Reports on Heritage Designation Strategy

Overview

Heritage designation is a key function of Historic Environment Scotland (HES), forming the basis for decision-making in planning, property maintenance, and archaeological investigations.

How a place is designated impacts owners, developers, local authorities and communities.

The strategic review allowed us to reflect on what we do and to consider whether the current approach is the right one and fit for the future at a time of significant change.

Our review gathered baseline information on designation coverage and the variable quality of our records, identifying challenges and opportunities.

Partnering with MainStreet consultants, we engaged with around 100 external heritage and planning stakeholders across Scotland.  

These initiatives have provided a solid evidence base to develop our strategy.