgh & East Regional Director at the National Trust for Scotland, added: “The Tower is such a prominent point in the countryside around the Binns, and we’re very pleased to once again raise the flag there.

“It’s a splendid way to mark the 80th anniversary of the Dalyell family signing over the deeds of the Binns estate to our conservation charity. We’re grateful for the generosity of our members and supporters in our work to protect, care for, and share Scotland’s special places, and for the assistance of the Historic Environment Scotland Partnership Fund Grant, which has made this project possible.”

The Binns Tower – also known as Dalyell’s Folly – was rumoured to have come about as the result of an after-dinner wager in 1825 as to who could spend £100 in the most pointless but amusing way. The story goes that Sir James won the bet with his suggestion of a folly overlooking his neighbour’s estate, and the Tower was completed in 1829.

From 1919 to 1935, the Tower was topped by a windmill rather than a flag, which was used to generate electricity.

The Historic Environment Scotland Partnership Fund Grant of £1,062,000 over 2023-26, enables the National Trust for Scotland to conduct vital conservation work across its built heritage properties, to use technology to better understand its built structures, and to invest in further training and skills development.

Award-winning architecture firm appointed by group working to save The George Cinema in Portobello

Glasgow-based, award-winning architecture firm Loader Monteith has been appointed to lead a design team undertaking detailed feasibility work on a community cinema project in Portobello,

The commission, by The Friends of George (FoTG) group, is supported by the award of a grant from The Architectural Heritage Fund.

The design team’s work will dovetail into an in-depth commercial and operational assessment being undertaken by independent cinema consultants, Mustard Studios, whose work is being funded by a grant from the Scottish Land Fund.

Loader Monteith approached Stefanie Fischer, a leading cinema architect within the UK’s independent cinema sector to join their team as a subconsultant. Her expertise as a cinema architect complements the expertise of Loader Monteith Architects as conservation architects.

The appointment of the Loader Monteith led team builds on a long running campaign by FoTG who have been working to save the art deco former cinema from demolition. With strong support from within their community, FoTG hope to acquire and restore the C-listed building, and operate it as a cinema for the community. These latest commissions will develop and refine the group’s ambitious plans and will also include input from educational and film industry partners.

Mike Griffiths, Friends of the George Chair said: “We are delighted to be able to appoint such an expert team of professionals to develop and refine our proposals as we continue to point the way towards a positive future for The George not only in the heart of the community of Portobello, but more broadly, to play a role in the cinema sector in Scotland.

“The consultants we have working on this bring extensive expertise and experience to the project and will be led by a firm of architects with a burgeoning reputation for exciting contemporary architectural design, deployed to breathe new life into historic buildings.

“We’re extremely grateful for the financial support we have received from the Architectural Heritage Fund, the Scottish Land Fund and our benefactor Victoria Schwab.”

Iain King, Specialist Conservation Architect and Director at Loader Monteith, said: “We are pleased to have been selected as the lead architects, alongside our expert team of consultants, to support the Friends of The George in developing the proposal for the George Cinema.

“Despite the building currently being on the Buildings at Risk Register, it benefits from strong community support and the dedication of the Friends of The George, a group committed to preserving this Art Deco gem and restoring it as a sustainable, independent cinema.

“We look forward to collaborating with them on this important project.”

Last year, Friends of The George Limited had the cinema building formally valued by a firm of professional surveyors and made an offer to purchase it as a “restoring purchaser”, based on that valuation. Funds for purchase were very generously offered by benefactor, writer V.E Schwab.

This offer was rejected by the current owners of the building who have tried – and failed – twice in recent years to secure consent to substantially demolish The George and develop the site with luxury flats.

Most recently, last October, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) published their decision notice on the application by the current owner to have The George ‘delisted’.  HES confirmed that the building continues to meet the criteria of special architectural and historic interest and so there will be no statutory change to the current ‘C’ listing designation.

Recent silent, community protests, independent of the FoTG group, have called on the current owner of the building to clear up the mess outside of the cinema and to address the continued neglect and dereliction of the building.