Content reporting policy

1.1. What this Policy covers

This policy (“Policy”) sets out how you can report content on the website https://www.historicenvironment.scot (the “Website”) that you consider should not be made publicly available, and the process we follow in dealing with such reports.

1.2 Amendments to this Policy

We review and amend this Policy from time to time. Every time you use the Website, please check this Policy to ensure you understand the terms that apply at that time.

This Policy was last updated on 21 May 2026.

2.1 Who we are

Historic Environment Scotland is an executive non-departmental public body, incorporated and established under the Historic Environment Scotland Act 2014, being a registered charity (Scottish Charity number SC045925) and having our principal office at Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh, EH9 1SH.

2.2 What we do

We have a statutory obligation to preserve, develop and maintain a record of Scotland's historic environment. There is huge value in this historical record, and it is in the public interest that we allow access to as much archived information as possible. We need to consider our statutory obligation when considering whether to comply with a request to remove content. It is also in the interests of our organisation and in the public interest that we ensure images and materials we hold are preserved and made available for people to use. However, we are also committed to ensuring that material is archived and displayed lawfully.

In this Policy, “HES”, “we” and “us” means Historic Environment Scotland.

2.3 How to contact us

If you would like to contact us, please email or phone us as follows:

Email: digital@hes.scot

Telephone: 0131 668 8600

Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm and Friday, 9am to 4:30pm (except public holidays)

We aim to respond to emails in accordance with our service standards. Please see section 3.2 (Our Response) below.

3.1 Reporting Content

If you are concerned that you have found an image, document or material on the Website, whether uploaded by us or by another Website user, which either:

• infringes intellectual property rights;

• contains your personal data;

• is offensive, obscene or defamatory to you; or

• you consider to be illegal or harmful,

you can report this content by contacting us at the contact details above.

Please state in your correspondence, or in the subject line of your email, that it is a ‘Content Report’.

In order for us to handle your request, please include the following information:

• your name, email address or mailing address (if sending in the post);

• sufficient information (including the image, document or record reference, where applicable) for us to identify the relevant content;

• your connection to the content (e.g. as the intellectual property rights holder, a representative of the intellectual property rights holder, or as the person to whom the personal data relates);

• where contacting us in relation to intellectual property infringement, sufficient information to show the ownership of those rights; and

• the reason for your report.

3.2 Our response

We will acknowledge receipt of your email or correspondence and provide you with information on what will happen next. A member of staff will be assigned to carry out a review of the relevant content and to come to a decision about whether it is appropriate for the content to be available online. We aim to complete this review and decision-making as soon as possible after receiving your report. You will be informed of the decision and provided with an explanation of the outcome. If you have requested removal or alteration of your personal data then we will respond to your request within the statutory timescale of 30 calendar days.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may appeal the decision within 30 days of receipt of our decision via the HES complaints procedure. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, and it relates to your personal data, you may also raise this with the Information Commissioner's Office.

3.3 Public interest

As a general rule, images and material published on the Website by HES are considered to be in the public domain (subject to applicable copyright or other intellectual property rights), and HES archives such content in the public interest. HES removes such content from online public view only in exceptional circumstances and/or where it is legally required to do so. Note that any image or material that is removed from the Website may continue to remain accessible to the public, for example, on another HES website or in HES’s physical archives, depending on the circumstances. We will advise you of this if it is the case.

3.4 Re-instatement of content

Where material is removed, HES reserves the right to reinstate this content where it is legally allowed to do so. This may include obtaining the consent of the rights holder, or reinstating content when an intellectual property right expires or when data ceases to be personal data under UK data protection law.