Following the Historic Environment Scotland Act 2014, Historic Scotland merged with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) taking up its full statutory role and new name, Historic Environment Scotland, on 1 October 2015.
Not only did this bring together the care and management of historic properties and internationally significant collections, drawings, photographs, negatives, manuscripts and over 1.6 million aerial images of locations around the world, our new status as an NDPB gave us greater decision-making powers and allowed more transparency for the public to view the process of scheduling monuments, listing buildings, and scheduled monument consent. It also set an agenda to make our archives more accessible to all and to further develop our education programme.
In the past five years, HES has delivered a number of significant achievements, including:
- Awarded over £66 million in grants
- Trained over 150 modern apprenticeships
- Provided over half a million learning opportunities
- Opened the award-winning Engine Shed: Scotland’s first dedicated building conservation centre
- Developed a new historic environment policy for Scotland
In the video below, Jane Ryder, Chair of HES, reflects on these successes, and in what has been a challenging year for the historic environment sector as a whole, looks ahead to how HES will reimagine its role to contribute to Scotland’s recovery.