Historic Environment Scotland
| Àrainneachd Eachdraidheil Alba | |
 | |
 Longmore House in Edinburgh, headquarters of Historic Environment Scotland | |
| Organisation overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1 October 2015 |
| Preceding agencies | |
| Type | Non-departmental public body |
| Jurisdiction | Scotland |
| Headquarters | Longmore House, Edinburgh |
| Employees | 1,500+ (incl. volunteers) |
| Minister responsible | |
| Organisation executives |
|
| Website | www |
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) (Scottish Gaelic: Àrainneachd Eachdraidheil Alba) is an executive non-departmental public body responsible for investigating, caring for and promoting Scotland's historic environment. HES was formed in 2015 from the merger of government agency Historic Scotland with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS). Among other duties, Historic Environment Scotland maintains more than 300 properties of national importance including Edinburgh Castle, Skara Brae and Fort George.
History
The responsibilities of HES were formerly split between Historic Scotland, a government agency responsible for properties of national importance, and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), which collected and managed records about Scotland's historic environment.[1] Under the terms of a Bill of the Scottish Parliament published on 3 March 2014,[2] the pair were dissolved and their functions transferred to Historic Environment Scotland, on 1 October 2015.[3]
Historic Environment Scotland is a non-departmental public body with charitable status, governed by a board of trustees appointed by the Scottish Ministers. The body is charged with implementing "Our Place in Time", Scotland's historic environment strategy, and has responsibility for buildings and monuments in state care, as well as national collections of manuscripts, drawings and photographs. Beyond these collections, Historic Environment Scotland provides funding and guidance for conservation works and education across Scotland.[4]
Canmore is an online database maintained by Historic Environment Scotland since 2015. Previously it was maintained by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The National Collection of Aerial Photography is also now a sub-brand of HES.[5]
See also
- List of Historic Environment Scotland properties
- Listed buildings in Scotland
- Scheduled monument
- Scottish Ten
- NatureScot
- National Trust for Scotland
- Who Built Scotland: A History of the Nation in Twenty-Five Buildings
- Organisations which play a similar role to HES in the other countries of the United Kingdom:
- Cadw and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
- Historic England and English Heritage
- The Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland (previously part of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency)
References
- ^ "A new lead public body for the historic environment" (PDF). Historic Environment Scotland.
- ^ "Historic Environment Scotland Bill". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
- ^ McKenzie, Steven (30 September 2015). "Monuments body RCAHMS produces final report ahead of merger". BBC News. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016.
- ^ "About Historic Environment Scotland". Historic Environment Scotland.
- ^ "National Collection of Aerial Photography". www.historicenvironment.scot. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- Historic Environment Scotland
- 2015 establishments in Scotland
- Architecture in Scotland
- Buildings and structures in Scotland
- Executive non-departmental public bodies of the Scottish Government
- Archives in Scotland
- Organisations based in Edinburgh
- National Collections of Scotland
- Government agencies established in 2015
- National archaeological organizations
- Research organisations in Scotland