Help shape the future of Scotland’s historic sites and collections in state care

• Historic Environment Scotland (HES) launches nation-wide consultation to guide how Scotland’s historic places and collections are cared for and used
• Public input will influence long-term decisions on managing Scotland’s heritage, and supporting communities across Scotland 

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is inviting people across Scotland to help shape the future of some of the nation’s most important historic places and collections through a new public consultation. HES looks after more than 300 historic sites, 43,000 related objects and 5 million archival records, on behalf of the people of Scotland. 

The responses will help inform HES’s Properties and Collections Strategy: Towards Sustainable Stewardship, a long-term plan for how historic places and collections are cared for, used and managed for generations to come. By sharing their views, people will help HES understand how these historic places and collections matter to communities, and ensure they’re cared for in ways that benefit future generations. 

HES’s new strategy comes at a time when Scotland’s historic environment is facing significant challenges, including climate change and rising costs to a shortage of traditional skills needed to maintain heritage sites. At the same time, new technologies are opening up exciting ways to connect with wider audiences through digital access and interpretation. These places have clear potential to do even more for the communities they serve. Visitor expectations are also evolving, with growing interest in sustainable tourism and more inclusive storytelling. 

The consultation gives the public a chance to influence how HES responds to current challenges, makes informed decisions about the care of its historic sites and collections and ensures those decisions reflect the needs of communities now and in the future. 

Participants will be asked for their views on HES’s proposed strategy, including its long-term vision and where the organisation should focus its efforts across its sites and collections.  

Dr David Mitchell, Director of Cultural Assets at HES said:

“Scotland’s historic environment requires a shared stewardship approach and the Properties in Care and the Collections associated with them represent some of the best Scotland has to offer as part of that asset base. We manage these cultural heritage assets on behalf of Scottish Ministers and therefore the people of Scotland through a long state care tradition. We have both challenges and opportunities before us and this strategy seeks to set these out and how we will deal with them going forward. What we choose to do will have long lasting consequences so it’s important that all views are taken into account. We know how much these places mean to local communities, to the people of Scotland and those who visit us from overseas. They are truly sustainable assets for subsequent generations if we get our approach right - balancing benefits without placing the assets themselves at risk.  

“That’s why we’re asking everyone to share their views. These places and objects are an integral part of Scotland’s identity and sense of place - they contribute to our economy and environment, enhance our health and wellbeing and together we have to ensure we get the right balance on what we do and how we do it. We’re asking everyone with an interest to take part and help shape the future stewardship approach.”