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Talking About Heritage

Two people walk alongside an old stone wall talking and holding white mugs with the Talking about Heritage logo on them. In the background out of focus, there is what appears to be an old church.

We are having a national conversation with people across Scotland about heritage.

What do you talk about when you talk about heritage? It may be your local park. Your favourite view. The venue where you saw the best gig you've ever been to. The ruined castle you visited as a child. The place you picture when you think of home. Heritage makes our communities special.

From August 2025 to February 2026 we held a national conversation about heritage. We spoke to over 6,000 people across Scotland about what heritage matters to them and how it should be looked after. People joined the conversation in many ways - from in-person events across the country, to online webinars exploring some of the most important factors affecting heritage, to a national survey, and a social media campaign.

We are capturing these conversations in an engagement report which will be published soon.

Our guidance

Discover ways to explore, share and celebrate Scotland's heritage
Read the Talking About Heritage guide
It is an sunny, early autumn day in Edinburgh's Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery, and a group of people are walking through the grounds looks at some of the stonework.
A black and white image of a castle with a man in uniform looking over a river to it.

Talking About Heritage Conversations

6,328 people took part in our programme of activities between September 2025 and February 2026. Find out what they had to say.
Read the engagement report

What’s Your Heritage?

Between 2016 and 2017, 2,000 people spoke to us as part of Scotland's Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.
Read the 2017 report
Older man, wearing glasses and a blue button up shirt and tie, stands behind a bar holding out a pie with a flag in it that reads 'What's your heritage'.

Propose a place for surveying

Part of remit is to survey and record the nature and extent of Scotland's historic sites. One way you can celebrate your local heritage is by proposing a site for us to look at, or suggested an update to our existing records.

Find out more about this work