BEFS Bulletin 382: A Blog, new appointments and Skills Investment

 

 Consultation Responses

Housing (Scotland) Bill consultation: interim partial analysis (Scot Gov 02/09/2025)

Public bodies climate change duties – draft statutory guidance: consultation analysis – final report (Scot Gov 11/09/2025)

Climate Change Plan Scrutiny
BEFS responded to the sector-specific questions pertaining to buildings, waste and circular economy, land use, and agriculture. Emphasis was on the need to consider the policy landscape holistically, and to realise the climate positive potential of the interconnected historic and natural environments. BEFS highlighted the value of employing circular economy principles such as material passports and improved material recovery, integrating the natural and historic environment sectors, and investing in green and traditional skills, and more, as these policies will pay dividends for the national economy. (BEFS 19/09/2025)

 

PE2089: Stop More National Parks in Scotland (Scot Parl 10/09/2025)

 

European Cultural Heritage Summit 2025 – Heritage Matters for Europe (Europa Nostra 06/09/2025)

Accelerate to Zero Awards now open for submissions (BE-ST Fest September 2025)

Glasgow City Heritage Trust Training Grants open for applications (GCHT September 2025)

Lack of support from Scottish Government threatening heritage tourism sector (Historic Houses 09/09/2025)

Greens call for tax relief on housing coops (Scottish Green Party 12/09/2025)

SNP challenged to back holiday homes tax to protect Gaelic language (Scottish Green Party 15/09/2025)

Rent controls: No exemptions for build-to-rent (Scottish Green Party 16/09/2025)

Rough sleeping and homelessness at record levels (Scottish Liberal Democrats 16/09/2025)

The SURF Awards shortlisted projects for 2025 (SURF 19/09/2025)

Doolan Prize 2025: what could be named Scotland’s best building? (Architects Journal 22/09/25)

 

 

Correspondence between Richard Lochhead and the Social Justice and Social Security Committee regarding the Wellbeing and Sustainable Development (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 22/08/2025)

Evaluation of the Energy Efficiency Scheme: Full Report (UK Gov 28/08/2025)

Local Regeneration Fund (UK Gov 02/09/2025)

Correspondence between the UK Government and the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee regarding Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (UK Gov 03/09/2025)

Potential impact of the built environment on bat populations: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs written question (UK Gov 03/09/2025)

Buildings VAT: Treasury written question (UK Parl 05/09/2025)

Correspondence between Màiri McAllan and the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee regarding housing emergency and Housing (Scotland) Bill exemptions (Scot Parl 05/09/2025)

Permitted development rights to support the provision of new homes: SEA Environmental Report (Scot Gov 05/09/2025)

Cultural Heritage – Industry: Department for Culture, Media and Sport written question (UK Parl 08/09/2025)

Correspondence between the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee and Ivan McKee regarding the Second Annual Review of the National Planning Framework 4 (Scot Parl 09/09/2025)

Understanding the changing nature and context of poverty in Scottish rural and island communities since 2010 (Scot Gov 09/09/2025)

Planning and Infrastructure Bill – committee stage (day 5) – part one (House of Lords 09/09/2025)

Correspondence between the Economy and Fair Work Committee and Ivan McKee regarding tourism and hospitality sectors and visitor levy (Scot Parl 09/09/2025)

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee [Draft] (Scot Parl 09/09/2025)

Local government finance circular 8/2024 – accounting for infrastructure assets: temporary statutory override (Scot Gov 09/09/2025)

Planning permission appeals: housing development statistics (Scot Gov 09/09/2025)

Rural Housing Fund and Risk Register Assessment for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme: FOI release (Scot Gov 09/09/2025)

Scotland’s Heat Network Fund: application guidance (Scot Gov 09/09/2025)

Correspondence between Gillian Martin and the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee regarding Publication of the Scottish Blue Carbon Action Plan (Scot Parl 10/09/2025)

Correspondence between the Independent Regulatory Review Group and Màiri McAllan regarding Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (Scot Gov 10/09/2025)

Building Standards Blog: Consultation on proposed updates on Flooding and groundwater (Scot Gov 11/09/2025)

Housing Concrete: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government written question (UK Parl 11/09/2025)

Reduction in vacant and derelict land  (Scot Gov 12/09/2025)

Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Statistics (2024) (Scot Gov 12/09/2025)

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee Report on the Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (Scot Parl 16/09/2025)

Scottish Household Survey 2024 findings: neighbourhoods and communities report (Scot Gov 16/09/2025)

Correspondence between the Màiri McAllan and the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee regarding the Housing (Scotland) Bill (Scot Gov 17/09/2025)

Scottish Household Survey: Perceptions of Local Councils 2024 (Scot Gov 17/09/2025)

National Asset Transfer Action Group minutes: May 2025 (Scot Gov 17/09/2025)

Housing (Scotland) Bill — Stage 3: Groupings of Amendments (Scot Parl 18/09/2025)

Housing (Scotland) Bill — Stage 3: Marshalled List of Amendments (Scot Parl 18/09/2025)

Development plan examinations: list (Scot Gov 19/09/2025)

Planning Performance: High Level Group minutes – June 2025 (Scot Gov 19/09/2025)

Housing infrastructure finance: call for evidence (Scot Gov 22/09/2025)

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill — Stage 3: Daily List of Amendments for 22 September 2025 (Scot Parl 22/09/2025)

National Asset Transfer Action Group: terms of reference (Scot Gov 22/09/2025)

 

Motions

S6M-18950
Submitted by: Gordon MacDonald, Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: 17/09/2025
That the Parliament congratulates the Scottish Traditional Building Forum on delivering the 13th Edinburgh Traditional Building Festival in August 2025; notes that the event focussed on the sustainability of traditional buildings; recognises the efforts of the forum to celebrate Edinburgh’s traditional buildings, bringing together experts with the wider public, to demonstrate knowledge and skills across a whole spectrum of traditional construction skills; understands that the festival was a collaboration between Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, the National Federation of Roofing Contractors, Historic Environment Scotland, the Stone Federation Great Britain, the British Geological Survey and Nevin Decorators; believes that this collaborative approach plays a vital role in widening the public’s understanding of the importance of maintaining Scotland’s traditional buildings with the right knowledge and skills, and thanks each of the organisations for their ongoing efforts to protect and maintain Scotland’s historic built environment.

S6M-18992
Submitted by: Màiri McAllan, Clydesdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: 22/09/2025
That the Parliament agrees that the Housing (Scotland) Bill be passed.

 

Opinion & Comment

RIAS – Conservation Seminar 2025: Principles and Practice
Date & Time: Tuesday 30 September 2025; 1-4:30pm
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
Join RIAS as they celebrate 30 years of RIAS accreditation in conservation architecture. Hear from conservation accredited architects, suppliers and academics as they explore how organisations are working together to support sustainable, low carbon choices in principle and practice.

RTPI – SYPN Historic Walking Tour of Leith
Date & Time: Tuesday 30 September 2025; 5-6pm
Location: Custom House, 67 Commercial Street, Edinburgh EH6 6LH
Join the Scottish Young Planners’ Network for a walking tour of Leith, kindly led by Steven Robb and Devon DeCelles from Historic Environment Scotland. Following the tour there will also be an opportunity for informal networking at a nearby venue afterwards. The tour is restricted to 20 people so sign up early to avoid disappointment! The tour begins at Custom House in Leith and will last for a duration of 60 minutes. Participation in this event will involve (but is not limited to) travel and physical activity that may involve an element of risk. The event organiser is not responsible for any inconvenience, expense, cost, loss or damage experienced due to participation at this event.

Under One Roof – Navigating tenement building repairs with Falkirk Council
Date & Time: Wednesday 1 October 2025; 12-1pm
Location: Online
Landlords and homeowners in Falkirk are invited to a free one-hour webinar to learn about basic tenement repair and maintenance. Topics covered include Understanding relevant legislation; the difference between individual, mutual and common repairs; and how to organise and pay for repairs with your co-owners. There will be time after the presentation to ask questions, and get answers from experienced tenement housing expert, Stephen Kelly.

RICS Scotland – Rural Conference 2025
Date & Time: Thursday 2 October 2025; 8:30am-4:45pm
Location: Perth Racecourse, Old Scone, Perth PH2 6BB
Scotland’s rural sector is evolving fast, with unprecedented shifts in policy, climate strategy, and economic pressures. The RICS Scotland Rural Conference gives professionals the opportunity to gain cutting-edge insights into land use, rural housing, taxation, valuation, and climate resilience and more, all tailored to the Scottish context. With expert-led sessions from NatureScot, the Scottish Land Commission, FAS Scotland, and RICS, this is the essential CPD event for rural surveyors navigating change. Book now to take advantage of an early bird discount, available until 14 September.

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland – Reinterpreting the Past to Explain the Present and Reimagine the Future
Date & Time: Thursday 2 October 2025; 6-8pm
Location: Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL
Like many of Scotland’s museums, Glasgow Museums has been shaped and impacted by the histories of British Empire and transatlantic slavery. In recent years, the organisation has been working to explore how to better address and acknowledge how colonial histories shape Glasgow, its museums and its people. Reinterpreting the Past to Explain the Present and Reimagine the Future: Addressing Histories of Empire and Slavery in Glasgow Museums will reflect on this work, the lessons learned so far and how this institution can address and acknowledge colonial histories as a way to engage in anti-racism activism.

Under One Roof – Tenement Management and Repair with The City of Edinburgh Council
Date & Time: Friday 3 October 2025; 10am-1pm
Location: European Room, Edinburgh City Chambers, 253 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1YP
Join the City of Edinburgh Council and Under One Roof for a morning event on tenement management and repair. Following the correct procedures for repairs can be complicated, so find out how to organise and pay for repairs in the shared, or ‘common,’ areas of your building. Christine Bone from Edinburgh Shared Repairs Service will be explaining how the Council’s Shared Repairs Service can help you to navigate the repairs process. Hilary Blackman from the City of Edinburgh Council will provide a summary of the Council’s Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy, what it means for you, and she will touch on opportunities to help improve your property. Following the presentations, there will be a Q&A session.

IHBC Scotland Branch – Exploring Historic Lime Finishes
Date & Time: Friday 3 October 2025; 1:30-3:30pm
Location: Stirling city centre
Join the IHBC to explore historic lime finishes evident around Stirling City Centre. The tour will look at evidence surviving for historic finishes such as harling and different pointing types to better understand how buildings were finished historically and how this can inform their future conservation. The walking tour will be led by expert Dr Tim Meek, former lime practitioner and co-author of HES Technical Papers 31 and 33.

Heritage Network – North UK Mills Group
Date & Time:?Tuesday 7 October 2025; 10-11:30am
Location: Online
An opportunity for organisations working with, or people interested in, mill buildings to come together, network, and discuss. The theme for October’s meeting will be ‘River restoration and water power’, with speakers Hannah Swanson (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) and Mark Watson (Historic Environment Scotland).

Tax Justice Scotland – Talking Tax: The Role of Tax in a Fairer and Greener Future
Date and Time: Wednesday 8 October 2025; 9am-2pm
Location: Dovecot Studios, 10 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh EH1 1LT
This inaugural Tax Justice Scotland half day event will feature perspectives on how better tax policy can contribute to a fairer, greener and more prosperous Scotland. Prominent campaigners and experts on Scottish, UK and international tax issues as well as representatives from each of the main political parties represented in the Scottish Parliament, will lay out their vision for tax in shaping the future in Scotland, the UK and beyond. Refreshments and lunch will be provided.

RTPI – Jenners Building Redevelopment
Date & Time: Wednesday 8 October 2025; 5:15-7:15 pm
Location: The City of Edinburgh Council, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom, EH8 8BG
The category A listed Jenners Department Store Building has formed an iconic part of the Princes Street landscape since its opening in 1895 and is one of Edinburgh’s best known built features. Following its closure in 2021, the building has been undergoing an ambitious regeneration to enable its modern conversion into a new hotel on the upper floors with new restaurants, cafes and retail uses on the lower floors, while seeking to maintain its essential historic and architectural character. Clare MacDonald, Senior Planning Officer with The City of Edinburgh Council and Chris Dobson, Director at 3D Reid Architects, the Executive Architects for the project, will be providing an informative and engaging overview of the history and process of the current redevelopment project including the planning and design history and process, and the various challenges encountered during renovation works.

Europa Nostra –European Cultural Heritage Summit 2025?
Date & Time: Sunday 12 – Wednesday 15 October?2025
Location: Brussels, Belgium.
Organised by Europa Nostra and co-funded by the European Union, the Brussels Summit will gather high-level representatives from EU Institutions, policymakers, heritage professionals and volunteers, civil society actors and other stakeholders from across Europe and beyond. Holding this year’s European Cultural Heritage Summit in Brussels has a particular significance at a time when the European Commission is about to publish the EU’s very first “Culture Compass for Europe” and when EU Institutions and Member States have started discussing the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework Programme. This is why the Summit will be held under the motto “Heritage Matters for Europe”! Focusing on the pivotal themes of Europe’s key values, starting with peace, democracy and solidarity, the Brussels Summit will highlight the political, societal, economic and environmental relevance of cultural heritage for the future of Europe and its citizens.

AHSS – Lawrence Weaver and the Romance of Scottish Architecture
Date & Time: Monday 13 October 2025; 6:30pm
Location: Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL (wheelchair accessible). Note: Lecture will also be streamed online via Zoom
Lawrence Weaver (1876-1930) has been described as ‘the first architectural critic in the modern sense of the word’. Between 1905 and 1917 he published 42 articles about Scottish architecture in Country Life – describing 18 castles and palaces, and ten buildings designed or restored by Robert Lorimer. The professional partnership and close friendship between the two men benefited both, introducing Weaver to the romance of Scottish architecture and making Lorimer’s work widely known. Tickets available from Eventbrite or on the door, subject to availability: £6 / students £2

SCHT – Retrofit Event: Meet the Suppliers
Date & Time: Wednesday 15 October 2025; 11:45am-3:45pm
Location: The Barracks, Conference Centre, Stirling, FK8 1QZ
Join Stirling City Heritage Trust for a chance to meet suppliers of Retrofit Solutions, hear about their products and meet the Traditional Buildings Health Check team. There will be presentations from 12:15pm-1:15pm from suppliers relating to their organisations or products along with a Q&A session that you won’t want to miss. The SCHT team will have a range of DIY products available as well as HES publications. TBHC staff will also be on hand to discuss Retrofit Grants and Building Repair Grants. To register your attendance (essential) follow this link.

AHSS – Niall Murphy: Glasgow 850
Date & Time: Thursday 23 October 2025; 7:30pm
Location: St Andrew’s West Church & Renfield Centre, 260 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4JP
Note: Lecture will also be live-streamed via Zoom
As Glasgow celebrates 850 years, Niall Murphy of Glasgow City Heritage Trust reflects on the city’s rich history, exploring its political and cultural evolution and the heritage that shapes its identity today. This lecture offers a compelling journey through Glasgow’s past, revealing how its legacy continues to influence the present and future. Tickets available from Eventbrite or on the door: £6 / students £2 / season ticket for all 5 lectures: £25.

Building Connections: Shaping the Future of Construction
Date & Time: Friday 24 October 2025; 9:30am-4pm
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ
This event is dedicated to identifying practical solutions to challenges facing the construction industry today, with a focus on pipeline, skills, and training issues. Building Connections, delivered as part of BE-ST FEST, brings together representatives from across the sector to address key issues like skills shortages, project delays, and the conservation of existing and historic buildings. This is your opportunity to connect, share insights, and explore practical solutions for a stronger, more resilient industry. Whether you’re a tradesperson, architect, contractor, site manager, structural engineer, surveyor, or planner, this is your chance to explore real-world solutions.

Scotland’s Landscape Alliance – Delivering for Scotland’s landscapes through Scotland’s Landscape Charter
Date & Time: Thursday 30 October 2025; 10:30am-3pm
Location:?Edinburgh Climate Change Institute, High School Yards, Edinburgh EH1 1LZ
In June 2025 Scotland’s Landscape Charter was launched and endorsed by the Scottish Government. It highlights the importance of our landscapes to people, place and nature. This is also the 25th anniversary of the European Landscape Convention (ELC) and the SLA aim to deliver and reinvigorate Scotland’s commitment to the ELC through the promotion and adherence to embedding the Charter into everyday landscape action that demonstrate the tangible importance of the Charter to their work objectives. This event aims to engage with a wide range of stakeholders to shape a short term annually updated action plan to support the implementation of the Charter’s vision and principles and to reinforce the good policy and tools that exist around land, people, culture and landscape. Tickets free and available on Eventbrite from 24 October onwards.

SEDA/HES – Stone Futures 2 – Specifying Stone and Stone Bricks
Date & Time: Monday 3 November 2025; 1-2pm
Location: Online
Across the autumn and winter, Scotland East Region, Scottish Ecological Design Association (SEDA) and Historic Environment Scotland (HES) are excited to launch a new lunchtime CPD seminar series dedicated to one of the most enduring yet ever evolving materials in our built environment: Stone. From its role in the earliest architecture to its potential in a low carbon future, stone carries its story of resilience, craft and innovation. This series will open fresh perspectives on how stone can shape tomorrow’s buildings whilst drawing from its rich history. Whether you’re a technologist, architect, designer, engineer or simply curious about the possibilities of this timeless material, these seminars are designed to inform, challenge and inspire. All seminars: 1pm on the first Monday of every month.

BE-ST Fest Summit – Scaling Solutions: A Viable Path to a Sustainable Future
Date & Time: Wednesday 5 November 2025; 9am-5pm
Location: Paisley Town Hall, Abbey Close, Paisley PA1 1JF
The UK’s biggest festival for a zero-carbon built environment will play host to transformative discussion and knowledge exchange on breaking through barriers to accelerate our journey to net zero carbon. Is net zero achievable? Some argue the costs are too high, the technology isn’t ready and that other priorities should come first. BE-ST Fest 2025 will tackle these debates head on. This isn’t a conference made up of hopeful visions alone, it’s about the reality of real change, the risks, trade-offs, and the strategies that work. This is a space for honesty, collaboration and innovation. Not idealism for its own sake but progress grounded in what works.

AHSS – Aonghus Mackechnie: ‘If a landscape ‘speaks’, can we hear it?
Date & Time: Monday 10 November 2025; 6:30pm
Location: Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL (wheelchair accessible)
Note: Lecture will also be streamed online via Zoom
In this joint lecture with Scotland’s Garden and Landscape Heritage, Professor Aonghus MacKechnie will take us on a tour of Scotland, geographically, over time, and across political and cultural movements. From the medieval West Highlands and Gaelic society, the talk ranges through Early Modern Scotland, the exploitation of history and the ‘signage’ used by the Stewart monarchy, through to post-1660s classicism; moving then on to the Ages of Romanticism and Improvement, and that of militarism after the Battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715. Tickets available from Eventbrite or on the door, subject to availability: £6 / students £2

Edinburgh Lothian & Borders Archaeology Conference 2025
Date & Time: Saturday 15 November 2025; 9am-4:30pm
Location: Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh, East Lothian
This is the annual conference organised by the City of Edinburgh Council, East Lothian Council and Scottish Borders Council. It provides an important opportunity to hear and discuss firsthand accounts of the archaeological fieldwork and research being undertaken in Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian and the Scottish Borders. Tickets £30; Lunch £13.

Edinburgh’s First Burghers: Revealing the lives and hidden faces of Edinburgh’s Medieval citizens
Date & Time: On now until Sunday 30 November 2025
Location: St Giles Cathedral, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1RE
Free to enter public exhibition celebrating the 900th Anniversaries of both St Giles Cathedral and the City of Edinburgh to explore the lives of medieval burials excavated by CEC Archaeology Service in 1981. The exhibition brings together new biomolecular approaches (DNA and isotope analyses) and state-of-the-art facial reconstruction and animated projections located throughout the Cathedral. It explores the lives of the earliest burial phases dating back to the foundation of the Cathedral and Edinburgh’s Burgh in the 12th century AD, two 15th Century pilgrims and a group of women interred within the Lady Chapel during the 15th and 16th centuries.

 

Planning Aid Scotland – Community Engagement Skills Training
Date & Time: Wednesday 1 October 2025; 10am-3:30pm
Location: Conference Room, Robertson House, 152 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4TB
Community Engagement Skills Training from Planning Aid Scotland gives professionals the tools to plan and deliver effective and meaningful engagement in planning and placemaking. Based on the SP=EED Framework, recognised in the Scottish Government’s Planning Advice Notes as a benchmarking tool, this practical workshop builds skills, confidence, and real-world know-how. Cost: £250

SPAB – Understanding your Old Building
Dates & Times: Monday 6 October until Sunday 30 November 2025: Access to pre-recorded presentations
Saturday 15 November 2025; 12:30-2pm: Live online Q&A session with the course tutors
Location: Online
Join SPAB for an introduction to the care and maintenance of period properties, ideal for homeowners and tenants of old buildings. This modular, self-paced online course features six pre-recorded presentations and a live Q&A session. It introduces the SPAB conservation approach and offers guidance on how best to tackle common problems and maintain the character and value of your home. If you live in or look after a period property or are a professional who needs to brief their clients on understanding their old building, this course is ideal for you. The SPAB is an IHBC-recognised CPD provider and certificates of attendance are available on request. Prices: £100 early bird rate available when you book this course by 3 September 2025. Usual course fee is £120.

SEDA/HES – Stone Futures 1 – Development Potential of Stone
Date & Time: Monday 6 October 2025; 1-2pm
Location: Online
Across the autumn and winter, Scotland East Region, Scottish Ecological Design Association (SEDA) and Historic Environment Scotland (HES) are excited to launch a new lunchtime CPD seminar series dedicated to one of the most enduring yet ever evolving materials in our built environment: Stone. From its role in the earliest architecture to its potential in a low carbon future, stone carries its story of resilience, craft and innovation. This series will open up fresh perspectives on how stone can shape tomorrow’s buildings whilst drawing from its rich history. Whether you’re a technologist, architect, designer, engineer or simply curious about the possibilities of this timeless material, these seminars are designed to inform, challenge and inspire. All seminars: 1pm on the first Monday of every month.

The Engine Shed – An Introduction to Building Conservation
Date & Time: Tuesday 7 October 2025; 9:30am-4pm
Location: Hybrid – The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ and Online
An introduction to the essential principles of building conservation in Scotland. Explore the strategies and philosophies governing architectural conservation in Scotland; examine the nature of traditional Scottish building materials, including an outline of how international standards of good conservation practice can be applied to offset or adapt to the impact of climate change on our historic built environment. Cost: £75 for the in person full day learning experience; £30 for virtual attendance.

The Engine Shed – Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Adaptive Re-use of Buildings
Date & Time: Thursday 16 October 2025; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: Hybrid – The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ and Online
Come along to discuss climate change and the significant issues impacting Scotland’s historic environment. There will also be an examination of the basic principles of making traditional Scottish buildings more energy efficient, with insights into current practical techniques. Cost: £75 for the in person full day learning experience; £60 for virtual attendance.

SLCT – Climate change & our built heritage: Protection, Prevention & Preservation
Date & Time: Friday 31 October 2025; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: Charlestown Workshops, 2 Rocks Road, Charlestown, Fife KY11 3EN
What on earth we can do to protect our buildings? Currently, we are all waking up to the growing realisation that our traditional building stock needs to be more resilient in defending windier and wetter conditions during the Autumn and Winter months with storms bringing in peak rainfall and flooding) and likewise the vagaries of hotter and dryer Summers. This Masterclass showcases expert led sessions with building professionals who are stepping up the mark and making real decisions in prolonging the life of our built heritage.

The Engine Shed – Heritage Science
Date & Time: Tuesday 11 November 2025; 9:30am-4pm
Location: Hybrid – The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ and Online
Conservation scientists at Historic Environment Scotland use a variety of analytical techniques to understand how materials decay over time and how certain interventions might affect their integrity and longevity. This introduction to the applied use of material science in heritage conservation in Scotland will help you understand how analytical scientific techniques can enhance understanding of the nature of traditional building materials and can explain how they decay over time; discover how petrographic analysis is used to determine the chemical composition and physical structure of natural building stone and how this helps identify new sources of material for repair; and learn about the range of analytical techniques used to monitor moisture ingress in traditional buildings and how thermal efficiency of a building may be measured. Cost: £75 for the in person full day learning experience; £30 for virtual attendance.

Heritage Network – Carbon Literacy Training
Date & Time: Thursday 13 & 20 November 2025; 10am-12:30pm
Location: Online
Carbon Literacy is a key way for organisations to gain an awareness of the causes and impacts of climate change and an understanding of carbon emissions. It provides a great foundation for individuals, teams and organisations to begin to take steps towards reducing their carbon emissions and become more environmentally sustainable. As a sector, this training will help to collectively make a difference through taking responsibility and committing to lowering emissions. The focus of Carbon Literacy is about empowering people to act. To become certified as Carbon Literate you must pledge to undertake an individual and group action that will help you and your organisation to achieve net zero. The £15 (member) and £30 (non-member) charge for this course covers your Carbon Literacy Trust certification fee. If you have any questions, please email Samya Kelly.

 

Vacancies

SHBT – Leith Custom House Museum Project Officer
Salary: £34,000 per annum
Status: Full time, 35 hrs per week; fixed term one year, with likely extension depending on funding
Location:?Custom House, Leith with flexible home working
The Scottish Historic Buildings Trust is seeking a Project Officer for the Leith Custom House Museum Project. Scottish Historic Buildings Trust (SHBT) is a Charity and Building Preservation Trust (BPT) with almost 50 years’ experience saving derelict and redundant buildings throughout the whole of Scotland. The SHBT strive to be dynamic and innovative in their approach, constantly seeking new ways to solve myriad challenges which the historic built environment faces, as well as seizing the many (and more numerous) opportunities offered in an ever-changing world to make heritage relevant to all. The Projects team are at the forefront of SHBT’s activities. The Project Officer (Leith Custom House Museum Project) is responsible for the Trust’s flagship Leith Custom House project. Working with the Project Managers and Director, you would help co-ordinate activities to restore one of the city’s most significant historic buildings, adapting it to become fully accessible and a central part of Leith’s civic identity following an exciting design concept developed with Richard Murphy Architects. You would lead on the development of an innovative new digital museum concept – the first fully digital museum in the UK – which will allow for digitised Cultural Heritage Objects to be curated into any number of exhibitions, as well as providing one of the first spaces fully adapted to the display of digitally-created artworks.
Apply with CV and covering letter to: info@shbt.org.uk
More information can be found here.
Closing date: 9am on Monday 6 October 2025

SHBT – Bernat Klein Studio: Project Officer
Salary: £34,000 per annum
Status: Full time, 35 hrs per week; fixed term one year, with likely extension depending on funding
Location: Flexible with home working, hot desking available at Riddle’s Court, Edinburgh / Custom House, Leith, and frequent site visits
The Scottish Historic Buildings Trust is seeking a Project Officer for the Bernat Klein Studio Project. Scottish Historic Buildings Trust (SHBT) is a Charity and Building Preservation Trust (BPT) with almost 50 years’ experience saving derelict and redundant buildings throughout the whole of Scotland. The SHBT strive to be dynamic and innovative in their approach, constantly seeking new ways to solve myriad challenges which the historic built environment faces, as well as seizing the many (and more numerous) opportunities offered in an ever-changing world to make heritage relevant to all. The Projects team are at the forefront of SHBT’s activities. The Project Officer (Bernat Klein Studio) role will support the delivery of the first phase of the recently acquired Bernat Klein Studio (1972) by Peter Womersley between Galashiels and Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. As part of a coalition with National Trust for Scotland and Bernat Klein Foundation – Bernat Klein Studio Coalition – SHBT is undertaking the restoration of this unique piece of Scotland’s architectural heritage of the twentieth century. Working with the Project Manager and Director, you would be responsible for overseeing a package of essential works to this category A building at risk, develop a detailed project plan, including the procurement of a Design Team, and lead on drafting major funding applications to National Lottery Heritage Fund and other key funders to complete the project.
Apply with CV and covering letter to: info@shbt.org.uk
More information can be found here
Closing date: 9am on Monday 6 October 2025

 

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