Historic battlefields

An inventory historic battlefield is a Protected Historic Place designated by Historic Environment Scotland as a nationally important battlefield – the landscape where a historic battle has taken place.   

Battlefields are on a list known as the ‘Inventory of Historic Battlefields.’ The system exists to protect what is important about our most significant battlefields by ensuring they are considered in decisions about change. Designation of historic battlefields began in 2011, and the Inventory is updated as knowledge and understanding of what survives and its importance changes.  

Each historic battlefield has its own designation record. The record includes information about the location of the site and its extent, including a map. Each record provides the reasons why a site is nationally important and provides information on the battle and the associated landscape.

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for the Inventory of Historic Battlefields, including adding, reviewing and removing sites. We make decisions about what should be on the Inventory using our Designation Policy and Selection Guidance.  

Anyone can ask us to consider a site for designation as a historic battlefield, or update or review an existing designation.

The designations process and how to make a request

Designation of a site as a historic battlefield recognises its cultural significance at a national level. For the purposes of designation, battlefields are legally defined as:

• an area of land over which a battle was fought; or 

• an area of land on which any significant activities relating to a battle occurred (whether or not the battle was fought over that area). 

There are 40 battlefields on the Inventory in Scotland.  

They range from the first battle of Dunbar in 1296 in East Lothian through to Culloden in the Highlands, where the final pitched battle in Britain took place in 1746. 

Battlefields are important for what they can tell us about the course of the battle, and the physical remains and artefacts they may contain. Battlefields are also places of remembrance and important cultural landscapes. 

Historic Environment Scotland has no role in the day-to-day running and maintenance of Inventory battlefields.  

The Inventory does not affect land ownership – a historic battlefield remains the property of its owner(s). Owners of historic battlefields have no duty to maintain or improve management of their sites. 

Inventory battlefields are a factor in the planning system. Planning decisions must consider how development might affect Inventory sites. You can read more about that on our Planning Pages.

Enquiries about development proposals, such as those requiring planning permission, on or around inventory sites should be made to the planning authority. The planning authority is the main point of contact for all applications of this type. 

You may also need other consents if your plans involve a listed building and/or a scheduled monument within the designed landscape.

Read more about consents and permissions

You can search for inventory battlefields on trove.scot, a platform which brings together the collections held by Historic Environment Scotland. 

For more information on designation decisions relating to Protected Historic Places search the Historic Environment Portal.

Go to trove.scot

Go to the Historic Environment Portal