Historic Environment Scotland

Glasgow Cathedral's Blackadder Aisle has a fresh new look thanks to our conservation experts. The Blackadder (or Blacader) Aisle in Glasgow Cathedral is named after Bishop Robert Blackadder who became Archbishop of Glasgow in 1492. Blackadder was a very close ally of King James IV and was one of those trusted on the mission of securing a bride for the king. He travelled to Spain and France in pursuit of a match, but it was in Margaret Tudor, the daughter of King Henry VII of England, that he found the most advantageous pairing. During his time as Archbishop of Glasgow, Blackadder commissioned a beautiful new vaulted ceiling and altar platform to be added to an existing extension on the south side of the cathedral. Sadly, in recent years, the Blackadder Aisle has been suffering from leaks due to an aging and deteriorating asphalt roof. With the situation carefully assessed by Ian Lambie, one of our District Architects, out went the old asphalt and in came a brand-new roof of stone slabs and new asphalt. With the new roof on we had to wait for the ceiling to dry out completely before a fresh coat of limewash could be applied to the walls. This limewash had to be made to a very specific recipe to complement the 500-year-old masonry. To apply it, we brought back a familiar face - Derek Rowan, the same painter who worked his magic on the Aisle years ago. This project turned out to be one of his last before retirement, and a fitting farewell it was. But getting the limewash on wasn't easy. Imagine manoeuvring scaffolding all the way from the north entrance, through the Lower Church, to reach the south-facing Aisle! Once the scaffolding was up, it was time for a meticulous cleaning, including the painstaking removal of loose and flaking paint. After that, a whopping 800 litres of limewash was applied in four coats over two months. All this work was overseen on site by our South Region Planning and Resource Manager, Johnnie Clark. Finally, with the scaffolding gone, a new handrail (designed by Ian Lambie, our District Architect) was installed on the stairs leading down to the Aisle. This helps to make the Aisle much more accessible for visitors with mobility issues. We’ve had great feedback on this conservation project from the first visitors to return to the Blackadder Aisle, and from the congregation who worship at Glasgow Cathedral. Next time you’re in the neighbourhood, why not stop by and have a look for yourself?

Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES), which are produced by local authorities, cover heat and energy efficiency for all built environments. Today, Historic Environment Scotland has published a document to support their delivery in traditional buildings. Our Project Manager, Dr Moses Jenkins, explains what LHEES are and why they are so important in the drive to Net Zero, in our latest blog post (which also contains a link to the LHEES document). https://ow.ly/SaEf50RJAxO #LHEES #EnergyEfficiency #NetZero

Are you a heritage professional or building practitioner looking to gain insight into historic building conservation? June 10-14 we have a week-long immersive course delivered by Historic Environment Scotland conservation professionals at the Engine Shed in Stirling. The programme includes expert-led curated tours of historic sites, informative lectures and activities and catered lunches and refreshments. Tickets are available now, via the link! https://ow.ly/2KZP50RIaRE

Dunbar's Belle-Vue Hotel was a landmark on the East Lothian coast for a century. But behind its grand facade there was a tragic family history. The story of the Belle-Vue is the focus of our latest 'Canmore in Context' article: https://ow.ly/kEWE50RFnE2 (📷 A postcard of Belle-Vue from the 1970s or 80s, © Genna Bard)

Concerning news here from our friends at the National Trust for Scotland. Over the past year, we’ve been working with them to assess the impact of climate change on St Kilda – an important World Heritage site. Sadly, the results align with what we are seeing across Scottish heritage properties, which is that climate change and extreme weather are speeding up the deterioration of natural and cultural heritage. Climate change is fast becoming one of the most significant risks for World Heritage sites worldwide. Our Climate Change Team has been at the forefront of developing ways to measure the climate change risk – working with others across the globe to produce and deploy the Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CVI), developed by James Cook University. We believe that the historic environment sector, with organisations such as NTS and tools such as the CVI, has a crucial role to play in the development of a climate ready Scotland. It is becoming increasingly clear that action must be taken on every level, and research projects such as the one conducted on St Kilda give us a clearer picture of what is needed to address loss and damage and adapt to the changing climate.

#OnThisDay in 1719, HMS Worcester, HMS Flamborough and HMS Enterprise opened fire on Spanish troops occupying Eilean Donan Castle, ultimately leaving it in ruins. The iconic and much-photographed castle was rebuilt from "little more than a few fingers of shattered masonry" under the supervision of Major John MacRae-Gilstrap between 1912 and 1932. You can check out fascinating images of the ruins, the rebuilding and the finished product in the HES archives 👉 ow.ly/951C50EEty9

New on the HES blog: Stirling Castle has seen ruthless sieges, political drama and grisly murder over the centuries, but it's also been a family home. It's served as a nursery for kings and queens but also for lesser-known, illegitimate children, who were valued members of the royal household. We take a look at family life in the fortress over the centuries 👇

Join us for the Improving Access Spring Meet Up! This free event will review progress on plans to make the historic environment sector a more diverse place to work and check we’re on track to remove barriers and become more inclusive. • When: Wednesday, 15 May from 9.30am to 3pm • Where: The Barracks in Stirling, with hybrid options available to those who can’t make it along in person. If the cost of travel is a barrier, we have travel bursaries available. This meet up is part of the Improving Access project, a collaborative effort from employers, development bodies, public bodies, and community groups who all want to make it easier for people from all backgrounds to work in the heritage sector. What to expect: • Share the results of recent focus groups on access to the sector • Learn from speakers on ongoing inclusion and anti-oppression work • Network with colleagues and share ideas • Hear from a panel of focus group participants about their lived experience with barriers and heritage • Input on plans and shape pilot projects Who should attend: • Anyone interested in improving access to the historic environment sector • Organisations, community groups, and charities working in heritage • Heritage professionals This is a free event but space is limited. Book your spot today! 🎟 To book, drop us an email at skills@hes.scot Learn more about the Improving Access project: https://ow.ly/CL6750Rzk7j 📷 Tom Duffin

Urquhart Castle Open Day Alert! Do you love working with people? Would you like to develop your skills in a unique working environment? We're running two recruitment open days this week, on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 May. To book a time slot or for additional information, please email openday.vo@hes.scot

After defeating William Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298, Edward I of England needed a further six years to grasp full control of Scotland. But by April 1304, nearly all of Scotland had been reconquered by “the Hammer of the Scots” William Wallace was hiding in the countryside, soon to be betrayed to the English. The Scottish nobles had surrendered, submitting to Edward’s rule in exchange for the return of their lands. Only at Stirling Castle did any resistance remain. Sir William Oliphant was the governor and held the castle with about 25 men. On the ramparts, he still defiantly flew the Lion Rampant flag, a symbol of the Scottish crown. In March, Edward had the garrison declared outlaws at his parliament at St Andrews. Preparations began to extinguish the final glimmer of resistance in Scotland. Find out what happened next in our blog post, written by Stirling Castle guide James Macivor and featuring incredible reconstruction images of the 'War Wolf' by artist Bob Marshall, whose work features on interpretation panels at several of our sites. https://ow.ly/Gqc850RuSXp