1. These Terms
1.1 What these terms cover. These are the terms and conditions applicable to members of Historic Scotland. Historic Scotland membership is a consumer product and cannot be used for commercial purposes. For those interested in visiting our sites for commercial purposes, please see our Travel Trade page.
1.2 Why you should read them. Please read these terms carefully before you submit an application for membership to us. These terms tell you who we are, how you and we may change or end the contract, details of how to purchase membership through our website www.historicenvironment.scot (“Website”), what to do if there is a problem and other important information regarding membership. If you think that there is a mistake in these terms, please contact us to discuss.
You can apply for membership at www.historicenvironment.scot/membership
Read our "frequently asked questions" www.historicenvironment.scot/member-faqs
2. Information about us and how to contact us
2.1 Who we are. Historic Scotland is a brand of Historic Environment Scotland. We are Historic Environment Scotland, 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 its principal office at Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh, EH9 1SH. Our registered VAT number is GB 221 8680 15.
2.2 In these terms, “HES”, “us” and “we” means Historic Environment Scotland.
2.3 How to contact us. You can contact HES by contacting our Membership Team at 0131 668 8999, emailing members@hes.scot or writing to:
The Membership Team
Historic Environment Scotland
Longmore House
Salisbury Place
Edinburgh
EH9 1SH
Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4.30pm. Our office is closed on weekends and public holidays.
2.4 How we may contact you. If we have to contact you, we will do so by telephone or by writing to you at the email address or postal address you provided to us in your application for membership.
2.5 “Writing” includes emails. When we use the words “writing” or “written” in these terms, this includes emails.
2.6 Complaints. If you have any questions or complaints relating to Historic Scotland membership please contact us. You can telephone our Membership Team at 0131 668 8999, emailing members@hes.scot. Our Complaints Handling Procedure explains what you can expect from us.
3. Changes to these terms and membership benefits
3.1 We reserve the right to change these terms and conditions and the benefits of membership at any time and without prior notice. Changes will be notified in your quarterly magazine.
3.2 We may also make changes to the categories of membership available from time to time. You are responsible for ensuring that you have selected the most appropriate membership category at any given time.
4. Membership Benefits and Categories
4.1. Subject to these terms and conditions, members will receive various benefits including:
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Free entry to Historic Scotland properties (see the Visit A Place section of our website).
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Free entry to Edinburgh, Stirling and Urquhart castles (see the Visit A Place section of our website).
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Free entry to Historic Scotland daytime events.
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Exclusive member only events programme.
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Discounted entry to English Heritage, Cadw and Manx National Heritage sites. Half price in first year of membership, free when you renew.
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Discounted entry to Palace of Holyroodhouse (walk-up visits only) and Dumfries House. Valid membership cards are required for discounts to be applied. Life member guest allowances do not apply at these sites.
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Quarterly members' magazine.
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Member exclusive collectible cards; "The History Hunt" (see details below).
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20% retail discount in Historic Scotland shops at certain attractions and our online shop. The discount does not apply to alcohol, stamps, discounted items, promotions, and single-use bags. The discount does not apply at Calanais, Dundonald Castle, Skaill House, Torphichen Preceptory or The Whithorn Story.
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10% discount in all Historic Scotland cafés. Discount does not apply at Calanais, Dundonald Castle or The Whithorn Story. Some of our smaller cafés may not accept credit/debit cards. Call before visiting.
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Audio guide discounts - 20% discount at Edinburgh and Stirling Castles, Glasgow Cathedral and the Orkney Digital Guide.
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Free Official Guided Tour of Edinburgh Castle for Historic Scotland members. Availability is limited on tours and all visitors must pre-book in advance of arrival.
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Digital Membership Card available via the Historic Scotland App.
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20% discount on new annual Historic Scotland gift membership purchases.
4.2 Life Membership
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Each life member is entitled to free entry for themselves and for 2 adult guests or up to 6 accompanying children (aged 7-15 years), or a combination of 1 adult guest and up to 3 accompanying children at our sites.
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Life members are entitled to free entry to English Heritage, Cadw and Manx National Heritage sites immediately on joining.
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Life members’ guest allowance to English Heritage and Cadw sites is 1 adult or 6 children. At Manx National Heritage sites the guest allowance is for up to 6 children only.
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Life membership is not available for those aged 15 and under.
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Life membership is not available to be paid for by Direct Debit.
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Life membership is only valid for the member named on the membership card.
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Life membership is not transferable.
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For Historic Scotland annual members who wish to upgrade to life membership, a discount is available.
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The 20% discount for existing members purchasing membership as a gift is only available for annual membership categories
4.3 Concession Category
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For joint memberships only one person needs to fit the concession criteria to qualify for the 2 concessions category.
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Concession category is available to the following: over 65s, full time students, a person in receipt of UK state benefit and Serving Members of the British Armed Forces. State benefit includes: Universal Credit (formerly Job Seekers Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Income Support, Employment & Support Allowance). It does not include Child Tax Credits or Working Tax credits.
4.4 Gift Membership
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For gifts of membership all membership terms and conditions apply.
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Only available by credit or debit card. Not available by Direct Debit.
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Gifts will be sent to the recipient of the gift and can include your own personal message.
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Gifts are not available to purchase at our properties and they must be purchased online or by phone.
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An email confirmation of purchase will be sent to the donor of the gift. Gift membership cannot be used until membership cards are received. If you purchase a Gift Membership, you warrant to us that you have the consent of the member to provide the member’s personal data to HES for the purposes of registering the membership and administering the membership benefits.
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Existing members of Historic Scotland are entitled to a 20% discount on all new annual memberships purchased as a gift.
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Member 20% discount is not available on Life or Renewal membership categories.
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Christmas Gifts of membership purchased prior to December will be given an expiry date of December the following year and will be posted out to the recipient from the end of November.
4.5 'The History Hunt' Collectible Cards
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Only one card per member will be given out at each site.
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Members must show their Membership Card and be present to collect their card.
5. Membership Renewal
Members have up to 6 months after their expiry date to renew membership and continue to receive renewal benefits and prices. After 6 months, members will have to rejoin as a new member and pay first year prices and receive first year benefits.
6. Membership Card
6.1 A valid membership card must be shown on entry at staffed properties and at the till before making any purchases.
6.2 You may be asked for proof of identification for entrance.
6.3 If a valid membership card is not shown at the point of purchase for entry or retail discounts, you will be charged the full price which is non-refundable.
6.4 For joint memberships, each adult member must show their card for entry and other benefits.
6.5 For categories including children, each card admits one adult/concession plus up to 6 children in your family group aged 7-15 years.
6.6 Cards are only valid for the member named on the card.
6.7 Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
6.8 Digital membership card is subject to the same terms and conditions as the physical membership card.
7. Direct Debit
7.1 If you choose to pay via Direct Debit a Direct Debit payment schedule will be sent to notify you of collection dates.
7.2 Direct Debit is for UK bank account holders only.
7.3 Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit instructions for some types of account.
7.4 Membership is an annual subscription which can be paid for in monthly instalments via Direct Debit. If a monthly Direct Debit is cancelled before the expiry date of the membership, the outstanding balance for the membership will be due to be paid in full.
7.5 The Direct Debit guarantee is in place to protect customers and is attached to the payment schedule letter. Please keep this for future reference.
7.6 Direct Debit is not available for Life Membership categories or Gifts of Memberships.
8. Gift Aid
8.1 Gift Aid can only be claimed where Historic Scotland Membership has received a valid Gift Aid Declaration.
8.2 You must inform the Membership Team of any changes in your tax status, if your name/address changes or if you wish to cancel the declaration.
8.3 To be eligible for Gift Aid you must be a UK taxpayer and to have paid an amount of UK income tax or capital gains tax that is equal to any tax we would reclaim on your membership/donation.
8.4 Gift Aid Declarations are valid until you notify us that you no longer wish us to claim Gift Aid on your membership/donation.
9. Member Get Member
9.1 Member Get Member is a member referral scheme. The Member Get Member discount is for new annual membership only. Not available for renewals or Life memberships.
9.2 Member Get Member discount is available at certain sites (see paragraph 9.5 for those sites where the discount is not available), over the phone or via web promotional code given.
9.3 At site, new members can secure the Member Get Member discount if existing member is there and presents a valid membership card.
9.4 Over the phone, a valid name and membership number must be given to access the discount.
9.5 Member Get Member discount is not available at Calanais, Dundonald Castle, Skaill House, Torphichen Preceptory or The Whithorn Story.
9.6 Member Get Member discount not available in conjunction with any other offer.
10. Visiting Our Sites
10.1 Entry to our sites is only permitted during ordinary opening hours. Please note, some sites may have seasonal opening hours or temporary visitor access restrictions. Please note that our sites can close at short notice and opening times are subject to change. Closures are notified on the closures page of our website. Booking in advance is essential to guarantee entry at some of our busiest attractions, or those with limited capacities. To find out which sites are open and where you need to prebook, visit historyawaits.scot.
10.2 We reserve the right to refuse entry to any of our sites or events where we reasonably believe your admittance (or admitting any of your party) could endanger another visitor or our staff or you (or any of your party) intend to perform a commercial activity (such as commercial filming) you are not permitted to do. In any of these events, we may refuse entry to you or your party and/or withdraw your Historic Scotland membership. Please see our Managing Access to Properties in Care document and our Unacceptable Actions Policy for more information on our policies for general behaviour at our sites and unacceptable actions towards our staff.
11. Car Parking
11.1 Car parking is free to customers at most sites for the length of their visit.
11.2 Parking is not available at Edinburgh Castle.
11.3 Disabled parking is available for drivers with a Blue Disabled Badge at Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle. Contact the site prior to your visit for details.
11.4 Car parking at Stirling Castle is discounted for members and available for a maximum of 4 hours, on a first come first served basis. Check the Stirling Castle page for up-to-date information regarding parking.
11.5 Car parking charges are in place at Holyrood Park’s Broad Pavement Car Park and Melrose Abbey, where ticketing is administered by the Council. Members are not exempt from this charge.
12. Pricing for Membership
12.1 Where to find the price. The price of the membership products (which includes VAT) will be the price indicated on the Website when you placed your order. Prices may change at any time prior to acceptance of your order.
12.2 Incorrect prices. We take all reasonable care to ensure that the price of membership products advised to you is correct. However, it is always possible that, despite our best efforts, some of the membership products we sell may be incorrectly priced. If we accept and process your order where a pricing error is obvious and unmistakeable and could reasonably have been recognised by you as a mispricing, we may end the contract, refund you any sums you have paid and require the return of any membership products provided to you.
12.3 Overseas orders. As we are a UK organisation, all charges shown on the Website or provided to you in an estimate are in Pounds (£) Sterling. If you are placing an order from overseas, your card issuer may convert the charge into your local currency.
12.4 We will pass on changes in the rate of VAT. If the rate of VAT changes between your order date and the date we supply the membership products we will adjust the rate of VAT that you pay, unless you have already paid for the membership products in full before the change in the rate of VAT takes effect.
13. Our contract with you
13.1 When you apply for membership online or over the phone, you will be guided through the process of placing an order by a series of simple instructions.
13.2 To complete the ordering process, you will be required to make a credit or debit card payment or set up the Direct Debit for the membership(s) you wish to purchase. Payment can be made by any of the methods specified in the payment section of our Website and payment will be debited and cleared from your account at the time of order.
13.3 All credit/debit cardholders are subject to validation checks and authorisation by the card issuer. If the issuer of your payment card refuses to or does not, for any reason, authorise payment to us, we will not be liable for any delay or non-delivery. By using a credit/debit card to pay for your order, you confirm that the card being used is yours or that you have the necessary permission to use it.
13.4 You will be deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions when you submit your order.
13.5 Our acceptance of your application remains subject to approval of it by us. Once a decision has been reached, we will either confirm that your application has been accepted and send you an order confirmation detailing the membership(s) you have ordered, at which point a contract will be formed between us, or notify you that we cannot accept your application.
13. Our contract with you
13.1 When you apply for membership online or over the phone, you will be guided through the process of placing an order by a series of simple instructions.
13.2 To complete the ordering process, you will be required to make a credit or debit card payment or set up the Direct Debit for the membership(s) you wish to purchase. Payment can be made by any of the methods specified in the payment section of our Website and payment will be debited and cleared from your account at the time of order.
14. Delivery
14.1 For online orders, we aim to post the membership pack and card no later than 6 working days after the order was placed, unless otherwise contacted by the Membership Team.
14.2 For joint memberships, all membership information will be sent to one address.
15. Our right to refuse an application
15.1 For online orders, we aim to post the membership pack and card no later than 6 working days after the order was placed, unless otherwise contacted by the Membership Team.
15.1.1 Our inability to obtain authorisation for your payment;
15.1.2 Technical errors;
15.1.3 You not meeting the eligibility criteria set out in the Registration section below or the eligibility criteria for any of the membership categories.
16. Our right to refuse an application
16.1 You may be asked to register to purchase membership products from our Website. You must ensure that the details provided by you on registration or at any time are true, correct and complete in all respects.
16.2 When registering or placing an order, you must stipulate a bona fide delivery address. You agree not to impersonate any other person or entity or to use a false name or a name that you are not authorised to use. You must inform us immediately of any changes to your personal information by updating this as and when necessary.
17. Our right to refuse an application
17.1 If you wish to exercise your right to cancel a contract, prior to despatch of your membership pack and card, contact our Membership Team at 0131 668 8999 or by email members@hes.scot to cancel your order. If your order has already been dispatched please follow the procedure set out in our "Returns" policy below.
17.2 For Historic Scotland membership purchases online, you are entitled to cancel this contract prior to receiving your membership pack and card. Any refunds requested after this point will be at the discretion of the Historic Scotland Membership Team. This does not affect your statutory rights under Scots Law.
18. Our right to refuse an application
18.1 If your membership pack and card have already been dispatched and you wish to cancel your order, the membership pack and card must be returned to us within 14 days of the date of dispatch before any refund will be considered. Your membership pack and card should be returned to 'The Membership Team, Historic Environment Scotland, Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh, EH9 1SH'. If your order is not received by us within 14 days of its dispatch date a partial refund may be given, this is at the sole discretion of Historic Environment Scotland.
18.2 On cancellation of your membership for any other reason, you must return any your membership pack and card to us within 14 days from the date of cancellation.
18.3 Membership rights and benefits shall cease on the death but no refund shall be made.
19. Our right to refuse an application
Subject to any statutory right to cancel or any other provision of these terms, your membership fee is non-refundable. Historic Environment Scotland is a registered charity (SC045925). As such, your membership subscription is seen as a donation. Charities are not permitted to refund donations, other than in specific circumstances, therefore we are unable to offer refunds on membership.
20. Our right to refuse an application
We may end the contract with you and revoke your membership (without financial compensation) if you breach any of these terms.
21. Our Liability
21.1 Events outside our control. We shall not be liable to you if we are unable to perform any of our obligations under these terms and conditions due to any event or circumstance beyond our reasonable control.
21.2 We are responsible to you for foreseeable loss and damage caused by us. If we fail to comply with these terms, we are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breaking this contract or our failing to use reasonable care and skill, but we are not responsible for any loss or damage that is not foreseeable. Loss or damage is foreseeable if either it is obvious that it will happen or if, at the time the contract was made, both we and you knew it might happen, for example, if you discussed it with us during the sales process
21.3 We do not exclude or limit in any way our liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so. This includes liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or the negligence of our employees, agents or subcontractors; for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; for breach of your legal rights in relation your order.
21.4 We are not liable for business losses. We only offer membership for your personal use. If you use your membership for any commercial, trade, business, craft or profession our total liability to you for all losses arising under or in connection with any contract between us, whether in contract, delict (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, shall be limited to what you have paid for the annual Membership fee.
22. Our Liability
When you apply for membership it will be necessary for us to obtain certain personal information from you. We will only use your personal information as set out in our Privacy Notice.
23. Our Liability
23.1 We may transfer this agreement to someone else. We may transfer our rights and obligations under these terms to another organisation. We will always tell you in writing if this happens and we will ensure that the transfer will not affect your rights under the contract.
23.2 You need our consent to transfer your rights to someone else. You may only transfer your rights or your obligations under these terms to another person if we agree to this in writing.
23.3 Nobody else has any rights under this contract. This contract is between you and us. No other person shall have any rights to enforce any of its terms. Neither of us will need to get the agreement of any other person in order to end the contract or make any changes to these terms. . This contract is between you and us. No other person shall have any rights to enforce any of its terms. Neither of us will need to get the agreement of any other person in order to end the contract or make any changes to these terms.
23.4 If a court finds part of this contract illegal, the rest will continue in force. Each of the paragraphs of these terms operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them are unlawful, the remaining paragraphs will remain in full force and effect. . Each of the paragraphs of these terms operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them are unlawful, the remaining paragraphs will remain in full force and effect.
23.5 Even if we delay in enforcing this contract, we can still enforce it later. If we do not insist immediately that you do anything you are required to do under these terms, or if we delay in taking steps against you in respect of your breaking this contract, that will not mean that you do not have to do those things and it will not prevent us taking steps against you at a later date.
23.6 Which laws apply to this contract and where you may bring legal proceedings. These terms are governed by Scots law and you can bring legal proceedings in respect of this contract in the Scottish courts. If you live in England or Wales you can bring legal proceedings in respect of this contract in either the Scottish or the English and Welsh courts. If you live in Northern Ireland you can bring legal proceedings in respect of this contract in either the Northern Irish or the Scottish courts. If you do not live in the UK you may be entitled to bring legal proceedings in respect of this contract in your local courts.