Views sought on updated guidance for Scotland’s inventory of historic battlefields

Historic Environment Scotland is inviting members of the public to have their say on proposed changes to the selection guidance for designating Scotland’s historic battlefields.

This public consultation is now open until Tuesday 2 July.

The revision of HES’s designation selection guidance in relation to historic battlefields is the first of a series of actions the organisation will deliver in response to a 2022 report on how historic battlefields are managed within the Scottish planning system.

HES has now reviewed its selection guidance with the intention of making decision-making on inventory battlefields and the information contained within the records themselves as clear as possible.

Dara Parsons, Head of Designations at HES, said:

“The Inventory of Historic Battlefields provides information about nationally important battlefields to aid their understanding, protection and sustainable management.

“In updating our selection guidance, we want to be clearer on how we define boundaries of inventory battlefields, and what we include in the designation.

The inventory records are a key tool for informing planning and land use-management, and we have also looked at how we can make them clearer and more concise for that purpose.

“Engagement with stakeholders in the management of battlefields is an essential part of this review, and we would encourage anyone with an interest in historic battlefields to give their feedback on these proposed changes.”

The public consultation will be open until Tuesday 2 July and can be accessed on CitizenSpace.

HES maintains the Inventory of Historic Battlefields, which is a list of nationally important battlefields in Scotland.

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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Historic Environment Scotland Communications Office
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