Flag flying at our sites
Where possible, we follow the Scottish Government Flag Flying Guidance for Properties in Care and our offices with flagpoles.
We care for more than 300 historic sites across the country. Around 35 of these Properties in Care have flagpoles.
Wherever possible, we follow the Scottish Government’s flag flying guidance at these sites, as well as at our offices with flagpoles, such as Longmore House in Edinburgh. Which flag is flown depends on how many flagpoles a site has.
In some situations, we may not be able to follow the flag flying guidance. This can include:
unstaffed sites with flagpoles, such as Abernethy Round Tower and St Andrews West Port
occasions when the appropriate flag is not available
unexpected circumstances, including extreme weather or essential repair work to flagpoles
Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and Fort George, as military flag flying stations, fly the Union flag on an ongoing basis. Most of the flagpoles at Edinburgh Castle are the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence, while Stirling Castle is the Head Quarters of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
Most of our sites only have one flagpole. Dirleton Castle, Dumbarton Castle, Linlithgow Palace, St Andrews Castle, St Andrews Cathedral and Urquhart Castle have two. Stirling Castle has six and Edinburgh Castle has ten.
- Aberdour Castle and Gardens
- Abernethy Round Tower
- Arbroath Abbey
- Blackness Castle
- Brough of Birsay
- Caerlaverock Castle
- Cardoness Castle
- Castle Campbell
- Dirleton Castle
- Doune Castle
- Dryburgh Abbey
- Dumbarton Castle
- Dundonald Castle
- Edinburgh Castle
- Edzell Castle and Garden
- Elcho Castle
- Fort George
- Hackness Battery and Martello Tower
- Huntingtower Castle
- Inchcolm Abbey
- Jedburgh Abbey
- Kisimul Castle
- Linlithgow Palace
- Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum
- Melrose Abbey
- Newark Castle
- Rothesay Castle
- Smailholm Tower
- Spynie Palace
- St Andrews Castle
- St Andrews Cathedral
- St Andrews, West Port
- Stirling Castle
- Sweetheart Abbey
- Tantallon Castle
- Threave Castle
- Urquhart Castle
More about site management
View allHow we manage Properties in Care
We look after over 300 of Scotland's most important historic places on behalf of Scottish Ministers. Read an overview of our management of Properties in Care and the associated legislation.
Our Ranger Service
Welcoming school trips, leading nature walks, getting to grips with geology and dallying in folklore is all in a day's work for our Rangers.
Bereavement services
Find guidance on ash scattering and personal memorials within our Properties in Care, as well as processes for sites which contain burial grounds.
How we manage Holyrood Park
Information on our approach to managing Holyrood Park.
