Gardens and designed landscapes

Gardens and designed landscapes are Protected Historic Places designated by Historic Environment Scotland as nationally important gardens and landscapes laid out for artistic effect.

Gardens and designed landscapes are on a list known as the ‘Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes’. The system exists to protect our most significant gardens and designed landscapes, so they can be passed to future generations to enjoy and understand. 

Designation of gardens and designed landscapes began in 1987, and the inventory is updated as our knowledge and understanding of what survives and its importance changes.  

Each garden and/or designed landscape 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 describes its history and main components.  

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes, 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 on the inventory of gardens and designed landscapes, or to update or review an existing inventory site.

The designations process and how to make a request

Designation of a site on the Inventory recognises its cultural significance at a national level. For the purposes of designation, gardens and designed landscapes are legally defined as “grounds which have been laid out for artistic effect and, in appropriate cases, include references to any buildings, land, or water on, adjacent, or contiguous to such grounds”. 

The number of Inventory sites changes as we add or remove sites. There are currently around 370 sites on the Inventory. 

The most common type of site on the Inventory is the country estate landscape – the policies (enclosed gardens and grounds) associated with an important house or castle, developed by landowners for both pleasure and productive purposes. Other types of sites on the Inventory are botanic garden collections, urban public parks, horticulturalist's gardens, golf courses and cemeteries. 

The Inventory does not affect land ownership – a garden or designed landscape remains the property of its owner(s). Owners of gardens and designed landscapes have no duty to maintain or improve management of their sites, though we do encourage this. 

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

Inventory gardens and designed landscapes are a factor in the planning system. Planning decisions must consider how development might affect Inventory sites. 

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.

Find out more about consents and permissions

You can search for gardens and designed landscapes 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