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16 November 2023

Learn to make your home more energy efficient

Scotland’s first dedicated building conservation centre, The Engine Shed, will open its doors this weekend for a free, family-friendly event in Stirling

A group of people being shown traditional skills by an expert

The Energy Efficiency Open Weekend will offer tips on retrofitting historic buildings to reduce their energy needs while maintaining the traditional materials and design that make the buildings so special. Visitors do not need to have any technical expertise or knowledge beyond an interest in making their homes or other buildings more energy efficient.

During the sessions, visitors will see first-hand how traditional skills and modern technology work together. They will have the opportunity to experience The Howff, a cutting-edge immersive experience, visit the Digital Imaging Lab, and see a giant 3D printer up close.

Experts will also be available to discuss learnings from common retrofitting techniques that have been used throughout Scotland and direct people to additional resources to further their knowledge.

Rachael Dorman, Programme Delivery Manager at Historic Environment Scotland, said:

"We always love bringing in members of the public to learn more about the work we do. Scotland’s built heritage is incredibly important, but we also need to be mindful of things that weren’t considered when these structures were built."

Retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient is also a key part of helping Scotland reach its net zero targets. This is a great opportunity for people to learn about how they can be a part of that.

The HES Technical Education and Training team will also be running an interactive craft zone to give visitors the opportunity to learn the basics of stonemasonry through soap carving and expand their architectural skills with construction games. Colouring pages and bee bomb making activities will be available for younger guests.

Sessions will run promptly from 10.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 3.30pm on both Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 November 2023. Advance booking is not required.

About the Engine Shed

The Engine Shed is our dedicated building conservation centre. Based in Stirling, the centre is a hub of digital innovation and heritage science home to specialist labs. Through events and training, the Engine Shed shares technical knowledge to support Scotland’s skills needs and to ensure built heritage can be explored, understood and looked after for future generations.

About Historic Environment Scotland (HES) 

  • We are the lead body for Scotland’s historic environment, a charity dedicated to the advancement of heritage, culture, education and environmental protection. It is at the forefront of researching and understanding the historic environment and addressing the impacts of climate change on its future, investigating and recording architectural and archaeological sites and landscapes across Scotland and caring for more than 300 properties of national importance. We are also the lead on delivering Scotland's strategy for the historic environment, Our Past, Our Future.
  • Historic Scotland, Scran, Canmore, The National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP), The Engine Shed, Stirling Castle, and Edinburgh Castle are sub-brands of HES.
  • View our press pack and keep up to date by registering to receive our media releases. Already registered? You can unsubscribe at any time by following the unsubscribe link, included in every email.

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