Community Wealth Building and Heritage Procurement Research Report

Overview

Conducted as part of a three-month internship at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), and funded by the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities, and supported by the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (SGSAH) in spring 2025, this research project focused on examining how institutional processes, sector constraints, and project-level decisions shape outcomes on the ground. 

Through detailed case study analysis on the reopening of the historic slate quarry on the Isle of Luing and a grant funded restoration project at Cromarty Harbour, together with a series of semi-structured interviews with staff across HES and external stakeholders, the report offered insight into how procurement within heritage-led regeneration projects can better support local wealth retention.

Author

Ewan Hearns

Ewan Hearns is a SGSAH-funded research intern and a PhD candidate at the University of Strathclyde