A report on what heritage means to Scots has been published today (Tuesday 20 June) by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and reveals which of Scotland’s places, buildings and monuments should be recognised and celebrated.
The results of the What’s Your Heritage? project also gathered information on the public’s thoughts about what level of changes are appropriate for Scotland’s buildings and sites.
In the first phase of this project, 2,000 people across all of Scotland’s 32 local authorities took part in the survey that ran between November 2016 and March 2017. Key findings include:
- 95% believe that Scotland should look after its heritage with 89% wanting to see Scotland’s heritage celebrated.
- 78% of those surveyed believe that some change should be allowed to historic sites, 8% would prefer no change at all and 6% would like a lot of change.
- 70% of people would like to have a say in how HES decides what becomes listed or designated.
This feedback will form part of a wider process which will help to formulate historic environment policies which reflect the broader views of people living in Scotland in relation to protecting and celebrating historic sites now and in the future.
Barbara Cummins, Director of Heritage at HES, said
“As an organisation we wanted to involve the public and hear what’s important to them. The survey and workshop responses will feed into our review of our historic environment policies.
“I am delighted with the enormous amount of passion and interest in our first ever public campaign of this kind and I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone that took part.”
As part of the campaign, HES ran workshops open to everyone across the country to give people a chance to participate in conversations in their area and share thoughts about their heritage. 200 people took part in the workshops which were held at 12 locations across the country.
Participants shared their thoughts on what was important to them and how they view change to the historic environment.
Findings show that people feel heritage and local identity are closely linked and that it’s not just buildings and historic places that are important but also stories, dialect and local traditions.
Participants explained that ensuring communities are informed and included in decision-making at a local level is very important. The feedback also tells us that people believe that the historic environment is something that you inherit and that those who live in Scotland have an obligation to look after it for future generations.
The full report and findings of What’s Your Heritage? is available to download.
About Historic Environment Scotland (HES)
- We are the lead public body charged with caring for, protecting and promoting the historic environment. We will lead on delivering Scotland’s first strategy for the historic environment, Our Place in Time.
- Historic Scotland is a sub brand of HES.
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Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology 2017
2017 is the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology (HHA), a year that will celebrate Scotland’s people, our distinct culture and traditions, our historic landscapes, attractions and icons as well as our hidden gems and amazing stories. From World Heritage Sites to ancient monuments, listed buildings to historic battlefields, cultural traditions to our myths, stories and legends, 2017 is the year to explore Scotland’s fascinating past. This is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland and a variety of partners.
Get involved on Twitter with #HHA2017
Follow Historic Environment Scotland
Twitter: @HistEnvScot | @welovehistory
Facebook: @HistoricEnvScotland | @VisitHistoricScotland
For further information
Miriam Morris
Historic Environment Scotland Media Office
Direct Line: 0131 668 8603
Mobile: 07763 520 003
miriam.morris@hes.scot