£13.77m invested to support Scottish heritage projects

The second-largest grant-giver for heritage in Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland (HES), has published a Grants Funding Report for the first time, showcasing how their grants are spent. The report also aims to uncover trends and aid in future planning for the heritage organisation.

HES gives out on average around £13.5 million each year on behalf of the Scottish Government, equating to £2.35 for every person in Scotland, supporting projects that protect and promote the country’s historic environment. HES spends more money with charities than any other type of organisation, with applicants ranging from well-established organisations to younger development trusts for whom heritage is a new area of operation.

The new report illustrates that 74% of the HES grants budget is spent on physical works, ranging from small-scale adaptation to whole refurbishment projects, such as the John O’Groats Mill.

For this project, HES has awarded £500,000 to support repairs to the historic fabric of the mill, transforming the site into a new visitor attraction for the area. Thanks to this grant funding, the new attraction will allow visitors to see a working mill and the local community will benefit from a new event space able to cater to a wide range of activities.

The remaining 26% of the HES grants budget goes towards core funding for heritage organisations with a national remit, training and engagement, Intangible Cultural Heritage, and archaeology. HES currently spends considerably more per capita on archaeology than comparable heritage agencies in the rest of the UK, contributing to a very healthy sector where community activities can play a major role in driving the agenda. The CITADEL project, run by the University of Aberdeen, is one such activity, focusing on excavation and research-led investigations at a Pictish Elite Centre in Moray. HES have awarded over £400,000, which will help fund the project to positively impact the historic environment through sustainably managing the coastal erosion threats in the area and maximise archaeological research opportunities.

Monitoring key terms in the grant applications received, the report notes that 62% of applications in the last year referenced climate change, showing increased awareness within the sector of this as a driver for action. The report also provides information on the Covid Recovery Fund, established by HES in 2020, through which 41 projects with urgent requirements as a result of the pandemic were funded.

Susan O’Connor, Head of Grants at HES, said:

"As the second-largest funder of the historic environment in Scotland, we are pleased to publicly provide data on how we spend this funding, as well as insights into how we make our funding decisions.

"I believe we may be the first Scottish grant-giver to share their data in this way and look forward to releasing another data report next spring, providing further insight into Scotland’s heritage sector.”

We're the lead body for Scotland’s historic environment, a charity dedicated to the advancement of heritage, culture, education and environmental protection. We are at the forefront of researching and understanding the historic environment and addressing the impacts of climate change on its future. Across Scotland, we investigate and record architectural and archaeological sites and landscapes and care for more than 300 properties of national importance. HES is also working with sector partners to deliver Scotland's strategy for the historic environment, Our Past, Our Future.

Historic Scotland, trove.scot, The National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP), The Engine Shed, Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle and Stòr are sub-brands of HES.

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