Scotland's protected historic places - consultation on a long-term strategy for heritage designation

From to 1 July 2025, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) invited views on our draft long-term strategy for historic environment designation in Scotland. This included our proposed vision for 2035, our mission, and our priorities for the next three years 2025-2028. 

We received a total of 38 responses - 37 through our online survey, and one by email.  

There was strong support (97%) for the draft vision, mission and overall approach. Respondents asked for greater clarity on the scope of the strategy and its relationship to local authority roles and property owners. Respondents want genuine collaboration and partnership. 

There were mixed views on changing the term designation—some preferred protection for accessibility, others highlighted legal and policy implications. Feedback suggested the need for clear outcome statements and for a balance between ambition and realistic resourcing. Respondents wanted HES to both improve existing records and address under-represented heritage. They recognised the need for HES to prioritise designations casework and supported the principles proposed but reiterated the importance of a transparent framework and clear communication. There was support for innovation but concerns about over-reliance on technology and AI. Work on understanding impact and looking ahead is seen as valuable if it has concrete outcomes, such as contributing to long-term policy development. This work should be system-wide rather than just focussing on designation.  

We have published a final strategy that reflects changes based on consultation feedback.  

We clarified the scope of the strategy and explained how it aligns with key documents such as Our Past Our Future and the HES Corporate Plan 2025–2028. Each objective now includes clear outcome statements, and terminology has been aligned with the Historic Environment Policy for Scotland (HEPS).  

We have retained the term designation as the formal term for our function, but we will use phrases such as protected historic places in communications to improve accessibility.  

As part of our implementation plan, we will publish a revised service standard that explains how we prioritise cases.  We have confirmed that technology will play an important part in supporting our work, but always alongside the expertise of our staff rather than as a replacement. Collaboration and public engagement remain central to our approach. Finally, we have set out clear actions to meet our commitments on inclusive heritage and equalities.