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Teaching resources

Browse our wide range of free teaching resources for schools and groups.

  1. Overview
  2. Themed resources
  3. Defending Scotland's Heritage
  4. Make and create
  5. Search all learning publications

1 Overview

Our digital learning resources are best browsed in our Learn, Create & Play section.

This Teaching Resources section of our website has some useful resources for group leaders preparing a learning visit to one of the historic places in our care. 

We have some themed resources to help you link your site visit to broader social studies topics.

Many of our resources are also available in Gaelic – so why not explore our Gaelic resources area.

2 Themed resources

Download a range of guides to help your study of places, people, events, themes and objects from Scotland’s past.

Evidence record 

Learners can use our evidence record to note down discoveries as they investigate our sites.

See our guide to Gaelic resources for Gaelic versions of this and other materials. 

Investigating Historic Sites: Places

Go Forth Digital Learning Resources

Life in medieval Scotland

Cooking in a Castle
 Cooking in the Village
Feasting in the Great Hall
Having Fun
Keeping Clean
Working in a Castle

Investigating Historic Sites: Special Themes

Declaration of Arbroath: Illustrated Activity Booklet
Castle Quest teacher-led trail for Edinburgh Castle
Jacobite trail for Edinburgh Castle

Forestry Commission Scotland resources

Recumbent Stone Circles
The Picts

3 Defending Scotland's Heritage

What challenges do our historic properties and monuments face today? What are organisations like us doing to protect them? Explore the different themes with our fact sheets and get hands on with our activities.

Knight in armour holding a sword and shield in a defensive position is standing on the grass in front of Dirleton Castle.

Introduction

Presentation: Defending Scotland's Heritage [PPTX 9MB]

Careers

Fact sheet: careers [PDF 2.47MB]

Activities: careers [PDF 3.77MB]

Female architect holding plans, standing in front of a stone cathedral with an interpretation panel behind her.
Two staff using equipment to record archaeology near a beach, one is looking a notes, the other is taking photos with a digital camera.
Visitors talking with a Historic Scotland visitor assistant in front of an interpretation panel.
Hands holding tools and chiselling detail into a carved stone.
Scientist working in a lab adding a sample to an XRF gun which is sitting on a white desk beside a laptop.

Climate change

Fact sheet: climate change [PDF 3.96MB]

Activities: climate change [PDF 3.09MB]

Illustration of a globe on fire with a thermometer showing a high temperature.
A grassy path is right on the edge of an eroding sandy bank that drops down to a beach. In the distance there is a concrete structure supporting the land above the beach where people are standing.
Close up of sandstone showing lots of patterns and holes from erosion.
Aerial view of a ruined castle with it's boundaries going right up to the cliff edge, beyond which is the sea and further coastline in the distance.

The following films were made in collaboration with the BBC:

Video transcript: Castlebrae High School on Craigmillar Castle [PDF 99KB]

Video transcript: Defending Ravenscraig Castle [PDF 89KB]

Conservation

Fact sheet: conservation [PDF 2.62MB]

Activities: conservation [PDF 993KB]

Three people using scaffolding and ropes to do inspection work at the top of a tower of Caerlaverock Castle.
HES staff member doing delicate cleaning of a wooden painted panel using a small cotton bud.

Crime

Fact sheet: heritage crime [PDF 3.08MB]

Activities: heritage crime [PDF 3.92MB]

Illustration showing ruined castle, perimeter fence, ticket/museum building and lots of people doing various activities.

Exploring local identity

Activities: exploring local identity [PDF 2.87MB]

Presentation: What is heritage? [PPTX 7.53MB]

Illustration of a young person with a clipboard interviewing an old white haired man who's sitting in an armchair with a cup of tea.

Sustainability

Fact sheet: sustainability [PDF 2.91MB]

Activities: sustainability [PDF 5.81MB]

A circle outline beside the text "Let's do net zero. COP26, Glasgow 2021" is projected onto the cliffs below Edinburgh Castle at night.
Long grass with purple and yellow wildflowers in front of a stone circle.
Illustration of an old fashioned set of scales which represents "tourism" with the two arms "economic benefits" and "protecting places" in balance.

4 Make and create

These creative resources take a playful look at a range of themes. We hope you enjoy using them at home, at school, at one of our historic sites or wherever your group meets up!

Craft and play activities

Playful Pack: play castles at home!
Design a castle stronghold [PDF, 2.53MB]
Make a mini catapult [PDF, 1.67MB]
Make your own heraldic shield [PDF, 533KB]
Make your own jousting helmet [PDF, 130KB]
Make your own lion or unicorn puppet [PDF, 352KB]

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Colouring sheets

Castle [PDF, 375KB]
Crown [PDF, 768KB]
Jousting Knight [PDF, 855KB]
Unicorn [PDF, 659KB]
Drummer Boy [PDF, 148KB]
Hebridean Girl [PDF, 160KB]
Knight [PDF, 140KB]
Monk [PDF, 128KB]
Pictish Boy [PDF, 120KB]
Princess [PDF, 154KB]
Viking Warrior [PDF, 132KB]

5 Search all learning publications

Find educational publications for purchase as well as a wide range of learning resources that you can download for free.

Search for learning publications by keyword, category and/or publication date.

Search publications

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