Historic Environment Scotland

At sunrise on 29 May 1546, a group of men entered St Andrews Castle disguised as masons. They were on a mission to surprise - and assasinate - the castle's most powerful resident. Cardinal David Beaton had made plenty of enemies during his rise to the positions of Archbishop of St Andrews and Chancellor of Scotland. In particular, he was resented for the harsh penalties he enforced for heresy. On 1 March, Beaton had ordered the Protestant preacher George Wishart to be burned at the stake in front of the castle. This proved to be the last straw, prompting savage retaliation. The "masons" killed the Cardinal and hung his body from the castle walls. It was later thrown into the bottle dungeon, covered in salt to ‘keip him frome stinking’ during the siege that followed. It is not known where his remains were finally buried. The full story of what happened before and after these brutal #OnThisDay events are on the blog: https://ow.ly/uQh250RXW6x

We’re looking for a new Works Managers (£32,110 - £37,874) to join our team. ⚒ Are you: Interested in conservation and the use of traditional methods and materials? 🧱 Skilled in Masonry or Joinery? 🔨 Looking to work and manage a diverse range of conservation projects? 👷♀️ Then this could be your new dream job! 💭 🗣 Our colleague from your new team recently said: “I enjoy the challenge of working with traditional materials on our historic sites which helps ensure that our monuments will be there for people to enjoy for years to come.” Interested? Find out more and apply on our jobs portal: https://lnkd.in/epAftjTa

In the midst of a yellow rain warning, it feels only right that we should share the first installment of our new series of travel vlogs. Introducing The Dreich Diaries! This series will take you out and about to some of our beloved historic Scottish sites in our beloved real Scottish summer conditions. Make sure to bring your sturdy shoes, a waterproof, and don't forget the biscuits... https://lnkd.in/euiMFqhZ

Did you know that many of Scotland’s favourite ice cream parlours and fish and chip shops were first opened by Italian Scots? 🇮🇹🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 During the late 19th and early 20th century, Scotland welcomed its biggest wave of Italian migrants. Many of them built business here and fused their Italian or regional identity with their Scottish business ventures. But life for early Italian Scots wasn’t always la dolce vita. Anti-Italian prejudice was particularly heightened during the Second World War. Italian Scots were perceived socially, politically and even legally as internal enemies. This often resulted in discrimination, and sometimes even internment and deportation. In archive pictures, on our latest blog - explore the stories of earlier Italian Scots, and how they shaped their adopted new homeland. 👇 https://lnkd.in/e5DUBxKE

Did you know there are over 45,000 listed buildings in Scotland? But, when it comes to repairs and renovations, work to these buildings is subject to 20% VAT – whilst work on new buildings is zero rated. This means there’s a financial incentive to build new, which contrasts starkly with our #NetZero aspirations. That’s why our Director of Heritage Elizabeth McCrone and her team commissioned research into whether a rebate scheme is feasible – and if changes to the system would make a big difference to our ability to maintain and repair historic buildings. The answer is pretty complex, so in this article she outlines what the research (conducted by Harlow Consulting) says. 

This #WorldBeeDay, we'd like to introduce you to the people behind Edinburgh Honey Co. 🐝 The Edinburgh Honey Co. set up their own community-based hives to produce their honey. All of their packaging comes from sustainably sourced materials. They also supply our site shops and our online Stòr with sustainable, and delicious, Scottish honey. 🍯 In for more honey? Check out our World Bee Day collection on Stòr: https://lnkd.in/dcz5nsNK

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)