We Asked, You Said, We Did

From 7 December 2023 to 23 February 2024, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on a proposal to list Bell’s Sports Centre in Perth. 

Bell’s Sports Centre, opened in 1968, is one of Scotland’s earliest purpose-built, indoor sports centres. The domed sports hall has special architectural and historic interest as an exceptional surviving example of a new building type that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Designed to accommodate a range of sporting courts and community activities, the building reflects the increase in leisure time and the importance placed on health and well-being for wider public benefit during this period. It is the only domed sports facility in Scotland, and it is the second example of a domed sports hall to be built in the United Kingdom.   

Through Citizen Space, we invited members of the public to tell us if they agreed with the proposed designation and if they had further comments to make. 

We consulted directly with Perth and Kinross Council as the planning authority and owner of the site, and the tenants of the building. 

Our selection guidance for designation and the policies we work to are published in the Designations Policy and Selection Guidance document.  

We received a total of 40 responses to consultation, including one response from the local authority, one response from an interested party and 38 responses to our online survey.  

The overwhelming majority of people who responded expressed strong support for the designation. No one raised issues that brought into question the cultural significance of the site for designation. However, many of the comments noted the flood risk at the site and the perceived impact listing may have on the future use of the building.  

We have reported in more detail on the consultation in our Report on Handling, which can be downloaded from the Heritage Portal or from the bottom of this page. 

Comments from the online survey are published in full (where we have appropriate permissions). The report can be downloaded from the bottom of this page. 

After considering the comments received during consultation, we have 

• Listed the structure at category B as Sports arena block, including dome, changing rooms and offices at Bell’s Sports Centre, excluding all other structures and buildings, Hay Street, Perth  

We have published a Report on Handling for this case on the Heritage Portal. This can also be downloaded at the bottom of this page. 

PDF Files: 

• Report of Handling - Decision 

• Online Consultation Survey Report - Bell's Sports Centre 

From 29 January to 19 February 2024, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on a proposal to include Crawick Multiverse on the Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes.

As the largest and final completed land art project by Charles Jencks in the UK, the site is an important representation of his work, drawing on his earlier works, and a lifetime of postmodern critical enquiry into the nature and meaning of art, architecture and culture.

Through Citizen Space, we invited members of the public to tell us if they agreed with the proposed designation and if they had further comments to make.

We consulted directly with Dumfries and Galloway Council as the planning authority, Crawick Multiverse Board of Trustees, Buccleuch Estates and other interested parties – The 20^th Century Society, Docomomo and Scotland’s Garden and Landscape Heritage.

Our selection guidance for designation and the policies we work to are published in the Designations Policy and Selection Guidance document. 

We received 4 responses from those we consulted with directly. We received no responses to our online survey.

No one raised issues that brought into question the cultural significance of the site for designation.

We have reported in more detail on the consultation in our Report on Handling, which can be downloaded from the Heritage Portal.

After considering the comments received during consultation, we have

• Added the site to the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscape as Crawick Multiverse

We have published a Report on Handling for this case on the Heritage Portal

From 21 November 2023 to 9 February 2024, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on a proposal to list Livingston ‘Livi’ Skatepark.

The skatepark is one of a handful of surviving skateparks from the late 1970s – early 1980s in the UK. It has architectural interest for its pioneering design and the innovative approach of its architect, Iain Urquhart. Retaining its public park setting, the skatepark is an important survival of public enterprise architecture by Livingston Development Corporation and has social historical interest as an icon of the Scottish skate and bike scene. 

Through Citizen Space, we invited members of the public to tell us if they agreed with the proposed designation and if they had further comments to make.

We consulted directly with West Lothian Council as the planning authority.

This consultation followed on from an earlier engagement exercise in April-May 2023 in which we received 557 responses to our online survey asking for comments and information to help inform our assessment of the skatepark (Share your views on Livi Skatepark).

Our selection guidance for designation and the policies we work to are published in the Designations Policy and Selection Guidance document. 

We received a total of 184 responses including one written response from the Local Authority and 183 responses to our online survey.

The overwhelming majority of people who responded expressed strong support for the designation. No one raised issues that brought into question the cultural significance of the site for designation.

We have reported in more detail on the consultation in our Report on Handling, which can be downloaded from the Heritage Portal or from the bottom of this page.

Comments from the online survey are published in full (where we have appropriate permissions).

All of the relevant reports can be downloaded from the bottom of this page.

After considering the comments received during consultation, we have

• Listed the structure at category B as Livingston 'Livi' Skatepark, Almondside, Livingston (LB52626)

We have published a Report on Handling for this case at Heritage Portal. This can also be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

From 30 November 2023 to 21 December 2023, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on a proposal to list the former Cumbernauld Cottage Theatre.

Built in the 1700s as part of the Cumbernauld House estate, this row of cottages was adapted for use as a community theatre in 1962. The building has special architectural interest as an example of 18th century estate workers' cottages. It has historical interest for its pioneering role as a theatre within the developing identity of Cumbernauld New Town during its formative years and beyond. 

Through Citizen Space, we invited members of the public to tell us if they agreed with the proposed designation and if they had further comments to make.

We consulted directly with North Lanarkshire Council as the planning authority and owner of the site, and another interested party.

Our selection guidance for designation and the policies we work to are published in the Designations Policy and Selection Guidance document. 

We received a total of 306 responses, including two responses from the Local Authority and 14 other written responses. We received 290 responses to our online survey.

The overwhelming majority of people who responded expressed strong support for the designation. No one raised issues that brought into question the cultural significance of these sites for designation. Many of the comments provided further information about the social historical interest of this site.

We have reported in more detail on the consultation in our Report on Handling, which can be downloaded from the Heritage Portal or from the bottom of this page.

Comments from the online survey are published in full (where we have appropriate permissions). The report can be downloaded from the bottom of this page.

After considering the comments received during consultation, we have

• Listed the building at category C as Former Cumbernauld Cottage Theatre (single-storey cottage row) excluding all later additions to rear, Braehead Road, Cumbernauld http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB52631

We have published a Report on Handling for this case at Heritage Portal. This can also be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

From 12 September to 17 October 2023, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on our proposal to designate Tollcross Fire Station in Edinburgh as a category B listed building.  

The building was constructed in 1986 as the as the central control unit for the Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service. It was designed by the Department of Architectural Services at Lothian Regional Council and is a notable example of public-sector architecture in Scotland from the 1980s.

Tollcross is an exceptional example of a fire station for its late-20th century date and incorporates an unusual, curved drill tower to the rear. Its striking design is both highly functional and artistic, taking elements of traditional Scottish architecture and re-interpreting them in a playful way. It is an early and important example of Postmodern architecture in Scotland.

We received two responses to the consultation, one in favour of the listing and one against. The respondents provided the following comments:

The Twentieth Century Society noted that they were strongly in support of the proposed listing as the building is “…an excellent and significant exemplar of early post-modernist expression in Scotland.” They made further comments supporting the special architectural and historic interest of the building and provided more information about the artist responsible for the relief sculpture.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (the owners) objected to the listing proposal as they had concerns that the consents that listing may incur could compromise or delay necessary changes to the building for operational purposes. They also included individual reactions from station personnel. Two noted they were in favour of listing, and one noted they were not.

We considered the responses carefully and further considered the special interest of the building.  

We have now listed Tollcross Fire Station in Edinburgh as a category B listed building. The listed building record is available on our Heritage Portal, where the final Report of Handling is also available.  

Our historic environment is always changing. Listing does not prevent change, but it does allow for a structure’s special character to be taken into account when changes are proposed.  

From 25 July 2023 to 5 September 2023, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on a proposal to list the Piper Alpha Memorial in Hazlehead Park, Aberdeen and to add the Memorial Garden to the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes.

These sites commemorate those killed in the Piper Alpha Disaster of 1988. Our assessment indicated that the memorial and garden are of national importance for designation. The garden is strongly valued as a public site of memory and for its artistic and other experiential qualities. The memorial is an unusual example of a late 20^th century commemorative monument that adopts the style of earlier figurative war memorials. Both sites relate to a historic event of international significance.  

Through Citizen Space, we invited members of the public to tell us if they agreed with the proposed designations and if they had further comments to make. We also asked for views on the proposed designation name of the garden because our research showed there are different understandings of its name.

We consulted directly with the Local Authority as owners of the site and other interested parties, including those who had previously given us their views.

Our selection guidance for designation and the policies we work to are published in the Designations Policy and Selection Guidance document. 

We received a total of 27 responses: One from the Local Authority, two from interested parties and 24 from private individuals via the online survey.

The overwhelming majority of people who responded expressed strong support for the designations. Noone raised issues that brought into question the cultural significance of these sites for designation. Many of the comments provided further evidence for the values of these sites.

We have reported in more detail on the consultation in our Report on Handling, which can be downloaded from the Heritage Portal or from the bottom of this page.

Comments from the online survey are published in full (where we have appropriate permissions). The report can be downloaded from the bottom of this page.

After considering the comments received during consultation, we have

• Listed the Piper Alpha Memorial at category B http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB52621
• Added the Memorial Garden to the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/GDL00412

The designation name of the garden is ‘Piper Alpha Memorial Garden/North Sea Memorial Rose Garden’.  We acknowledge that this will not be satisfactory to all. The designation name has no bearing on determining the official name of the garden or what people choose to call it. The name is solely for the purpose of identifying the designation. We would be happy to consider any updates to the designation name in the future on receipt of any new information.

We have published a Report on Handling for this case at Heritage Portal. This can also be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

We have published two new records in the National Record of the Historic Environment

Aberdeen, Hazlehead Park, North Sea Memorial Rose Garden | Canmore

Aberdeen, Hazlehead Park, Piper Alpha Memorial | Canmore

From 11 April to 18 May 2023, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) asked for comments and information on Livingston ‘Livi’ Skatepark to help inform our assessment of the skatepark for listing.

A building may become listed if it is of special architectural and historic interest. Our selection guidance for designation and the policies we work to are published in the Designations Policy and Selection Guidance document. 

This is the first time we have been asked to list a skatepark, and we were keen to hear from people who know and use Livi Skatepark, and/or have a view on its design, history and significance. 

We are delighted to have received 557 responses to our online survey.

We will now work to analyse these responses, together with the feedback we received when we visited the skatepark in April.

Our next steps will be to compile a report on our findings, which we will publish online. If we consider that the skatepark meets the criteria for listing, we will consult with West Lothian Council as the owners and local authority before making a decision.

Skateboard Scotland, the official governing body for skateboarding, helped to shape this survey. Where we have consent from participants, we will forward responses to them for their interest.

From 20 April to 11 May 2023, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on our proposal to designate the remnant of the Gulliver Sculpture in Edinburgh at category C.  

The left foot of the Gulliver Sculpture is among the last remains of an enormous concrete human figure play sculpture, conceived and completed between 1976 and 1978 for the Craigmillar Festival Society. Gulliver was largely demolished in 2011. It is an important example of community-led public art in Scotland and a rare surviving marker of the work of the influential grass-roots regeneration initiative known as the Craigmillar Festival Society (1962-2002). 

We received no responses to the Citizen Space consultation.  

Following direct consultation to interested parties, we received comments from The Twentieth Century Society and Docomomo Scotland. Both were in favour of listing.

The Twentieth Century Society noted their previous application to list, and made the following points:

• The Craigmillar Festival Society was one of the most significant community-led regeneration schemes of its time.
• Designed by Jimmy Boyle, later a sculptor and author, Gulliver was constructed under the Festival’s job creation scheme.
• It has both historic and cultural significance as a physical symbol of this important period of community action.
• Despite its denuded state, the sculpture still retains its significance as testament of the importance of the community in Craigmillar, and as a result is of national importance.
• Retention will help to tell the story of the sculpture from a widely used play structure to a neglected, and then almost lost, monument.

Docomomo Scotland commented that the remnant of the sculpture was ‘A rare reminder of the Craigmillar Festival Society and its work.’

The local authority had no substantive comments. They noted no issues regarding the proposed listing from a planning perspective, and no relevant development proposals affecting the site.

We have now listed the remnant of the sculpture at category C. The listed building records are available on our Heritage Portal, where the final Report of Handling is also available.     

Our historic environment is always changing. Listing does not prevent change, but it does allow for a structure’s special character to be taken into account when changes are proposed.  

From 19 December 2022 to 13 March 2023, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) asked for your views on draft guidance on fire and historic buildings. The guidance is an update and refresh to the existing Managing Change guidance note called Fire Safety Management.

The draft Fire and Historic Buildings guidance set out the principles and specific issues that are relevant to fire and historic buildings. It looks at understanding your building and cultural significance, identifying risks, safety measures and responses to damage.

We asked to hear your thoughts and ideas about the proposed content of this guidance and your feedback on any part of it. We particularly asked for your views on the key messages and considerations to guide decision-making. We also asked for suggestions for possible case studies relating to fire safety or works after a fire has taken place.

We received 9 responses of which 5 completed the set survey questions.

The key points from the comments received were:

• 80% agreed with the scope and approach of the guidance.
• The key messages were either agreed or strongly agreed with by participants.
• The guidance should refer to the climate and nature crises and the historic environment’s role in a just transition to net zero throughout.
• The guidance should make it clear that it applies to all buildings with cultural significance, not just historic buildings.
• The guidance should give more information about the risks that historic buildings can experience from fire, including when they are not in use or undergoing refurbishment.
• Some of the detailed advice on some methods of fire suppression should be checked for accuracy.
• The guidance should highlight the need for historic environment expertise when risk assessments or works are undertaken.
• The scope of document could be confusing – some responses suggested splitting into one publication on fire safety and separate document for fire damage.
• We should look at our timescales for publication, in light of other reviews and guidance being underway.
• Welcome signposting to other sources of guidance and policy reference. Suggested this should be done more, including adding specific references from National Planning Framework 4.
• We should prioritise case studies on emergency plans and fire risk assessment.

You can now review the final version of Managing Change: Fire and Historic Buildings on our website.

The key changes that were made post consultation include:

• Made minor edits to key messages, reflecting advice on specific wording.
• Added one new key message (key message 9) which refers to circular economy and just transition to net zero. Made specific reference to this throughout the document, including references to policies in NPF4 and a further information box on other values of historic buildings.
• Added a further information note on how we’re using the term historic buildings – and explaining that we think that the approach set out in the guidance could apply to any building with cultural significance. We have kept the reference to historic buildings as they can experience particular risks from fire.
• Revised one of the key messages in the document to draw out why historic buildings can experience higher levels of fire risk. We will also explore possible case studies for this topic.
• Reviewed and made minor changes to further information boxes for suppression methods – sprinkler systems and doors.
• Highlighted the need for specific expertise working with historic buildings in further information on consents and permissions.
• Decided to keep the current scope of the document as a single publication covering fire safety and fire damage – this reflects the scope of the previous Managing Change guidance note on this topic. We have signposted the scope of the guidance more clearly in the introduction and through design.
• Decided to publish this now rather than wait for uncertain timescales of review and other guidance publications. We do not expect these to alter the messages in this document. We will make minor updates to links and references as and when necessary, but this should not delay publication.
• Added more signposting to other documents and guidance. We have added a further information box on National Planning Framework 4, and added specific policy references throughout the document.
• Started to identify priority areas for case studies, including looking for example cases for emergency plans and fire risk assessment.

From 9 February to 2 March 2023, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on our proposal to designate Stobs Camp and associated sites as scheduled monuments.

The sites are nationally important monuments that were found to meet our criteria for designation. Stobs Camp is a site that makes a significant contribution to our understanding or appreciation of the military heritage of Scotland, in particular the history of early 20th century military training and First World War internment and imprisonment.

Further details can be accessed on our Heritage Portal: Stobs Camp - Portal.

We received 87 responses which contributed to our knowledge of the monument and also provided insight into how the Camp and associated sites are valued.

An overwhelming majority of the responses were in favour of designating Stobs Camp as a scheduled monument. The following table is a brief summary of the survey results, with focus on the key three questions related to our assessment of the site using the selection guidance for scheduled monuments to decide whether the sites were of national importance.

We received additional comments, the overwhelming majority were supportive of the proposal and recognising the importance of the Camp. The Report on Handling on our Heritage Portal (linked above) provides the responses where a query was raised, along with our answers and information. Some comments from respondents did not raise a query but offered their insight and opinion. Some of these comments include:

•  "The site is not only of national but also of international significance; possibly the best preserved WWI POW camp in the world."
• "Have visited the site and feel it is an important reminder of history of the area."
•  "Stobs is unique as a record of Scotland’s contribution to two world wars. It has a completeness that needs to be preserved and more widely shared."
• "Comprehensive and accurate account of Stobs Camp."
• "The site is of huge historic significance. Many thousands of troops trained here and they also contributed to the economy of Hawick."
• "It should be scheduled because of its historical significance and state  of preservation."
• "The report shows how the remains of the camp make Stobs a rare survival among military sites."
• "I was impressed at the work already done to investigate and preserve.  I feel that scheduling the site will help to consolidate the (largely) voluntary effort already undertaken on the ground."
• "The camp is of great importance to descendants of internees." 

After considering the comments received during the consultation, we have now scheduled Stobs Camp and associated sites as nationally important monuments.

Download the Report of Handling from our Heritage Portal: Stobs Camp - Designation. 

Between 28 Nov 2022 and 20 Feb 2023, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on a draft of a new strategy for Scotland’s historic environment.

Scotland’s first historic environment strategy, Our Place in Time (OPiT) was published in 2014. Recognising so much has change since its release, in February 2022, the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, commissioned HES to conduct a review and refresh of OPiT.

The new strategy was to prioritise activity that supports economic recovery and renewal, focuses on creating a more resilient and sustainable historic environment, and helps to communicate the contribution that the historic environment makes to the makes to the nation’s economy, wellbeing, and net zero ambitions.

The draft we consulted on was the product of months of engagement with people and organisations across Scotland. In total, 18 workshops and events were delivered between June-September 2022, attended by 191 organisations and 649 participants.

Through the public consultation we wanted your help to test and improve the draft strategy, using the consultation period as an opportunity to listen to your views. We have used your feedback, and your knowledge and insight of Scotland’s historic environment, to help shape the final version.

In addition to the consultation being hosted online, HES and Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) organised 8 events in January-February 2023. These were attended by 147 participants who provided a wealth of feedback.  We also worked with other partners to engage young people, ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities, via bespoke surveys and workshops. The consultation was also promoted via social media and articles in national and local press.

We had 137 written responses to the public consultation, received either via our online portal Citizen Space or via emailed responses. An external company was commissioned to undertake consultation analysis and provide a detailed report on findings. Their analysis report has been published along with the other assessments we needed to carry out, Our Past, Our Future – Consultation Reports.

Overall, there was majority support for the mission, principles, and priorities with over two thirds of respondents signalling support, rising to more than three-quarters supporting particular principles and priorities.

Some expressed a preference for the mission statement to focus on protecting, safeguarding, and valuing the historic environment. A minority of respondents thought the mission statement was too vague or that its meaning was unclear; for example, there were some objections to the phrase ‘harness the power’ or the use of ‘our’ or ‘our society’.

Of the six principles set out, all were supported by around two in three or more respondents. The most supported was ‘we must care for, and protect, our heritage assets’ (90% of respondents); the least supported was ‘we must be prepared to make difficult decisions’ (68%).

Of the three priorities outlined, 69% or more respondents supported all three. The most supported priority was ‘Empowering vibrant, resilient, and inclusive communities and places’, by 80% of respondents.

The draft KPIs and Actions received the most suggestions for change and addition and required the most revision.

While respondents were generally positive about the draft strategy, their responses identified a few areas where some improvements could be made in the final draft: 

• There was wide identification of a need to revisit aspects of language and consistency of application, including the use of ‘you, us, we, our’ and the split between ‘nationally’ and ‘locally’.

• Several respondents expressed a wish to make better connection to some elements of the first OPiT, particularly in relation to themes around ‘care and protect’

• Suggestions by some that the built environment was over-represented in the draft and calls for more reference to be made to various sub-sectors or elements of historic environment e.g., archaeology, undesignated assets, landscapes

• Calls to better foreground skills and the sector workforce, including volunteers

• Concerns expressed by some in terms of deliverability, funding, and resourcing, especially the potential ask of Local Government and smaller local organisations in the context of the legacy impacts of COVID, the cost of living crisis, and squeeze on public finances

• Identification of a need to consider how to tackle perception of this strategy being a Scottish Government and/or Historic Environment Scotland (HES) strategy rather than a national one for the sector. Some stakeholders noting also that the sector strategy has lacked visibility and should have an improved web presence that is clearly distinct from HES’s branding.

Title 

We have given the new strategy a new name, Our Past, Our Future: The Strategy for Scotland’s Historic Environment, to distinguish it from its predecessor. 

General

We have added ‘sustain and enhance’ to the mission statement and removed ‘harness the power’, this is to better reflect the ‘care and protect’ values found in OPiT. We have changed the wording around benefit recipients from ‘our society’ to ‘people and communities’ as this was felt to resonate with people on a more personal level.  We have included reference to these benefits being felt now and into the future – this aligns with the sentiment of the original OPiT that some respondents wanted to maintain. We also have also increased the emphasis on sustainable behaviours.

About this strategy

We expanded this section to include more reference to the day-to-day work of the sector, and to make it clear that activities fundamental to understanding, caring for and promoting the sector will not – and should not – stop over the life of the strategy.

We reworked elements of this section to better define who the ‘we’ the strategy refers to is, and what this means for how people use the document.  

Scotland’s historic environment

We included a stronger articulation of what the historic environment is, and what the definition covers. The core definition has not changed from the previous strategy. This section also sketches some of the ways in which people value the historic environment and re-emphasises that the strategy does not list every single element of it, or every way that people relate to or work with it. 

Principles

We have made changes to several of the principles, based on feedback: 

• We have reworded the ‘we must care for our heritage assets’ principle to state that ‘we must protect and promote our historic environment’.   

• We have combined two principles that both touched on decision-making and reworded the strapline away from ‘difficult decisions’ to ‘good decisions’.   

• We have added a new principle on workforce to foreground skills and equalities more overtly as cross-cutting themes.   

• We have made minor additions to the principle on people, to include homeowners as a core stakeholder group, and to foreground the need to eliminate discrimination in our work. 

Our Priorities

We have changed ‘enabling the transition to net zero’ to ‘delivering the transition to net zero’, to emphasise the urgency of action under this priority.

We have revised the ‘responsibility for delivery’ sub-section to reflect updates to how the actions are pitched, and to reinforce points made elsewhere that the strategy should be seen as for everyone, with everyone having a role to play.

KPIs have become outcomes to better reflect the multiple ways that the historic environment contributes to other policy areas and priorities.  Only one – children and young people – has substantively altered in response to feedback to make this broader, and now talks about diversity and inclusion more widely.

We have moved away from the ‘nationally we will, locally you can’ formulation as some feedback suggested this was divisive, as well as missing the regional level. We have adapted the actions so that they now sit under each priority theme, rather than under each outcome within the priority. The actions have been slimmed down and left relatively high-level.

Measuring Success 

This section has been extensively revised, and sources for evidencing success have been identified under each priority. Learning from our experience of reporting on OPiT, and listening to feedback from respondents, we have proposed that a performance framework that measures success using mix of national statistics, sector reporting through strategy delivery groups, and use of diverse range of case studies. We will make reporting more dynamic, highlighting progress and sharing new data as it becomes available.  

Summary

After making a number of changes based on consultation feedback, Scotland’s new historic environment strategy, Our Past, Our Future is to be launched in Summer 2023. 

We are very grateful for the time invested by respondents and workshop contributors in sharing their ideas, views and feedback.

From 22 September 2022 to 30 November 2022, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on our proposal to designate the former munition works at Eastriggs as a scheduled monument and listed building.

Our assessment of the site’s cultural significance concluded that it meets the criteria for designation and as such is a nationally important monument. The former munition works at Eastriggs makes a significant contribution to our understanding or appreciation of the military heritage of Scotland, in particular as a nationally significant munitions factory that produced the propellent cordite during the First World War. Further details can be accessed on our Heritage Portal.

We received 100 responses to the consultation: one from the Local Authority, one from the owner’s agents, 94 from private individuals via our Citizen Space survey, and 4 from private individuals via our consultation mailbox.  

You can see what people said by downloading the summary report available on these pages.

The comments we received have contributed to our knowledge of the monument and also provided insight into how the factory is valued. The significant majority of the responses recognised the importance of the factory and its remains. The significant majority were in favour of designating the former munition works at Eastriggs as a scheduled monument. 

In summary, 98% of respondents to the Citizen Space survey suggested that the Eastriggs site and the surviving elements of the factory are an important part of our heritage, with 96% either agreeing/strongly agreeing that it should be given heritage recognition and protection and 96% agreement with our proposals to designate the site, including the balance of listing and scheduling in our proposal. A further breakdown of the results follows:

Respondent location and identity:

• The significant majority (95%) replied as individuals
• Half (50%) of the respondents are based in Scotland
• Approximately one fifth of the respondents are based within 10km of the site

Cultural significance:

• The significant majority (98%) think that the surviving elements of the factory are important elements of our heritage

Heritage protection and recognition:

• The significant majority (96%) support heritage protection and recognition
• A small minority (2%) strongly disagree with heritage recognition and protection
• The significant majority (96%) agree with our proposal to designate the site
• A small minority (2%) strongly disagree with our proposal to designate the site

The significant majority (96%) agree that the combination of Scheduling and Listing will recognise the site’s cultural significance. A minority (4%) do not think this.

After considering the comments received during the consultation, we have made a change to the listed building proposal before taking the decision to designate elements of the former munition works at Eastriggs as a listed building and as a scheduled monument.

The Report on Handling on our Heritage Portal sets out our decision.

We invited views on a report we commissioned from Lichfields UK: Battlefields Planning Best Practice. The report concerns the inventory of historic battlefields.

The Lichfields Report is available on the HES website.

We received 29 responses to our request for feedback, covering the conclusion of the Lichfields Report and its recommendations. Thank you to everyone who responded.

You can see what people said by downloading the summary report (see below).

We have considered the Lichfields Report and analysed the feedback we received to arrive at a series of actions we intend to take in relation to our role for compiling the inventory, and some onward recommendations for the wider sector.

You can read about this in our Response. 

Some of the actions will be led by HES, while others will be for the consideration of planning stakeholders and the Scottish Government. 

Actions that HES will take forward include a review of battlefields selection guidance to clarify how boundaries are defined and what aspects are included in the designation. HES will then commence a prioritised review of individual sites on the inventory. These reviews will involve public consultation. 

HES will also revise the format of inventory records to ensure these can be used effectively for the purpose of informing management of the surviving battlefield landscape through the planning system. Managing Change guidance for historic battlefields will also be updated to reflect lessons learned over the last decade. 

We have published an item on our news centre about this work. 

From 27 September to 18 October 2022, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on our proposal to designate buildings at Ardbeg Distillery at category A and C.  

Ardbeg Distillery was registered as a legal commercial distillery in 1815 but was known to be in production from the late 18th century – early historical whisky records indicate spirit was being illicitly produced at Ardbeg from 1798. Some of the buildings at the distillery date from 1815 with later 19th century additions and expansion. 

Ardbeg Distillery is a very early surviving example of a whisky distillery in Scotland with its core buildings amongst the five oldest surviving examples in the country. The level of survival of its original distillery buildings is rare within the building type. This site is remarkable because it has been in almost continuous use since the early 19th century.

We received no responses to the Citizens Space consultation.  

The proposer and local authority had no substantive comments. The owner raised a query regarding potential future Listed Building Consent and the planning process once Listed. An online meeting was held between HES, the owner and the local authority and all parties were content with no further issues raised.

We have now listed the buildings at category A and C. The listed building records are available on our Heritage Portal (LB52611 and LB52613), where the final Report of Handling (LB52611 and LB52613) is also available.     

Our historic environment is always changing. Listing does not prevent change, but it does allow for a structure’s special character to be taken into account when changes are proposed.  

From 9 to 30 August 2022, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on our proposal to designate land at St Michael’s Knowe, Coldingham, Scottish Borders and surrounding area as a scheduled monument.

We were interested to find out what information you had about the site and also to gather views about some or all of the site being designated as a scheduled monument.

We received nine responses, which contributed to our knowledge of the area and also provided insight into how the site is valued.

Most of the responses were in favour of designating the land at St Michael's Knowe as a scheduled monument. Our questions focussed on your relationship to the site, any knowledge you may have that was useful and which areas you felt should be scheduled. Eight out of the nine responded that they felt all the areas outlined in the consultation should be scheduled.

We received additional comments, most supportive of the proposal and recognising the importance of the site. Some comments from respondents include:

"I'm delighted that the area around Coldingham Priory and St Michael's Knowe is under consideration for listing as a scheduled monument."

"The area is of major historical significance and requires further archaeological investigation. Any developments prior to this would be extremely detrimental."

We had a single negative comment: 

"Will it make any difference to the usual train of nonsense and waste as every other designated site other than the ones HES charge to get in to?"

We note the negative comment above. We schedule to recognise our most significant sites and monuments. This provides for the protection and preservation of the cultural significance of scheduled monuments through a series of consents, compliance, enforcement and monitoring procedures managed by us. Being a scheduled monument does not confer any right of public access.

After considering the comments received during the consultation, we will now take forward a designation assessment. We will use the information supplied to inform our designation assessment for St Michael's Knowe and the surrounding area. Once this assessment has been completed, we will consult on our proposed decision. 

From 22 June to 13 July 2022, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on our proposal to designate the harbour in Brora as a category C listed building.  

Brora Harbour was built in 1813-14 to import and export raw materials and finished products relating to the local coal mining, salt-panning, fishing and brickwork industries in Brora. 

We received no responses to consultation.  

We have now listed Brora Harbour as a category C listed building. The listed building record is available on our Heritage Portal, where the final Report of Handling is also available.  

Our historic environment is always changing. Listing does not prevent change, but it does allow for a structure’s special character to be taken into account when changes are proposed.  

From 8 June to 29 July 2022, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on our proposal to designate the former Chivas Brothers Headquarters Building in Paisley as a category C listed building.  

The building was constructed in 1962-64 as the headquarters of the Chivas Brothers company, one of the world’s leading producers of high-quality blended Scotch whisky.

It was designed to look like an authentic old Scottish country house, and this reflected the brand image that the company marketed to the world. The historicist style and high-quality neo-classical detailing is rare for a building of this date, and the building has remained largely unchanged since it was constructed.

We received 32 responses to the consultation, 28 of which were in favour of the listing. The vast majority of comments stated that they would like to see the building retained and incorporated into the design for the new Paisley Grammar School.

The four objections, which included one from Renfrewshire Council, were mainly concerned that the additional costs and consents that listing may incur, could jeopardise its future reuse. The Council queried the special interest of the building, with the exception of the main façade. There were also some concerns about maintenance costs, safety issues and the potential impact on the completion of the new school. One response noted they were against listing the building, as it would celebrate a company that abandoned the town.

We considered the responses carefully and we have discussed the proposed designation further with Renfrewshire Council. After further consideration of the special interest of the building, we have excluded the interior from the listing.  

We have now listed the former Chivas Brothers Headquarters Building in Paisley as a category C listed building, excluding the interior. The listed building record is available on our Heritage Portal, where the final Report of Handling is also available.  

Our historic environment is always changing. Listing does not prevent change, but it does allow for a structure’s special character to be taken into account when changes are proposed.  

From 7 June to 28 June 2022, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on our proposal to designate the Palacerigg Visitor Centre as a category B listed building.   

The Visitor Centre at the Palacerigg Country Park, Cumbernauld contains a mural in the foyer by Alasdair Gray (1934⁠–⁠2019). Alasdair Gray painted the mural in 1974 having been commissioned by naturalist and Director of the Country Park, David Stephen. The theme of the mural is natural and human ecology, and it shows Scottish wildlife in an idealised countryside scene.  

Glasgow-born artist and writer Alasdair Gray is a cultural figure of national importance. Best known for his 1981 novel Lanark, he studied design and mural painting at Glasgow School of Art and was commissioned to paint murals in and around Glasgow from the 1950s until the 2010s. The mural at Palacerigg Visitor Centre is amongst the earlier surviving examples of his visual art. 

We received 40 responses to the consultation, all of which were in favour of the listing.  

The majority of responses commented on Gray’s significance as an artist, author and poet and wished to see the mural protected. Many responses noted that other Gray murals had been lost and that this highlighted the increasing rarity and vulnerability of Gray’s surviving murals. Some responses emphasised the significance of the mural work as reflection of the pioneering work of naturalist, Palacerigg Country Park Warden and commissioner of the work, David Stephen. 

We received a number of responses which included personal reflections of visits to Palacerigg Country Park where the mural in the Visitor Centre was admired and appreciated. We also received some responses from individuals who knew or had met Alasdair Gray and recalled aspects of his personality and working style. 

One response raised concerns about the application of the listing to the entire Palacerigg Visitor Centre building and how this might impact future works to the building. 

We considered the responses carefully and we have discussed the proposed designation further with North Lanarkshire Council. We clarified that the listing of the wider Palacerigg Visitor Centre building is intended to protect the mural which is embedded in the fabric of the building. 

We have now listed the Palacerigg Visitor Centre in Cumbernauld as a category B listed building. The listed building record is available on our Heritage Portal, where the final  Report of Handling is also available.   

Our historic environment is always changing. Listing does not prevent change, but it does allow for a structure’s special character to be taken into account when changes are proposed.   

From 12 May to 12 June 2022, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) asked people about the potential special architectural or historic interest of the 1960s Cumbernauld Town Centre. 

Built 1963-72, the building in the town centre was designed as a ‘megastructure’ – a single structure with a range of different uses – and included shops, offices, civic buildings, a bus station, hotel and apartments. At the time of its construction, it won recognition as an outstanding example of town centre planning and modern innovation. 

In more recent years, the building has divided opinion and has been altered extensively. Now there is a proposal to regenerate the site currently occupied by the megastructure to provide a multi-purpose town hub and other community and commercial developments. 

We launched a public consultation because we were asked by a member of the public to consider designating the 1960s Cumbernauld Town Centre as a listed building. We did this to help to inform our listing assessment.  

Following the initial consultation period, we also considered detailed responses from the owners of the Town Centre and North Lanarkshire Council who are currently planning to acquire and regenerate the site.

We were delighted to have over 2,000 responses to our consultation. We were very pleased to hear from local residents with over three quarters of respondents noting they were from Cumbernauld. We also heard from key stakeholders who are responsible for the management and future development of the Town Centre. 

The responses included views about the special architectural and historic interest of the Town Centre and you also told us about how you valued the site and whether you think it should be recognised and protected in the future. You also told us about your aspirations for the redevelopment of the town centre. 

While many of the responses we received provided detailed evidence and arguments for and against designation, only a small number engaged directly with the criteria of special architectural or historic interest, the principal factors for listing.  The responses were largely focused on condition and future use as well as the experience of the place both past and present, which for some was negative and others was positive.  Over three quarters of the responses to our consultation were against listing. 

The level of engagement was very positive reflecting the interest in the discussion about listing but also in suggestions made about how to recognise the history of the place as part of any proposals for change. 

We have published a summary report on the consultation which was compiled for us by an independent company. This report shows a range of opinions on the proposal both for and against listing. It also includes a full transcript of all the responses submitted to us where the respondents agreed to publication. 

The response from the majority owner note how much the Town Centre has changed since it was first constructed. In their response, North Lanarkshire Council provided information on the nature and progress of their regeneration proposals. We have published these reports at the links below.  

We have considered the case for listing and have found Phases One and Two of the Town Centre meet the criteria of special architectural or historic interest. This is because the building is an early exemplar of its building type, known internationally as an icon of post-war megastructural design theory. We note that the structure and the plan form of the original phases are largely intact despite later additions and alterations.  

But while we have found the building to be of special interest in listing terms, we have also decided not to proceed with listing at this time. This is because of our policy which takes into account the individual circumstances of development proposals affecting the site. 

We have published an account of our decision-making in our Report of Handling. This report includes a detailed assessment against the selection guidance for listing.

From 10 May to 31 May 2022, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on our proposal to designate the Library and Arbuthnot Museum in Peterhead as a category C listed building.

The library and museum building is constructed in pink Peterhead granite and is architecturally well-detailed. Built between 1891 and 1893 and designed in the ‘Free Renaissance’ style, it includes oriel windows, curvilinear gables and a prominent corner tower with a domed and finialled roof. It is one of the earliest Carnegie public libraries in Scotland (and the world) and its plan form is indicative of early public library design. Further details can be accessed on our Heritage Portal.

We received one response to consultation which confirmed the building is not subject to any active planning applications. No objections were raised to the proposed listing of the building.

After considering the comments received during the consultation, we have now listed the Library and Arbuthnot Museum as a category C listed building. The listed building record is available on our Heritage Portal, where the final Report of Handling is also available.

Our historic environment is always changing. Listing does not prevent change, but it does allow for a structure’s special character to be taken into account when changes are proposed.