What is Historic Enviroment Scotland?

We are the lead body for Scotland’s historic environment, a charity dedicated to the advancement of heritage, culture, education and environmental protection. We want to make sure Scotland’s history and heritage is cherished, understood, shared and enjoyed with pride by everyone.

But it’s not just about the past. Protecting the places, artefacts, stories and memories that make Scottish history so rich, means they can be studied, enjoyed and learned from, for generations to come. Our history is never finished. It’s evolved over centuries, and it’s still being made, shaped, and conserved every single day.

Put simply, the historic environment is the physical evidence of past human activity. It connects people with traditions, stories and memories linked to those places. 

It could take the form of a stone circle or a prehistoric fort, a medieval castle or a stately home, an urban townscape or a battlefield. Or it could be an artefact or archive material, like photographs, drawings, books or maps.  

The historic environment is a combination of things we can touch and those we can’t. A building or object can often impress with its features alone, but they also tell us about the lives of those who lived in them or used them.

All of this contributes enormously to our sense of place and cultural identity, and inspires visitors to discover Scotland. It's proven to boost our wellbeing and the economy, supporting thousands of jobs in tourism and beyond. 

The historic environment is one of our most precious assets. Without it, Scotland wouldn’t be Scotland.  

We look after over 300 incredible historic places, including some of the country’s most iconic attractions. The visitor experience, interpretation and events at our sites are carefully curated as part of our mission to make Scotland’s heritage accessible to all and empower communities championing their local heritage.

Through learning and outreach, we help people of all ages and backgrounds connect with the past, through site visits, online resources or the range of books we publish.

We care for millions of items in our archives, collections and libraries. This could include intricate work to conserve a carved stone, or the digitisation of historic photographs.

We champion the knowledge, training and materials needed to ensure traditional skills like thatching or stonemasonry stay alive. Our far-reaching research is also contributing to efficient conservation and management of the historic environment in the future.

We’re entrusted with protecting and caring for monuments, buildings and landscapes spanning thousands of years of history, both above and below ground - and even underwater! 

To improve our understanding of them, we survey and record these important places. We have a role in applying legal protection to those which are nationally significant. We also ensure they are considered within the planning system, and we manage consent and permissions around making changes to them.

Our guidance and advice help those who live in, manage or work at historic places do so legally and responsibly. Meanwhile our grants programmes support projects that benefit our historic environment.

Our historic environment is particularly vulnerable to climate change. This is why climate action and sustainability underpin all the work we do, including supporting the retrofit of older buildings.

Our history is never finished. It’s evolved over centuries, and it’s still being made, shaped, and conserved every single day. Keeping our history alive is a big job, but it’s a job we love doing.

In 2024-25, our sites welcomed 4.7 million visitors, reflecting the enduring appeal and significance of Scotland’s heritage.

That work was made possible by the dedication of more than 1,800 staff and volunteers, whose expertise and passion help us protect and share Scotland’s story. We also safeguard millions of records, including archival documents, photographs, and digital assets, providing a rich resource for research and discovery.

Last year, we invested £14.5 million in our grants programme to support conservation, community projects, and regeneration schemes across Scotland. Our commercial activities generated over £72.5 million in annual income last year, helping to sustain our work and reinvest in the historic environment for future generations.