Historic Environment Scotland’s Statement of Public Task October 2024

Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) public task for the purposes of the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015 (the “Regulations”) comprises the principal activities for which it is responsible under the Historic Environment Scotland Act 2014 (“2014 Act”) and related legislation.

The full statute and related legislation can be found on HES’s website here, but in summary includes:

• investigating, caring for and promoting Scotland’s historic environment; and

• managing HES’s collections as a national resource for reference, study and research. HES’s public task also includes functions delegated to HES by Scottish Ministers relating to the management of the properties in care and the collections associated with the properties in care.

The properties in care are set out in the list of properties in care compiled and maintained by Scottish Ministers under Section 4 of the 2014 Act. HES’s delegated functions in respect of the properties in care, and associated collections, are set out fully in the Schemes of Delegation. In summary, they include:

• ensuring the care, protection and conservation of the properties in care and associated collections;

• safeguarding, articulating and promoting their cultural significance; 

• providing and facilitating public access; and

• managing the associated commercial operations. HES’s public task also includes functions that arise from objectives set by Scottish Ministers set out in its Framework Document and otherwise, including, for example, a requirement to optimise its income from all sources.

HES’s public task is also reflected in its strategic objectives, as set out in its Corporate Plan and its Annual Operating Plan. Any information produced by HES for the purpose of carrying out of its public task is produced at the outset for all purposes within HES’s public task.

The subsequent use of such information by HES for any of those purposes is use rather than re-use for the purpose of the Regulations, as long as it lies within HES’s public task. HES’s trading subsidiary Historic Environment Scotland Enterprises Limited (“HESe”) does not fall within the scope of the Regulations.

Where information is used by HESe in furtherance of HES’s public task, this will be considered to be use, rather than re-use, for the purpose of the Regulations. Similarly, where information is used by third parties in furtherance of HES’s public task, such as use by third parties to promote HES and the properties in care, this will be considered to be use, rather than re-use, for the purposes of the Regulations. Further details about the categories of HES’s information available for re-use and the terms on which they are available can be found below.

This statement will be reviewed regularly and is due to be considered again in 2025.

If you have any questions about this public task statement or if you cannot find what you are looking for, you can submit your queries to enquiries@hes.scot or by writing to: Historic Environment Scotland Longmore House Salisbury Place Edinburgh EH9 1SH

If your query relates to re-use of information, please provide the following information:

• Your name and address for correspondence (email or post)

• The information requested

•  The purpose for which the information is to be re-used If you have any complaint about HES’s compliance with the Regulations you can submit it using our complaints handling process.

The following table provides a summary of main categories of Historic Environment Scotland information which are available for re-use, and if appropriate the terms on which re-use may be allowed.

 Generally available for free re-use for some purposes:.

• low resolution images already available for download from HES websites 

• Published corporate documents (including policies, reports, corporate plans and strategies)

• Basic discovery metadata (e.g. catalogue entries, site descriptions)

• Spatial data (e.g. shape files, web map/feature services) – provided under an Open Government Licence (OGL)

• Other forms of content and metadata (e.g. administrative, geographical and description)

• Documents and information specifically produced for free and unrestricted public access

May be available for re-use (including commercial purposes): if so, a charge is usually made: 

• On demand low resolution images, for any purposes (i.e. those not already available for download from HES websites) 

• Low resolution images already available on HES websites (for commercial purposes) 

• High resolution images 

• Video/film clips and audio recordings

• 3D data

• Other forms of content and metadata (e.g. administrative, geographical, geospatial and description)

Information on fees and terms of use is available here:

1. Archives and Collections

2. 3D data page (once available)

3. HESe film footage page (once available)

4. HES photo library (once available)

Spatial data is defined in the INSPIRE (Scotland) Regulations 2009 as “any data with a direct or indirect reference to a specific location or geographical area”. For the avoidance of doubt this includes geospatial data, vector data and raster data.

Certain information is in principle not available for re-use:

• Information containing third party intellectual property.

•  Information to which any exemption from disclosure applies under information access legislation or other legislation.

•  Information consisting only of logos and branding.

•  Information which has not been identified as available for re-use.

• Information which has not already been ‘re-used’ as defined under the Regulations or to which any other exemption applies under the Regulations.

Note: this is a guide to information available for re-use and is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all information held by HES. Applications for re-use of other information may be approved on request. Please see above for details of how to contact us in order to request re-use.