Advice and Support

Monument Management Fund

Funding for scheduled and undesignated sites.

An oblique aerial view of a whaling station, and is designated as a scheduled monument

An oblique aerial view of Bunavoneader Whaling Station. Designated as a scheduled monument, the site has received support from the Monument Management Fund to support ongoing maintenance of upstanding features.

  1. Overview
  2. Programme criteria
  3. What we can fund
  4. How to apply
  5. If you are awarded a grant
  6. Resources

1 Overview

The following pages include a summary of our Monument Management Fund (MMF) programme. More detailed information about the programme can be found in the main programme guidance. 

The purpose of the MMF is to provide small-scale direct funding to landowners and managers of scheduled monuments for positive management works which a) improve the condition of the monument or b) reduce the risks it faces.

Condition and risk of scheduled monuments are measured on a nationally agreed scale and the monument management fund targets sites where improvements can be made. We typically offer support in the region of £100-£3,000.

Many of the grants are identified through our casework, including through the Field Officer monitoring programme. However, the fund is also open to owners and managers of sites to apply directly to HES for consideration.

Our MMF programme can support a wide range of projects which clearly relate to and will benefit scheduled monuments and other sites. To be eligible, all projects will need to:

  • clearly relate to a designated scheduled monument or similar site
  • offer good value for money
  • be able to demonstrate that they are deliverable; and
  • have not yet started

Depending on the type of historic environment asset your project relates to, there may be additional eligibility criteria to be met. Please check the programme criteria section and the main programme guidance for more detailed information.

While the programme is open to all people and organisations to apply, it is our expectation that the applicant will have a direct connection to the management and maintenance of the site. Private owners or commercial organisations who manage sites are welcome to apply.

2 Programme criteria

The grant is primarily aimed at the management of scheduled monuments although in exceptional circumstances can sometimes offer funding towards other designated and undesignated sites.

The funded project must demonstrate a benefit in improving the condition of the site and/or in reducing the risk that it faces.

Although the distribution of funds relates to the applications that come forward, it is our aim that we demonstrate benefit across Scotland’s 32 local authority areas.

3 What we can fund

The MMF programme is a discretionary fund and available funds are limited. This means that we may not be able to support all the projects that apply for support. We aim to direct our funds at the sites that would most benefit and where our limited funds would generate the greatest impact. This may mean that sites which face a greater risk will likely be given priority.

The types of projects that we typically fund include:

  • Vegetation control such as removal of trees that threaten either upstanding structures or below-ground archaeology, or the removal of invasive gorse or bracken.
  • Urgent or emergency consolidation of masonry.
  • Replacement of warning signs that are required to reduce likelihood of damage or unauthorised works at a scheduled monument or other protected site.
  • Inspection survey reports from a conservation-accredited architect or engineer.
  • Installation of stock or rabbit fences where this would address a clearly identified issue relating to the condition of the site.
  • Conservation and repair of carved stones.
  • Information on what we have funded in previous financial years can be found in the programme resources section.

We cannot fund:

  • Projects that do not directly relate to the management or maintenance of the site. We would recommend consideration of other HES Grants for funding support of these types of projects.
  • Works undertaken by the owner or manager themselves unless demonstrated that they undertake works of this type on a commercial basis and can demonstrate value for money (i.e. through seeking competitive quotes).
  • Works that have already been undertaken (i.e. retrospective funding).

Note that many of the above works if carried out within the designated area of a scheduled monument may require a separate application for scheduled monument consent (SMC). Your case officer would offer advice about this. Any offer made where SMC is required would make clear this requirement in the offer letter and would highlight that SMC must be obtained before the works are carried out.

4 How to apply

Please download the application form and complete all required sections.  

Monument Management Fund Application Form

Once you have completed the form, please save it to your computer/device and send it to hmenquiries@hes.scot.

After submitting your application form, a case officer will be assigned to your case. They will contact you to discuss your project and the likelihood of receiving funding support.

5 If you are awarded a grant

If taken forward, you will need to provide quotes for the proposed works from a relevant contractor. If the works are costed at less than £1,000, a single quote for the works will be sufficient, unless it is considered that the works quoted are not appropriate or do not offer good value for money. In these instances, your case officer may ask that you source a further quote.

For works of £1,000 or above, it is expected that three quotes will be sought. In strictly limited circumstances fewer quotes may be accepted but it must be demonstrated that at least three quotes were sought (but where one or more contractor/s did not supply a quote), or where it can be demonstrated that there are not sufficient contractors available for the works. In these circumstances, your case officer would provide additional advice, and your application will be paused whilst we seek approval to proceed.

Once we have agreed to support your application, an offer letter will be sent to you. Only once this letter has been received and accepted by you in writing is the grant confirmed. We would then forward your details to our Finance colleagues who will set you up on our payment system and issue with a purchase order (which will be for reference purposes only).

Once the works are complete, you would liaise with your case officer who would either undertake a site visit to inspect the works, or review documents such as reports or photographs of the works. Once they are content that the works have been completed to their satisfaction, we would release payment to you.

Note that in in most cases, the contractual arrangement for the works would remain between the applicant and their contractor. The MMF programme operates on a compensatory basis, where we compensate owners or managers for expenditure that they outlay in the process of undertaken the supported works. This means that the funds would be released to you and you would arrange payment to your chosen contractor. In most circumstances, it is anticipated that our grant payment would reach you within usual commercial payment term period, however this would depend on the payment terms agreed with your contractor. There may be circumstances where your contractor expects payment to be made by you before we are able to pay the MMF grant - i.e. if we are unable to gather sufficient evidence to confirm completion in time to allow prompt payment. 

Guide for recipients of an MMF

6 Resources

Monument Management Fund resources: 

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