Following the recent launch of the 2026 BEFS Manifesto: Building Foundations for a Better Scotland, the BEFS Team have written to 140 relevant policy-makers drawing attention to the 15 key policy asks and sharing the short Manifesto Statement. BEFS is also in active cooperation with Members and stakeholders in advocating collaboratively for shared policy recommendations. A hustings event, in which senior political party representatives will be invited to respond to the BEFS Manifesto and answer questions from BEFS Members ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, is in planning for Spring 2026.

BEFS Director Hazel Johnson spoke to the Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Public Administration Committee this month about the Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill. The proposed levy on new residential property development is designed to raise income for building safety measures including cladding remediation. BEFS provided the Committee with a statement to complement an earlier consultation response. The evidence session can be viewed on Parliament TV.

Scotland’s Climate Change Plan 2026-2040 was published by the Scottish Government this month. Yesterday, BEFS Head of Policy and Strategy Derek Rankine shared views on the Plan with the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee. The Committee is scrutinising the Plan and invited BEFS to provide feedback on its Sectoral Annex for Buildings (Residential and Public). BEFS highlighted key points from a prepared statement and a response to the linked consultation. View the session here.

The Climate Change Plan evidence session touched on the Heat in Buildings Bill. Yesterday, the Scottish Government published the draft Bill, and announced that it will not be introduced in the current term of Parliament as originally planned. A new timeline for the Bill will be set out after the May 2026 elections. View the announcement and draft Bill.

The second edition of a new BEFS Places of Worship Newsletter was circulated this month. Lead items include a blog by Dr Karen Mailley on the Accessing Websters project and an in-depth report from BEFS Places of Worship: Planning Forward conference in Glasgow. The Newsletter also features sector news and upcoming events. Sign up to the Newsletter.

BEFS attended the Heritage Alliance’s 2025 Heritage Debate this month. The focus of the online conference, entitled ‘Closer to Home’, was the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. The key question was, what implications will changes to local governance and community engagement have on heritage management, funding, project delivery and potential? Conference participants were invited to suggest ‘Placemaking Postcards’ case studies – available online – that demonstrate the effectiveness of local decision-making in heritage.

One of the key policy asks in the 2026 BEFS Manifesto is for increased action in reusing construction materials. A new European Union funded project – CirCoFin – intends to facilitate exactly that. Scotland is one of four European locations selected to pilot a Circular Construction Hub. Zero Waste Scotland will lead on development of a Scottish Hub, with a plan to operate at scale by December 2027. Learn more about CirCoFin.

Staying with continental activity, BEFS is a Member of pan-European cultural heritage champion body Europa Nostra. The non-profit has this month published its Heritage Manifesto for Europe, which calls for “bold and coordinated action” on seven heritage areas in European budgets and policies. Europa Nostra also formally endorsed the Culture Compass for Europe, a European Commission strategic document published on 12 November.

 

Forestry and Land Scotland Draft Corporate Strategic Plan 2026 – 2030
Forestry and Land Scotland
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is consulting on its next Corporate Strategic Plan which sets out the proposed direction of travel and priorities for the organisation. The consultation seeks views from all who have an interest in the national forests and land (forests and land owned by Scottish Ministers on behalf of the people of Scotland), particularly on corporate outcomes and priorities which will frame delivery of work over the next five years. Consultation responses will inform development of the final version of the Corporate Strategic Plan.
Closes 21 November 2025 

HES – Talking About Heritage Survey 2025
Historic Environment Scotland
Scotland’s heritage belongs to us all – from stone circles and high streets to tenements and schools. Heritage makes communities special and it’s everything we inherit from the past that shapes who we are today as well as influencing our future. Talking About Heritage is a national conversation. The results of this survey will have an impact on how HES think about and care for heritage in Scotland. Discover other ways to get involved here.
Closes 7 December 2025 

Call for Good Practices: Cultural Heritage as an Asset for the Green, Digital and Social Transformation
European Heritage Hub
The European Heritage Hub is seeking local good practices from cities and regions across Europe in heritage within the context of the ‘triple transformation’- green, digital and social transformation of society. The call is open to local and regional administrations of all sizes from across Europe, including Ukraine, Moldova, Western Balkans and the Caucasus region, as well as EEA, EFTA countries and the UK. Ten inspirational practices will be selected, with hosts eligible to organise onsite peer-learning visits in 2026-2027. Thematic areas include heritage and climate, tourism, digital technologies, communities, youth, values, peace, music, EU enlargement, and the Mediterranean. Applications must be submitted in English via the online form.
*NEW* Closes 19 December 2025 

Compulsory Purchase Reform
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is carrying out a programme of work to reform and modernise Scotland’s compulsory purchase system. Following a commitment in the Programme for Government 2024/25, a consultation has been published on a comprehensive package of proposals and options for change; to make compulsory purchase simpler, more streamlined and fairer for all parties. The consultation has been informed by extensive engagement with a range of stakeholders, including a practitioner advisory group chaired by the Chief Planner and Roseanna Cunningham, MSP. A number of questions on compulsory sale orders and compulsory lease orders are also included in the consultation paper. Any questions about the consultation: CPO.Reform@gov.scot.
Closes 19 December 2025 

Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 – Thresholds Review
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is consulting on proposed changes to the goods, services, works, and community benefit thresholds within the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014. These thresholds determine which procurement rules apply to public contracts in Scotland. The review considers increasing the goods, services, and works thresholds, and decreasing the community benefits threshold, to ensure they remain appropriate and effective.
Closes 8 January 2026  

Draft Circular Economy Strategy
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is committed to moving from a linear “take, make and dispose” economic model to a circular economy where materials and goods are valued and kept in use for as long as possible. This draft circular economy strategy sets out the rationale and benefits of a more circular economy within the wider economic framework and describes the overall vision to 2045 and the outcomes that they are working towards. The consultation paper contains full background information for this consultation.
Closes 13 January 2026 

Properties and Collections Strategy: Towards Sustainable Stewardship 
Historic Environment Scotland
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has published a draft Strategy document entitled: Properties and Collections Strategy: Towards Sustainable Stewardship. This draft Strategy explains how HES plans to care for the Properties and Collections in its care over the long term and why change is needed. Scotland’s historic environment is facing growing challenges, including climate change, rising costs, and a shortage of traditional skills. The Strategy explains how HES will respond to these challenges, make the most of opportunities, prioritise what matters most, and work with communities to protect and use the Properties and Collections in ways that benefit everyone.
Closes 23 January 2026 

Draft Climate Change Plan 2026-2040
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is consulting on its Draft Climate Change Plan for 2026-2040. The Plan sets out wide-ranging policies and proposals to address and adapt to the current and anticipated impacts of climate change, including by reducing carbon emissions, providing warmer homes, improving air quality, and supporting active travel. It features a road map of actions for the next 15 years and a sectoral annex on residential and public buildings.
*NEW* Closes 29 January 2026 

The Future of Council Tax in Scotland
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) are seeking views on the future of council tax in Scotland. This consultation forms part of a joint programme of work seeking to build consensus on reforms to council tax, which has remained largely unchanged since its introduction over 30 years ago. Key areas under consideration include: updating the market reference point (currently based on 1991 values) to reflect current market values; exploring approaches to revaluation, including localised revaluation where band thresholds could differ by council area to reflect local housing markets; introducing options for new council tax bands at the top and bottom of the scale to ensure the system is more progressive and proportionate; and considering transitional measures such as phased implementation and deferral options to help households adjust to changes, as well as reductions to support lower-income households. The findings will help support informed public debate and further consideration in the Scottish Parliament.
Closes 30 January 2026 

Measuring the Values of Arts, Culture, and Heritage
Heritage Strategies International
Heritage Strategies International is part of a team lead by Historic England in a research effort called ‘Developing Taxonomies for Arts, Culture and Heritage.’ The project is funded by the UKs Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). This international survey is a means to learn from experts and advocates in Arts, Culture, and Heritage what might be measured, the importance (or not) of measuring values, and to learn what similar work on creating categories of values is being used elsewhere in the world.
No closing date specified 

 

 Consultation Responses

2026-40 Climate Change Plan Scrutiny
BEFS prepared a statement on the Climate Change Plan for the Scottish Parliament Committee for Local Government, Housing and Planning ahead of Head of Policy Strategy Derek Rankine’s appearance at a roundtable session on Tuesday. The statement welcomes elements of the Buildings Annex of the Plan, but calls for wider, whole systems action across public policy, including in the spheres of training and skills, tenement repair and maintenance, retrofit project delivery, heritage project grant programmes, bringing vacant buildings back into use, and data and research. (BEFS 18/11/2025)

Scotland’s Climate Change Plan: 2026-2040
RIAS emphasises the scale of the challenge facing Scotland’s built environment, noting that domestic and non-domestic properties account for 27% of emissions, with 2.72 million homes and 262,000 non-domestic buildings requiring decarbonisation by 2045. At current rates, only 1% of existing housing stock will have been replaced by 2045, while 355,000 new homes will be added. RIAS argues that whilst the technical challenge can be met through net zero direct emissions heating systems and Scotland’s conservation and retrofit skills, profound sector changes are required. Key recommendations include: long-term investment in training and capacity building; improved building regulations to match European standards; planning policy favouring energy-efficient tenement-style development and place-mending over suburban sprawl; measures to tackle 92,536 vacant homes; promotion of decarbonised heat networks; encouragement of low-carbon Scottish-manufactured materials; mandatory five-year building assessments; and creation of a national database of building attributes. RIAS notes the RSL sector demonstrates that regulated improvement of building stock is achievable and argues these successes must extend to private sector domestic and non-domestic properties, with political will and industry capacity being the only limiting factors. (RIAS 18/11/2025)

Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill Scrutiny
BEFS provided a written statement to the Scottish Parliament Committee for Finance and Public Administration, to complement BEFS Director Hazel Johnson’s contribution to an evidence session scrutinising a proposed building safety levy on new residential development. BEFS supports the introduction of a levy in principle to support remediation of historical and future building defects, but called for exemptions for repair, maintenance and retrofit projects, and for small-scale development. BEFS also called for a robust and responsive regulatory framework, more investment in data, and cross-UK sharing of learning outcomes on levy implementation. (BEFS 11/11/2025)

Living on the edge – Shetland and the HerInDep project: an initial survey (International Journal of Heritage Studies 31/04/2025)

A Green, Fair and Growing Scotland: A Mission-Oriented Approach (Future Economy Scotland September 2025)

UK Heritage Pulse Spotlight on: Heritage Crime (Heritage Fund 10/11/2025)

Annual Conference Report: Community Development – Impact on Place, Regeneration and Housing (Community Development Alliance Scotland 18/11/2025)

Heat Pumps: Subsidies written question (UK Parl 05/11/2025)

Historic Environment Scotland: Evidence Session with Cabinet Secretary (Scot Parl 06/11/2025)

Scotland’s Climate Change Plan – 2026-2040 (Scot Gov 06/11/2025)

Scotland’s Climate Change Plan 2026-2040: Island Communities Impact Assessment (Scot Gov 06/11/2025)

Scotland’s climate change plan 2026-2040: children’s rights consideration (Scot Gov 06/11/2025)

Scotland’s climate change plan 2026-2040: Fairer Scotland Duty assessment (Scot Gov 06/11/2025)

Scotland’s climate change plan 2026-2040: equality impact assessment (Scot Gov 06/11/2025)

Scotland’s climate change plan 2026-2040: business and regulatory impact assessment (Scot Gov 06/11/2025)

Public Appointment: Members Appointed to Historic Environment Scotland on an Interim Basis (Scot Gov 07/11/2025)

Planning and Infrastructure Bill – Third Reading (UK Parl 10/11/2025)

Correspondence between Richard Bell and the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee regarding the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Pension Schemes Bill (Scot Parl 11/11/2025)

Restoration of War Memorials (UK Gov 11/11/2025)

Development plan examinations: list (Scot Gov 11/11/2025)

Wind Turbine Appeal Decisions: Statistics (Scot Gov 11/11/2025)

Delegated Powers in the Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1 (Scot Parl 12/11/2025)

Supporting global climate action (Scot Gov 13/11/2025)

Rogue Builders: Westminster Hall Debate (UK Parl 13/11/2025)

Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Commons Consideration of Lords Amendments (UK Parl 13/11/2025)

Correspondence between Ariane Burgess to Local Authority Chief Executives regarding Draft Climate Change Plan 2026-2040 scrutiny (Scot Parl 14/11/2025)

Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2 Amendment Groupings (Scot Parl 17/11/2025)

Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill – Marshalled List of Amendments for Stage 2 (Scot Parl 17/11/2025)

Warmer Homes Scotland Scheme: Performance Data (Scot Gov 17/11/2025)

Heat in buildings: future plans (Scot Gov 18/11/2025)

 

Motions

S6M-19607
Submitted by: Jamie Hepburn, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: 07/11/2025
That the Parliament recognises that 9 December 2025 is the 70th anniversary of the designation of Cumbernauld as Scotland’s third new town under the terms of the New Towns Act 1946, having been identified as a suitable location in the Clyde Valley Regional Plan; understands that this is a significant moment in the history of the town; recognises that the area designated included the existing villages of Cumbernauld and Condorrat, with the first part of the new town to be built being in the Kildrum area of the town to provide accommodation for workers at the nearby Burroughs factory; recalls that the inaugural ceremony for the new town was in June 1957, where the sod was cut at Kildrum Farm; appreciates the great sense of community that exists in Cumbernauld through its wide range of organisations and bodies that do great work to promote the town and support its residents; thanks all those who are involved in promoting the 70th anniversary, and wishes all those who live and work in Cumbernauld the best for the occasion and the future.
Current status: Achieved cross-party support

S6M-19663
Submitted by: Liam McArthur, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: 11/11/2025
That the Parliament congratulates Paul Hewison, of Orkney, on winning the Outstanding Tradesperson award at the 2025 Construction Awards of Excellence in Birmingham, which were hosted by the National Federation of Builders; believes that he earned this award by delivering exceptional work on his projects, demonstrating outstanding skill within his respective trade and consistently making a positive impact through his work; recognises that Paul works at Casey Construction Ltd, which is a family firm based in Kirkwall that has provided high-quality building services in Orkney for more than 40 years; commends Paul for his dedication to his trade; congratulates him on this well-deserved recognition, and wishes him all the best for the future.

S6M-19693
Submitted by: Douglas Ross, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: 13/11/2025
That the Parliament congratulates Angharad Rogers, Town Centres Development Manager at Moray Chamber of Commerce, who has recently been named the 2025 Scotland Loves Local Awards, High Street Hero for the Highland Region; notes that she was part of the emergency response for businesses in Elgin following the sudden closure of the St Giles Centre earlier in 2025; understands that Angharad’s passion and commitment go far beyond her job description as she brings people together, creates innovative solutions and is unwavering in her mission to make Scotland’s town centres places that residents and visitors alike are proud to enjoy; recognises that Angharad has delivered an impressive range of initiatives and support, which has helped business and charities, increased footfall and fostered community pride by getting vacant properties back into use; notes that Angharad’s work has included collaborating with architects and developers to find solutions for first floor vacant properties, to create more spaces for people to live and work, and applauds Angharad for all her effort and endeavour, which included creating three pop-up shops in Keith to encourage new enterprise, as well as encouraging local businesses to support each other.

Opinion & Comment

Yann Grandgirard on Sustainable World Heritage Cities (Edinburgh World Heritage November 2025)

Garden shed of vaccine pioneer Edward Jenner added to heritage at risk register (The Guardian 06/11/2025)

AI-powered nimbyism could grind UK planning system to a halt, experts warn (The Guardian 09/11/2025)

Fears grow over future of landmark 86-year-old Art Deco cinema in Edinburgh (The Scotsman 09/11/2025)

Love Scotland Podcast Series The Life and Legacy of Bernat Klein (NTS 14/11/2025)

Three Reasons Not to Demolish Edinburgh’s Argyle House (The Edinburgh Minute 14/11/2025)

Events

RIAS – LIVE 2025
Date & Time: Friday 21 November 2025; 9am-4:30pm
Location: Dynamic Earth, Holyrood Rd, Edinburgh EH8 8AS
RIAS are proud to host the single largest annual gathering for architects in Scotland, as an opportunity to bring people together to discuss how architects can use and develop their skills, and be a key part of Scotland’s future as a green, resilient and healthy nation. This year will be the third RIAS Live – a one-day event being held in Edinburgh where insightful presentations are met with opportunities to discuss, debate and contribute.

RIAS – BookshopLATES… Glasgow from Above
Date & Time: Thursday 27 November 2025; 6:30-7:30pm
Location: RIAS Bookshop, 15 Rutland Square, Edinburgh EH1 2BE
Come along and explore the architectural and industrial heritage of 21st-century Glasgow with architect Rosalie Menon and photographer Alistair Leith. From ornate Victorian buildings to post-industrial redevelopment projects, their recent book documents the perpetual evolution of the city’s urban environment.

STP – Scotland’s Towns Conference: Investment & Innovation
Date & Time: Thursday 27 November 2025; 8:30am-5:30pm
Location: Technology and Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, 99 George Street
Glasgow G1 1RD
As Glasgow marks its 850th year, Scotland’s Towns Conference 2025 brings together leaders, practitioners, and communities to explore how investment and innovation can deliver sustainable economic growth for towns and cities across the country. Come along to discuss, learn, and connect, whilst exploring how towns and cities can build resilient, inclusive, and liveable places that power Scotland’s economy for the next generation.

Icon Scotland – Tour of the McManus Galleries and Collections Unit
Date & Time: Thursday 27 November 2025; 1:30-2:30pm
Location: McManus Galleries, Albert Square, Meadowside, Dundee DD1 1AD
Rebecca Jackson-Hunt, Conservator for Leisure and Culture Dundee, will provide a tour looking at recent case changes in the galleries and a behind the scenes look around the Collection Unit, focusing on next year’s costume exhibition.

Icon Scotland – 2025 AGM
Date & Time: Thursday 27 November 2025; 5-5:45pm
Location: Dundee Science Centre, 14 Greenmarket, Dundee DD1 4QB
Join the Icon Scotland Group committee to discuss everything they’ve been doing in 2025, and everything planned for 2026. Tickets are free and you can come along whether you’re an Icon member or just considering joining.

Icon Scotland – Plenderleith Lecture 2025: Looking back, looking forward: 50 years as a conservator
Date & Time: Thursday 27 November 2025; 6-8:15pm
Location: Online, and in person at Dundee Science Centre, 14 Greenmarket, Dundee DD1 4QB
This year’s guest speaker is Clare Meredith ACR (Emeritus) FIIC. Clare has worked as a conservator for 50 years and will share a personal review of her professional life and talk about the evolution of conservation since the 1980s, including being part of the SSCR (which became Icon Scotland in 1985), as well as what the future of this profession might hold. The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception, and the opportunity to chat with other conservators.

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland – Society AGM and Finlaggan: Archaeology versus History
Date & Time: Saturday 29 November 2025; 11am-2:30pm
Location: Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL
The place of Finlaggan in Islay as an historic centre of importance has now been explored archaeologically. This presentation focuses on how this has enabled a deeper understanding of the documentary record and leads to exciting new interpretations of medieval and later history. The Archaeology of Finlaggan, Islay is now available for pre-order. Copies will also be available for purchase at the lecture. Note: This event will begin at 11am with the Society’s AGM, which is open to everyone but mainly targeted at Fellows. The lecture, open to all, will begin at 1:30pm and last for around an hour, including a Q&A. You do not have to attend the AGM in order to attend the lecture.

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.

SEDA/HES – Stone Futures 3 – Embodied Carbon of Slate
Date & Time: Monday 1 December 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.

Development Trusts Association Scotland – Involving Your Community
Date & Time: Tuesday 2 December 2025; 1-2:30pm
Location: Online
This workshop is focussed on involving your community in the process of taking on a former place of worship. This event is part of the New Futures Programme – Former Places of Worship event series. New Futures is a three-year programme (January 2025-December 2027) funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and Development Trusts Association Scotland to provide enhanced support to community groups considering taking on a former place of worship across Scotland. This programme was launched in direct response to the significant and unprecedented number of former places of worship which are due for disposal over the next several years. This workshop is open to any community group interested in taking ownership of a former place of worship but will be of most help to those at the beginning of the process. For questions and enquiries, please email Louise Paterson, Churches Programme Officer.

Zero Waste Scotland – Roadmap to circularity: the Built Environment
Date & Time: Wednesday 3 December 2025; 9:30am-4pm
Location: The Social Hub Glasgow,15 Candleriggs, Glasgow G1 1TQ
Join Zero Waste Scotland in this session which addresses circularity in the Built Environment sector. Zero Waste Scotland are currently developing sector specific roadmaps, each of which will have a set of interventions designed specifically to address circularity in the Built Environment sector. A system thinking approach has been taken, which has included the development of system maps for each sector. These maps tell us the most important factors influencing businesses in these sectors and we are looking for stakeholders to help identify the correct interventions to address these. This requires input from stakeholders across the economy who influence the sector including finance, insurance, public organisations, skills and standards. This event is part of a series of online and in-person stakeholder engagement events taking place so if you are unable to join this in-person event please join one of the future online events to be published on Eventbrite.

AHSS – Luis Albornoz-Parra: The Building Stones of Edinburgh
Date & Time: Monday 8 December 2025; 6:30-8:30pm
Location: Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL (wheelchair accessible)
Note: Lecture will also be streamed online via Zoom
Edinburgh is renowned for its dramatic stone architecture. What are the sources and types of building stone? Why and how does the stone decay and should the stone be conserved or replaced? Luis Albornoz-Parra of the British Geological Survey will bring some samples for identification and will make suggestions as to where in the city you might see them. Tickets available from Eventbrite or on the door, subject to availability: £6 / students £2

SHBT – Tale of Two Streets: Regenerating Princes St and Sauchiehall Street
Date & Time: Wednesday 10 December 2025; 6-8pm
Location: Riddle’s Court, 322 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2PG
Speakers: Terry Levinthal, Director of Edinburgh World Heritage and Niall Murphy, Director of Glasgow City Heritage Trust.
The hearts of cities are often marked by their great streets: theatres of commerce, places for tourists to gawk at, and the settings for civic and institutional performance and display. Edinburgh and Glasgow are thus characterised, respectively, by Princes Street and Sauchiehall street; each in its own way, architectural set pieces, and each subject to the vagaries of commerce and fashion. How are the characters of these streets re-produced and managed in response to and for changing times? How can heritage bodies contribute to these characters, balancing at the same time both change and continuity of the city itself?

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland – Carved in Stone: Bringing the Picts to Life
Date & Time: Thursday 11 December 2025; 6-8pm
Location: Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL
Carved in Stone is an illustrated guide to the Picts in late 7th century AD, serving as a source of inspiration for tabletop roleplaying games, storytellers, and anyone interested in Scotland’s past. It covers everything we know (and many things we don’t), touching on languages, kingdoms, faith, hierarchies, cuisine and more. In this panel event, the designer and lead researcher will explore the process, break down the elaborate illustrations, and discuss how they’ve approached bringing the past to life.

Development Trusts Association Scotland – Involving Your Community
Date & Time: Thursday 11 December 2025; 12-2pm
Location: Online
This workshop is focussed on mainstream funders relevant to communities taking on a former place of worship. This event is part of the New Futures Programme – Former Places of Worship event series. New Futures is a three-year programme (January 2025-December 2027) funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and Development Trusts Association Scotland to provide enhanced support to community groups considering taking on a former place of worship across Scotland. This programme was launched in direct response to the significant and unprecedented number of former places of worship which are due for disposal over the next several years. This workshop is open to any community group interested in taking ownership of a former place of worship but will be of most help to those at the beginning of the process. For questions and enquiries, please email Louise Paterson, Churches Programme Officer.

 

SPAB – Repair of Old Buildings Course
Date & Time: Monday 24-Friday 28 November 2025; 10am-4pm
Location: Online
Join SPAB for the online version of their popular Repair of Old Buildings Course. Presented by leading building conservation professionals, this course explores British and international approaches to the conservation of old buildings. The programme is underpinned by the SPAB philosophy of repair and maintenance, as set out in the SPAB Approach. Through a series of recorded lectures, virtual site visits and online Q&A sessions you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of the repair, maintenance and conservation of old buildings. The online format means you’ll benefit from an extended learning period from 27 October until January, so you can study at a time and place that’s right for you. You’ll also be able to interact with the specialists, site visit hosts and other participants via the live, online Q&A sessions throughout the week of 24 – 28 November. The Repair of Old Buildings Course is recognised by the IHBC for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and RIBA for Career Learning. The course includes one year of membership to the SPAB.

The Engine Shed – Heritage Planning
Date & Time: Wednesday 26 November 2025; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: Hybrid – The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ and Online
Members of Historic Environment Scotland’s Heritage Team will discuss how they manage change to Scotland’s built heritage, both in strategic terms as well as practical matters. This includes how proposals to alter listed buildings or build new developments in conservation areas are reviewed, considered and determined both fairly and transparently. A networking lunch will provide you with the opportunity to continue discussions and explore the Engine Shed. The full-day experience includes an afternoon tour through Stirling’s Old Town to discuss recent developments in the conservation area, key buildings of concern for the council and other matters affecting the significance of the city’s historic townscape. Cost: £75 for the in person full day learning experience; £30 for virtual attendance.

SLCT – Sheep Wool Insulation Masterclass
Date & Time: Friday 28 November 2025; 10am-3pm
Location: Charlestown Workshops, 2 Rocks Road, Charlestown, Fife KY11 3EN
This one-day masterclass about using sheep wool as a natural insulation material is for homeowners, contractors, and anyone interested in healthier, more sustainable building solutions. The day begins with an introduction to natural building materials and the reasons we might choose them: from lowering environmental impact to improving indoor air quality; followed by an exploration of how issues like damp and breathability affect traditional buildings, and why using the right materials, in the right way, really matters. The day concludes with consideration of the range of products, with the chance to handle samples and compare them, and in the afternoon, there will be a demonstration of how to cut and install SheepWool insulation into a wall structure. Cost: £75.00 + VAT

Fife College – Green Skills & Retrofit Forum 2025
Date & Time: Wednesday 3 December 2025; 9am-4pm
Location: Fife College, Dunfermline City Campus, Calaiswood Crescent, KY11 8SJ
Delivered in Partnership with CIAT Scotland East & Women in Architectural Technology, Day 1 of Fife College Green Skills & Retrofit Forum 2025 offers a unique insight into retrofit in Fife. The day will include a distinguished panel of experts looking at pivotal areas which impact retrofit delivery in Fife and an informal marketplace area filled with local products and services supporting retrofit delivery in Fife. Learn from the experts how their products and services can support you in delivering retrofit efficiently in your workspace and hear from Fife College staff about how you can access funding to up-skill or retrain your staff and find out more about the courses currently on offer and what is planned for the future.

HES – Launch of Fire Safety Management Short Guide – CPD Training for Dutyholders and Designers
Date & Time: Thursday 4 December 2025; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
Book your place on this free event on fire safety management in traditional buildings, for dutyholders, designers, and others with a legal responsibility for fire safety. Launching the new HES publication, Short Guide 14: Fire Safety Management in Traditional Buildings for Dutyholders, this event will include presentations from the authors and contributors of the Guide, including Senior Technical Officer Lila Angelaka. You will also hear from leading experts in the sector, including the HES Health & Safety team who deal with managing fire risk in their Estates.

Vacancies

Planning Democracy – Trustees
Planning Democracy are looking for new trustees to join their board. They are particularly interested in recruiting trustees who have skills in the following areas:

• Governance
• Communications (social media, online resources, website management)

However, they are also keen to hear from anyone who feels that Planning Democracy is an organisation they are interested in getting involved with. In return they are offering training opportunities, learning opportunities, experience in campaigning and advocacy, the opportunity to travel in Scotland and meet new people, as well as being part of a committed group of people. If you are interested, contact Chair, Helen Todd at info@planningdemocracy.org.uk
Closing Date: Not specified

War Memorials Trust – Trustees
War Memorials Trust works to protect and conserve the nation’s 100,000 war memorials. They are seeking new Trustees, with the right skills, experience, enthusiasm and commitment, to join the Board and help guide the charity’s efforts. The charity provides advice and expertise to help anyone who looks after a war memorial to manage, repair and conserve it for the benefit of those who live locally, those who are commemorated and their families and the wider population. They also encourage public engagement especially through their website War Memorials Online to which anyone can add information and upload photographs. So, if the Trustee role isn’t for you, you may still be able to contribute by signing up to War Memorials Online.
A skills audit has identified key areas of expertise that the Board needs to enhance as

• fundraising expertise to ensure they are here for the long term

• legal expertise to support the charity deliver its objectives appropriately

This role is home based with board meetings rotating between in-person at the London office and online, although all can be joined online. Some attendance at events or visits to war memorials may be undertaken. Reasonable expenses related to the role will be available. Minimum engagement is for four, two-hour board meetings per year (plus reading of papers beforehand). Additional input will be welcomed and Trustees may be approached by staff, on a collective or an individual basis, between meetings, particularly in relation to their expertise. For full details of the role and how to apply, please go to the War Memorials Trust’s website.
Closing Date: Not specified

 

BACK

Earlier this month BEFS was pleased to be a delivery partner for the Building Connections: Shaping the Future of Construction conference, which took place at The Engine Shed in Stirling, as part of BE-ST Fest ’25. Organised alongside Historic Environment Scotland, CIOB, RIAS, and RICS the event was part of the Skills Investment Plan delivery for the sector and brought together construction industry representatives – from tradespeople to architects, planners to contractors – to explore practical solutions to skills gaps, pipeline challenges, and the conservation of our historic buildings. Creating these spaces and enabling honest and frank conversations, exploring the shared issues spanning the professions, will be crucial in driving real change.

One of the highlights was Scott McGibbon’s thought-provoking provocation on the paradoxes inherent in Scotland’s construction sector:

• We demand innovation ? But we punish risk while rewarding repetition

• We call for collaboration ? But we design contracts that divide

• We value skilled trades ? But we exclude them from decision-making

Scott challenged us to view these as “wicked problems”— complex, interconnected challenges that require adaptive and transformative systems thinking.

Some takeaways noted by BEFS team on the day included:

• The need for a clear message that unifies the sector’s perspective on skills and training challenges;

• Pilot projects to demonstrate collaborative procurement approaches and show economic benefits;

• Granular, actionable data is essential;

• Focus on retrofit and traditional building skills as a mainstream opportunity for training and skills development;

• Seek a more collaborative approach across different government departments and industry stakeholders;

• Create more flexible, stackable competency frameworks that allow skills transfer between sectors;

• Lobby for more investment in skills training, particularly for net zero and retrofit work.

The overarching theme was the need for a clear shared voice, and a systemic and collaborative approach to addressing skills challenges in the construction and heritage sectors. The discussions at the Engine Shed were the first step – we look forward to continuing to work together, seeking shared approaches and solutions to these collective issues. Watch this space!

 

Forestry and Land Scotland Draft Corporate Strategic Plan 2026 – 2030
Forestry and Land Scotland
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is consulting on its next Corporate Strategic Plan which sets out the proposed direction of travel and priorities for the organisation. The consultation seeks views from all who have an interest in the national forests and land (forests and land owned by Scottish Ministers on behalf of the people of Scotland), particularly on corporate outcomes and priorities which will frame delivery of work over the next five years. Consultation responses will inform development of the final version of the Corporate Strategic Plan.
*NEW* Closes 21 November 2025 

HES – Talking About Heritage Survey 2025
Historic Environment Scotland
Scotland’s heritage belongs to us all – from stone circles and high streets to tenements and schools. Heritage makes communities special and it’s everything we inherit from the past that shapes who we are today as well as influencing our future. Talking About Heritage is a national conversation. The results of this survey will have an impact on how HES think about and care for heritage in Scotland. Discover other ways to get involved here.
Closes 7 December 2025 

Compulsory Purchase Reform
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is carrying out a programme of work to reform and modernise Scotland’s compulsory purchase system. Following a commitment in the Programme for Government 2024/25, a consultation has been published on a comprehensive package of proposals and options for change; to make compulsory purchase simpler, more streamlined and fairer for all parties. The consultation has been informed by extensive engagement with a range of stakeholders, including a practitioner advisory group chaired by the Chief Planner and Roseanna Cunningham. A number of questions on compulsory sale orders and compulsory lease orders are also included in the consultation paper. Any questions about the consultation: CPO.Reform@gov.scot.
Closes 19 December 2025 

Draft Circular Economy Strategy
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is committed to moving from a linear “take, make and dispose” economic model to a circular economy where materials and goods are valued and kept in use for as long as possible. This draft circular economy strategy sets out the rationale and benefits of a more circular economy within the wider economic framework and describes the overall vision to 2045 and the outcomes that they are working towards. The consultation paper contains full background information for this consultation.
Closes 13 January 2026 

Properties and Collections Strategy: Towards Sustainable Stewardship
Historic Environment Scotland
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has published a draft Strategy document entitled: Properties and Collections Strategy: Towards Sustainable Stewardship. This draft Strategy explains how HES plans to care for the Properties and Collections in its care over the long term and why change is needed. Scotland’s historic environment is facing growing challenges, including climate change, rising costs, and a shortage of traditional skills. The Strategy explains how HES will respond to these challenges, make the most of opportunities, prioritise what matters most, and work with communities to protect and use the Properties and Collections in ways that benefit everyone.
Closes 23 January 2026 

The Future of Council Tax in Scotland
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) are seeking views on the future of council tax in Scotland. This consultation forms part of a joint programme of work seeking to build consensus on reforms to council tax, which has remained largely unchanged since its introduction over 30 years ago. Key areas under consideration include: updating the market reference point (currently based on 1991 values) to reflect current market values; exploring approaches to revaluation, including localised revaluation where band thresholds could differ by council area to reflect local housing markets; introducing options for new council tax bands at the top and bottom of the scale to ensure the system is more progressive and proportionate; and considering transitional measures such as phased implementation and deferral options to help households adjust to changes, as well as reductions to support lower-income households. The findings will help support informed public debate and further consideration in the Scottish Parliament.
*NEW* Closes 30 January 2026 

Measuring the Values of Arts, Culture, and Heritage
Heritage Strategies International
Heritage Strategies International is part of a team lead by Historic England in a research effort called ‘Developing Taxonomies for Arts, Culture and Heritage.’ The project is funded by the UKs Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). This international survey is a means to learn from experts and advocates in Arts, Culture, and Heritage what might be measured, the importance (or not) of measuring values, and to learn what similar work on creating categories of values is being used elsewhere in the world.
No closing date specified 

 

 Consultation Responses

SURF’s response to the Community Right to Buy consultation (SURF 01/10/2025)

Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2025: technical consultation analysis (Scot Gov 10/10/2025)

Community Benefits from Net Zero Energy Developments: Analysis of responses to the consultation exercise (Scot Gov 22/10/2025)

Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Research Strategy
BEFS participated in a national consultation towards the proposed 2027-32 Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Research Strategy. BEFS welcomed the Strategy’s inter-linking of important core missions supported by a robust governance model and diverse funding mechanisms, but called for a strengthening of its stated aspiration to, “enhance rural and island communities”. BEFS suggested the Strategy make commitments around undertaking research into: productively reusing vacant and derelict land; maintaining and enhancing the rural heritage assets that are drivers of tourism; and supporting living well locally through effective place-making. (BEFS 24/10/2025)

PDR to Support Provision of New Homes
The Scottish Government consulted on potential changes to Permitted Development Rights (PDR) with regard to addressing the housing emergency by supporting the construction of new homes in rural areas and town centres. BEFS response urged caution and consideration of potential unintended consequences resulting from expansion of PDR, and argued that plans for new-build housing developments, including those seeking to replace existing buildings in rural regions and urban centres, should continue to be handled by planning application. (BEFS 27/10/2025)

The Conservation Officers Group (COG) also took part in this consultation. A COG submission statement drew attention to practical implementation issues with the proposed PDR changes. It also asserted that PDR was not appropriate for listed buildings, conservation areas and town centres. The COG response is available here. (COG 27/10/2025)

 

European Heritage Excellence Day 2025 spotlights innovation, creativity and community engagement (Europa Nostra 12/10/2025)

Systems Mapping of Scotland’s Built Environment and Energy Infrastructure Sectors (Zero Waste Scotland 20/10/2025)

Building a Connected Scotland (Scottish Community Alliance 30/10/2025)

Heritage Careers Week champions traditional skills for next generation (HES 31/10/2025)

Edinburgh World Heritage Legacies in Stone wins funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund  (EWH 31/10/2025)

Engaging the everyday: the concept and practice of ‘everyday heritage’ (The International Journal of Heritage 2024)

More than Bricks: the Human and Economic Impact of Social Homes (Shelter September 2025)

Smarter Transformation Issue 3 – Autumn 2025 (BE-ST October 2025)

UK Heritage Pulse Survey Report: Operational use of Artificial Intelligence (Heritage Pulse 23/10/2025)

Local government performance: Spotlight on culture and leisure services (Audit Scotland 23/10/2025)

Impact Report 2025 (Heritage Network 29/10/2025)

Towards a Shared Understanding of Housing Affordability: Short Life Working Group, 2022-24 (CaCHE 30/10/2025)

Pathways to a sustainable future: Exploring the synergy between sustainability and circular economy (Sustainable Futures December 2025)

Affordable Housing Supply Programme: resource planning assumptions (Scot Gov 21/10/2025)

Wind turbine appeal decisions: statistics (Scot Gov 21/10/2025)

Draft circular economy strategy: strategic environmental assessment (Scot Gov 21/10/2025)

Draft circular economy strategy: island communities impact assessment – pre-consultation interim report (Scot Gov 21/10/2025)

Community benefits from net zero energy developments consultation: engagement findings report (Scot Gov 22/10/2025)

UK House Price Index figures for Scotland 2025 (Registers of Scotland 22/10/2025)

Scottish Statutory Instruments relating to administration of the Scottish Aggregates Tax (Scot Parl 23/10/2025)

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill – Daily list of amendments for 23 October 2025 (Scot Parl 23/10/2025)

Scottish Housing Market Review Q3 2025 (Scot Gov 24/10/2025)

The Scottish Government – Affordable Housing Delivery Targets: Letter to UK Government (Scot Gov 25/10/2025)

Planning and the Housing Emergency Delivery Plan – Actions Update (Scot Gov 28/10/2025)

Short Term Lets Licensing Statistics Scotland to 30 June 2025 (Scot Gov 28/10/2025)

Built Environment Sector Oral Question (House of Lords 28/10/2025)

Cladding Remediation Programme: factsheet (Scot Gov 28/10/2025)

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3 Debate (Scot Parl 28/10/2025)

Housing statistics: Scottish Landlord Register data (Scot Gov 28/10/2025)

Scotland’s Cladding Remediation Programme update: Q3 2025 (Scot Gov 28/10/2025)

Correspondence between the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee and Shona Robison regarding the Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 28/10/2025)

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee: Official Report (Scot Parl 28/10/2025)

First Minister: “Fair transition to net zero vital for Scotland’s economy” (Scot Gov 29/10/2025)

Correspondence between Gillian Martin and Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee regarding Draft Climate Change Plan timeline (Scot Parl 30/10/2025)

Planning permission appeals: form and guidance (Scot Gov 30/10/2025)

Report on pre-budget scrutiny 2026-27: responding to long-term fiscal pressures (Scot Parl 30/10/2025)

Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1 Debate (Scot Parl 30/10/2025)

Climate Action Secretary at COP30 (Scot Gov 31/10/2025)

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill – 2nd Marshalled List of Amendments for Stage 3 (Scot Parl 31/10/2025)

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill – 2nd Timed Groupings of Amendments for Stage 3 (Scot Parl 31/10/2025)

Pre-Budget Scrutiny 2026-27 (Scot Parl 31/10/2025)

Improving island resilience (Scot Gov 03/11/2025)

Motions

S6M-19410
Submitted by: George Adam, Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: 24/10/2025
That the Parliament congratulates the town of Paisley on being crowned Scotland’s Town of the Year by Scotland Loves Local; acknowledges what it sees as the hard work and investment from Paisley First Business Improvement District, Renfrewshire Council and the Scottish Government into the town in recent years; notes the success of Paisley’s local cultural events such as the Halloween and food and drink festivals, and understands that Paisley, like many urban centres in Scotland, was hit badly by online shopping, out-of-town retail parks, the cost of living crisis and the loss of the textile industry, and now serves as a example for urban renewal in Scotland through both major investment and cultural renewal.
Current status: Has not yet achieved cross-party support

S6M-19422
Submitted by: Gillian Martin, Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: 27/10/2025
That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill.
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, 30 October 2025

S6M-19421
Submitted by: Mairi Gougeon, Angus North and Mearns, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: 27/10/2025
That the Parliament agrees that the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill be passed.
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Tuesday, 04 November 2025

S6M-19454
Submitted by: Gillian Martin, Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: 28/10/2025
That the Parliament agrees that the relevant provisions of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 11 March 2025, and subsequently amended, relating to a new clause on wind generation stations that may affect seismic array systems, inserted after clause 28, so far as these matters fall within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament and alter the executive competence of the Scottish Ministers, should be considered by the UK Parliament. Motion For Debate.
Current status: Due to be taken in the Chamber on Thursday 30 October 2025

Opinion & Comment

Blog: Landscape in Focus – Glenan Wood (Archaeology Scotland October 2025)

Planning Without Growth: book review (SURF 01/10/2025)

Landmark report finds “blatant and uncompromising sexism” in UK architecture

(Dezeen Magazine 21/10/2025)

Jocelyne Fleming: We’ve talked about collaboration —now we’re putting it into practice (Scottish Construction News 22/10/2025)

Paisley named Town of the Year for ‘remarkable’ revival (BBC News 24/10/2025)

‘It looks like a mill’: new Royal Dornoch clubhouse stirs up locals (The Times 26/10/2025)

Blog: Stage 3 Briefing on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill (Land Matters 26/10/2025)

Right to buy in reverse: how Brighton is tackling its social housing crisis (The Guardian 26/10/2025)

Reuse, reuse, reuse: How Denmark has embraced sustainable construction (Architects’ Journal 03/11/2025)

Blog: Dùthchas and the Road Home (Land Matters 03/11/2025)

Events

AHSS – Aonghus Mackechnie: ‘If a landscape ‘speaks’, can we hear it?
Date & Time: Monday 10 November 2025; 6:30-8:30pm
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

Historic Houses – The Historic Buildings Parks & Gardens Event
Date & Time: Tuesday 11 November 2025
Location: The QEII Conference Centre, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, London SW1P 3EE
The Historic Buildings, Parks and Gardens Event (HBPGE) has been running for over 35 years, and is open to everyone in the historic buildings, landscape conservation and heritage sectors. Owners, guardians, volunteers, professionals management staff and advisers involved with historic buildings (private, commercial, industrial, Grade I listed buildings, cathedrals, churches, manor houses, windmills, historic town centres), parks, gardens and historic landscapes. All are welcome to enjoy Historic Houses guest speakers, live demonstrations, short talks, an opportunity to meet experts and a free SPAB advice surgery.

Development Trusts Association Scotland – First Steps to Community Ownership
Date & Time: Tuesday 11 November 2025;12-1:30pm
Location: Online
A general workshop on the first steps to take when bringing a church into community ownership. This event is part of the New Futures Programme – Former Places of Worship event series. New Futures is a three-year programme (January 2025-December 2027) funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and Development Trusts Association Scotland to provide enhanced support to community groups considering taking on a former place of worship across Scotland. This programme was launched in direct response to the significant and unprecedented number of former places of worship which are due for disposal over the next several years. This workshop is open to any community group interested in taking ownership of a former place of worship but will be of most help to those at the beginning of the process. For questions and enquiries, please email Louise Paterson, Churches Programme Officer.

SHBT – Seaside City: Revisiting the History of Edinburgh’s Coastline
Date & Time: Wednesday 12 November 2025; 6-8pm
Location: Riddle’s Court, 322 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2PG
Speakers: Jonathan Gardner, contemporary archaeologist and critical heritage studies researcher and Tamsin Grainger, a Walking Artist and writer. Stretching from the River Almond to the River Esk, Edinburgh’s remarkable coastline runs from one of the few Roman ruins in Scotland to buried quarries and beaches made entirely from the rubble of the city’s demolished buildings. Through docks and ports to beach resort, nature and culture, past and present are brought together in diverse ways. This part of the city has enjoyed something of a revival of interest over the past few years: esplanade, beach, and shore making new lungs for the city. How might engaging with this oldest and most ephemeral boundary of the city help us re-imagine it anew?

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.

Aberdeen City Heritage Trust – Maintenance Week Aberdeen 2025
Dates & Times: Tuesday 18 November – Saturday 22 November 2025
Location: See individual Events
This series of presentations, both online and in-person as part of Maintenance Week, offers an opportunity for property owners and managers to access information on building maintenance, repair and retrofit as it relates to traditionally constructed property.
Built Heritage: Appropriate Maintenance and Repair
Lucy Stewart of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings SPAB explores the benefits of regular building maintenance, why it is critical in keeping buildings in good condition and how a stitch in time saves nine.
Organising Tenement Maintenance and Repair
Under One Roof provides advice on: Who is responsible? How to get things done? How to organise repairs and when to call the professionals.
Retrofit & Traditional Buildings
Calum Maclean will provide insights into how to go about retrofitting traditionally constructed and historic buildings.
Building Maintenance Essentials
Come and spend a Saturday morning finding out about caring for your traditional building, whether that be an individual granite home, a flat in a granite tenement, a community hall or even a Place of Worship.
History and Maintenance Walking Tour
Aberdeen has a fascinating and architecturally rich city centre. Find out more about how the city centre developed in the C19th and how the Trust best look after this important legacy.

Scotland’s Community Heritage – Conversations 2025: Routes to Resilience
Date & Time: Wednesday 19 November 2025; 9:15am-4:15pm
Location: Hybrid – The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ and Online
This day-long hybrid conference is an opportunity to connect with heritage professionals and community groups, sharing challenges, celebrating successes and exploring resilient futures together. Expect speakers, Q&A sessions, panel discussions and workshops, all available to attendees joining online or in person. There will also be opportunities to get involved and share your news with the ever popular One Minute Mayhem slot or by displaying a digital poster.

Under One Roof – Navigating building maintenance for landlords, with Argyll and Bute Council?
Date & Time: Wednesday 19 November 2025; 12-1pm
Location: Online
Join Under One Roof and Argyll and Bute Council for a short lunchtime webinar on Navigating Building Management and Maintenance. Get help with understanding your responsibilities as a landlord and discuss the proper procedures for working with your neighbours to maintain your building. After the presentation, there will be a chance for you to ask your questions to tenement expert, Jacqueline Omoniyi.

Development Trusts Association Scotland – Planning and Your Church
Date & Time: Thursday 20 November 2025; 1-2:30pm
Location: Online
This workshop on engaging with the planning system in regards to former places of worship is brought to you by Planning Aid Scotland. This event is part of the?New Futures Programme – Former Places of Worship event series. New Futures is a three-year programme (January 2025-December 2027) funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and Development Trusts Association Scotland to provide enhanced support to community groups considering taking on a former place of worship across Scotland. This programme was launched in direct response to the significant and unprecedented number of former places of worship which are due for disposal over the next several years. This workshop is open to any community group interested in taking ownership of a former place of worship but will be of most help to those at the beginning of the process. For questions and enquiries, please email Louise Paterson, Churches Programme Officer.

AHSS – Dominic D’Angelo: ‘Greek’ Thomson and the Watson Street Warehouses
Date & Time: Thursday 20 November 2025; 7:30-9:30pm
Location: St Andrew’s West Church & Renfield Centre, 260 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4JP
Note: Lecture will also be live-streamed via Zoom
Two years before he died, Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson designed a pair of warehouses in Watson Street for shopkeeping brothers Gavin and William Millar, as part of their planned expansion to become ‘the Largest Furniture Department in Scotland’. Dominic d’Angelo, Chair of The Alexander Thomson Society, looks at how both buildings ended up as lodging houses, and, on their 120th anniversary, the fire that would claim 40 lives. Tickets available from Eventbrite or on the door: £6 / students £2 / season ticket for all 5 lectures: £25.

RIAS – LIVE 2025
Date & Time: Friday 21 November 2025; 9am-4:30pm
Location: Dynamic Earth, Holyrood Rd, Edinburgh EH8 8AS
RIAS are proud to host the single largest annual gathering for architects in Scotland, as an opportunity to bring people together to discuss how architects can use and develop their skills, and be a key part of Scotland’s future as a green, resilient and healthy nation. This year will be the third RIAS Live – a one-day event being held in Edinburgh where insightful presentations are met with opportunities to discuss, debate and contribute.

RIAS – BookshopLATES… Glasgow from Above
Date & Time:?Thursday 27 November 2025; 6:30-7:30pm
Location: RIAS Bookshop, 15 Rutland Square, Edinburgh EH1 2BE
Come along and explore the architectural and industrial heritage of 21st-century Glasgow with architect Rosalie Menon and photographer Alistair Leith. From ornate Victorian buildings to post-industrial redevelopment projects, their recent book documents the perpetual evolution of the city’s urban environment.

STP – Scotland’s Towns Conference
Date & Time: Thursday 27 November 2025; 8:30am-5:30pm
Location: Technology and Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, 99 George Street
Glasgow G1 1RD
As Glasgow marks its 850th year, Scotland’s Towns Conference 2025 brings together leaders, practitioners, and communities to explore how investment and innovation can deliver sustainable economic growth for towns and cities across the country. Come along to discuss, learn, and connect, whilst exploring how towns and cities can build resilient, inclusive, and liveable places that power Scotland’s economy for the next generation.

Icon Scotland – Tour of the McManus Galleries and Collections Unit
Date & Time: Thursday 27 November 2025; 1:30-2:30pm
Location: McManus Galleries, Albert Square, Meadowside, Dundee DD1 1AD
Rebecca Jackson-Hunt, Conservator for Leisure and Culture Dundee, will provide a tour looking at recent case changes in the galleries and a behind the scenes look around the Collection Unit, focusing on next year’s costume exhibition.

Icon Scotland – 2025 AGM
Date & Time: Thursday 27 November 2025; 5-5:45pm
Location: Dundee Science Centre, 14 Greenmarket, Dundee DD1 4QB
Join the Icon Scotland Group committee to discuss everything they’ve been doing in 2025, and everything planned for 2026. Tickets are free and you can come along whether you’re an Icon member or just considering joining.

Icon Scotland – Plenderleith Lecture 2025: Looking back, looking forward: 50 years as a conservator
Date & Time: Thursday 27 November 2025; 6-8:15pm
Location: Online, and in person at Dundee Science Centre, 14 Greenmarket, Dundee DD1 4QB
This year’s guest speaker is Clare Meredith ACR (Emeritus) FIIC. Clare has worked as a conservator for 50 years and will share a personal review of her professional life and talk about the evolution of conservation since the 1980s, including being part of the SSCR (which became Icon Scotland in 1985), as well as what the future of this profession might hold. The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception, and the opportunity to chat with other conservators.

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland – Society AGM and Finlaggan: Archaeology versus History
Date & Time: Saturday 29 November 2025; 11am-2:30pm
Location: Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL
The place of Finlaggan in Islay as an historic centre of importance has now been explored archaeologically. This presentation focuses on how this has enabled a deeper understanding of the documentary record and leads to exciting new interpretations of medieval and later history. The Archaeology of Finlaggan, Islay is now available for pre-order. Copies will also be available for purchase at the lecture. Note: This event will begin at 11am with the Society’s AGM, which is open to everyone but mainly targeted at Fellows. The lecture, open to all, will begin at 1:30pm and last for around an hour, including a Q&A. You do not have to attend the AGM in order to attend the lecture.

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.

SEDA/HES – Stone Futures 3 – Embodied Carbon of Slate
Date & Time: Monday 1 December 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.

Development Trusts Association Scotland – Involving Your Community
Date & Time: Tuesday 2 December 2025; 1-2:30pm
Location: Online
This workshop is focussed on involving your community in the process of taking on a former place of worship. This event is part of the New Futures Programme – Former Places of Worship event series. New Futures is a three-year programme (January 2025-December 2027) funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and Development Trusts Association Scotland to provide enhanced support to community groups considering taking on a former place of worship across Scotland. This programme was launched in direct response to the significant and unprecedented number of former places of worship which are due for disposal over the next several years. This workshop is open to any community group interested in taking ownership of a former place of worship but will be of most help to those at the beginning of the process. For questions and enquiries, please email Louise Paterson, Churches Programme Officer.

Zero Waste Scotland – Roadmap to circularity: the Built Environment
Date & Time: Wednesday 3 December 2025; 9:30am-4pm
Location: The Social Hub Glasgow,15 Candleriggs, Glasgow G1 1TQ
Join Zero Waste Scotland in this session which addresses circularity in the Built Environment sector. Zero Waste Scotland are currently developing sector specific roadmaps, each of which will have a set of interventions designed specifically to address circularity in the Built Environment sector. A system thinking approach has been taken, which has included the development of system maps for each sector. These maps tell us the most important factors influencing businesses in these sectors and we are looking for stakeholders to help identify the correct interventions to address these. This requires input from stakeholders across the economy who influence the sector including finance, insurance, public organisations, skills and standards. This event is part of a series of online and in-person stakeholder engagement events taking place so if you are unable to join this in-person event please join one of the future online events to be published on Eventbrite.

AHSS – Luis Albornoz-Parra: The Building Stones of Edinburgh
Date & Time: Monday 8 December 2025; 6:30-8:30pm
Location: Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL (wheelchair accessible)
Note: Lecture will also be streamed online via Zoom
Edinburgh is renowned for its dramatic stone architecture. What are the sources and types of building stone?? Why and how does the stone decay and should the stone be conserved or replaced? Luis Albornoz-Parra of the British Geological Survey will bring some samples for identification and?will make suggestions as to where in the city you might see them. Tickets available from Eventbrite or on the door, subject to availability: £6 / students £2

 

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.

MC Consulting –Cash for Culture
Date & Time: Wednesday 12 November 2025; 9:30am-5pm
Location: Edinburgh
This intensive one-day seminar will explore proven solutions to the challenge of how to raise money to support vital work in local authorities, focusing on the opportunities from trusts and foundations, HNWI, commercial sponsorship and more. This session is designed to provide practical advice and insight on how to access the private funds available, plus discussion about some of the challenges with ethics, accountability and charitable structures. With examples of what’s worked and what’s not, explore how to meet capital challenges and secure those all important revenue funds. Cost: £299

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.

STBA & IHBC – Technical Panel: BS 40104- Domestic Retrofit Assessment – implications for traditional and heritage buildings
Date & Time: Friday 14 November 2025; 09:30-10:30
Location: Online
Hosted jointly by the STBA and IHBC Technical Panel: BS 40104:2025, which has recently launched, and provides a comprehensive, risk based methodology for assessing dwellings before retrofit works are carried out, ensuring projects are based on sound, standardised practice. Join their experts as they introduce the new standard and describe its implications to assessing and retrofitting traditional and heritage buildings.

The Engine Shed – Using Archives to Explore Scotland’s Brick Heritage
Date & Time: Monday 17 November 2025; 2-3pm
Location: Hybrid – The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ and Online
This talk will use Historic Environment Scotland’s Archives material to discuss the role of the brick in building Scotland’s heritage. Scotland has excellent examples of traditionally constructed brick buildings. From the iconic Templeton’s Carpet Factory in Glasgow to the windswept North Unst lighthouse, brickwork is an important part of our built heritage.

The Engine Shed – Traditional Building Maintenance with optional Stirling maintenance walk
Date & Time: Thursday 20 November 2025; 9:30am-3:30pm
Location: Hybrid – The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ and Online
Learn about the practicalities of detailed and regular inspections of traditional buildings and discover how a robust maintenance plan can stave off decay and expensive repairs. This full-day experience includes a tour of Stirling’s historic Old Town. The team will point out a range of maintenance issues within the city and discuss the perils of ignoring the warning signs of fabric decay. Cost: £75 for the in person full day learning experience; £30 for virtual attendance.

SPAB – Repair of Old Buildings Course
Date & Time: Monday 24-Friday 28 November 2025; 10am-4pm
Location: Online
Join SPAB for the online version of their popular Repair of Old Buildings Course. Presented by leading building conservation professionals, this course explores British and international approaches to the conservation of old buildings. The programme is underpinned by the SPAB philosophy of repair and maintenance, as set out in the SPAB Approach. Through a series of recorded lectures, virtual site visits and online Q&A sessions you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of the repair, maintenance and conservation of old buildings. The online format means you’ll benefit from an extended learning period from 27 October until January, so you can study at a time and place that’s right for you. You’ll also be able to interact with the specialists, site visit hosts and other participants via the live, online Q&A sessions throughout the week of 24 – 28 November. The Repair of Old Buildings Course is recognised by the IHBC for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and RIBA for Career Learning.?The course includes one year of membership to the SPAB.

The Engine Shed – Heritage Planning
Date & Time: Wednesday 26 November 2025; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: Hybrid – The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ and Online
Members of Historic Environment Scotland’s Heritage Team will discuss how they manage change to Scotland’s built heritage, both in strategic terms as well as practical matters. This includes how proposals to alter listed buildings or build new developments in conservation areas are reviewed, considered and determined both fairly and transparently. A networking lunch will provide you with the opportunity to continue discussions and explore the Engine Shed. The full-day experience includes an afternoon tour through Stirling’s Old Town to discuss recent developments in the conservation area, key buildings of concern for the council and other matters affecting the significance of the city’s historic townscape. Cost: £75 for the in person full day learning experience; £30 for virtual attendance.

SLCT – Sheep Wool Insulation Masterclass
Date & Time: Friday 28 November 2025; 10am-3pm
Location: Charlestown Workshops, 2 Rocks Road, Charlestown, Fife KY11 3EN
This one-day masterclass about using sheep wool as a natural insulation material is for homeowners, contractors, and anyone interested in healthier, more sustainable building solutions. The day begins with an introduction to natural building materials and the reasons we might choose them: from lowering environmental impact to improving indoor air quality; followed by an exploration of how issues like damp and breathability affect traditional buildings, and why using the right materials, in the right way, really matters. The day concludes with consideration of the range of products, with the chance to handle samples and compare them, and in the afternoon, there will be a demonstration of how to cut and install SheepWool insulation into a wall structure. Cost: £75.00 + VAT

HES – Launch of Fire Safety Management Short Guide – CPD Training for Dutyholders and Designers
Date & Time: Thursday 4 December 2025; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
Book your place on this free event on fire safety management in traditional buildings, for dutyholders, designers, and others with a legal responsibility for fire safety. Launching the new HES publication, Short Guide 14: Fire Safety Management in Traditional Buildings for Dutyholders, this event will include presentations from the authors and contributors of the Guide, including Senior Technical Officer Lila Angelaka. You will also hear from leading experts in the sector, including the HES Health & Safety team who deal with managing fire risk in their Estates.

Vacancies

Fife Historic Buildings Trust – Project Officer
Salary: £32,000 per annum (pro-rata at 0.8 FTE /4 days per week), fixed term to March 2028
Status: Part-time (0.8 FTE)
Location: Kinghorn Town Hall, St Leonard’s Place, Kinghorn, Fife KY3 9TJ
Fife Historic Buildings Trust (FHBT) are looking for an enthusiastic and organised individual with good heritage, project management and people skills to work with the existing Project Manager on new and existing FHBT projects across Fife. FHBT are an independent charitable Buildings Preservation Trust formed in 1997. Their mission is to create viable futures for heritage buildings and their communities by inspiring and enabling visionary conservation projects. Fife has a particularly rich and varied heritage with over 6,200 listed buildings and 48 conservation areas. FHBT have helped deliver over £50m in historic environment regeneration projects in Fife, supporting town centres, businesses, tourism and local communities. FHBT’s services are in demand, and there are many opportunities to develop projects that provide opportunities for engaging people and organisations across Fife with their heritage. This is a new part-time fixed term post, funded by Historic Environment Scotland, to increase capacity within the existing FHBT team to develop existing and new historic environment regeneration projects in Fife, principally the restoration and re-use of historic buildings at risk. You do not necessarily need to have formal qualifications or training in this area. You might have a background in archaeology, listed buildings, conservation, building surveying, architecture, community projects, or other areas. Download the job description, including details of how to apply to join this fantastic team: Opportunities – Fife Historic Buildings Trust.
If you have any questions before applying, please contact opportunities@fifehistoricbuildings.org.uk.
Closing date: 5pm on Friday 7 November 2025

National Trust for Scotland – Project Delivery Manager (Mackintosh Illuminated)
Salary: £40,707 – £44,847 per annum
Status: Full time; 40 hrs per week; permanent position.
Location: Flexible with time to be spent at the main properties, home working, and hot desking available at NTS premises regionally.
The National Trust for Scotland is seeking a Project Delivery Manager for the Mackintosh Illuminated Project. National Trust for Scotland (NTS) is the largest membership Charity in Scotland, with a mission to protect, care for, share and speak up for Scotland’s magnificent heritage, including its historic buildings, landscapes, footpaths and collections. The Mackintosh Illuminated Project comprises a major capital conservation project at the A Listed Hill House in Helensburgh and an ambitious programme to raise awareness and appreciation of the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his artist designer wife, Margaret MacDonald to an international audience. The Project therefore spans oversight of construction works, project management, skills training, conservation, historical research, interpretation, engagement and community relations. The project also encompasses the Trust’s other CRM property – the Mackintosh at the Willow Tea Rooms on Sauchiehall St in Glasgow where facilities and expertise already exist but will form part of a new exploration and exhibition of their work. The Project Delivery Manger will work alongside and support the Project Director in project planning & scheduling, budget monitoring, project administration, and progress reporting. This role ensures that projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards. Whilst a key part of a small, skilled team the role will have a direct responsibility for leading on critical aspects of the project delivery. This role has been supported by funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
More information can be found here.
Closing date: 4pm on Friday 7 November 2025

Historic Churches Scotland – Project Development Officer, St Margaret’s Church, Braemar
Salary: £50,000 per annum
Status: 18 month fixed-term contract
Location: Flexible homeworking, with frequent travel to Braemar
Historic Churches Scotland (HCS) is seeking a Project Development Officer for the St Margaret’s Braemar – Regenerating a hidden Scottish masterpiece project. HCS works in partnership with communities to save historic places of worship at risk through sale, disuse or decay. HCS is working in partnership with St Margaret’s Trust to secure the future of St Margaret’s Church Braemar. HCS is the owner of St Margaret’s Braemar, and St Margaret’s Trust is the day-to-day operator of the building. The partnership’s principal aim is to repair, conserve, and repurpose the Category A listed St Margaret’s Church in Braemar for the benefit of the community. This is being met through developing St Margaret’s as a high-quality visitor attraction celebrating the heritage of the village, providing a unique performance and exhibition venue, together with information for visitors to the village and surrounding area. SMT’s strapline is St Margaret’s Braemar: Performance – Arts – Heritage. This is the first stage of a two-stage project.
The Project Development Officer is responsible for the overall delivery of the Development Phase of this two-stage project, to the agreed scope, timescale and budget, including the delivery of community heritage activities in support of the project. The full job description is available here.
If you have any questions regarding the position, please email: contact@historicchurches.scot
This role has been supported by funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
To apply, please send your CV and covering letter to: contact@historicchurches.scot
Closing Date: 9am on Monday 10 November 2025

RTPI Scotland – Intern Project Officer
Salary: £22,932 pro rata per annum
Status: Part-time; 21 hours per week. 9 month Fixed Term Contract
Location: Edinburgh office (with hybrid working)
The RTPI is offering a recently graduated or current student planner the opportunity to join the RTPI Scotland team as Intern Project Officer, providing support to their diverse areas of work, including policy, research and member and stakeholder liaison. It’s an exciting time to join the RTPI Scotland team as Scotland continues to navigate the implementation of planning reforms brought in by the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019. This is your opportunity to be part of an organisation that’s shaping the future of planning and empowering planners to build a better world. As RTPI Scotland’s Intern Project Officer, you will support the RTPI, and the RTPI Scotland team in particular, on matters of policy, public affairs, research, events, and editorial of the Scottish Planner (RTPI Scotland’s quarterly journal). You will work collaboratively with RTPI colleagues in the Scotland, Policy and Public Affairs, and Practice and Research teams, as well as with various RTPI member committee’s and networks, to deliver a range of projects and programmes.
Applications: To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter that refers to the criteria in the person specification. More information can be found here.
Interview dates: Interviews will be held during the week commencing 24 November 2025
Closing Date: Monday 10 November 2025

Planning Democracy – Trustees
Planning Democracy are looking for new trustees to join their board. They are particularly interested in recruiting trustees who have skills in the following areas:

• Governance

• Communications (social media, online resources, website management)

However, they are also keen to hear from anyone who feels that Planning Democracy is an organisation they are interested in getting involved with. In return they are offering training opportunities, learning opportunities, experience in campaigning and advocacy, the opportunity to travel in Scotland and meet new people, as well as being part of a committed group of people.
If you are interested, contact Chair, Helen Todd on info@planningdemocracy.org.uk and they can then send you an application form and/or have a chat.
Closing Date: Not specified

 

BACK

A big week for BEFS, as we launch a new Manifesto, Building Foundations for a Better Scotland, in advance of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections.

Co-created through consultation with Members and stakeholders who care for, celebrate and promote the value of Scotland’s historic buildings, public spaces and infrastructure, BEFS Manifesto calls on the next Scottish Government to create the conditions for a well-resourced, dynamic and effective built and historic environment sector.

Interconnected Benefits for People and Places: 
The existing built and historic environment, both rural and urban, contributes profoundly to the quality and character of Scotland’s places, its economy, and the wellbeing of its people. Encompassing everything from ancient monuments and historic buildings to townscapes and public spaces, it influences – and is influenced by – many public policy areas.

The Manifesto outlines how recognising and leveraging the benefits brought by the sustainable use of Scotland’s existing built asset, will be critical to meeting climate and wellbeing targets; essential investment is key to releasing substantial value for public money and driving progress across vital public policy portfolios, including environmental sustainability, skills and economic development, housing, poverty, and health – unlocking the immense potential of our built heritage to deliver warmer homes, local employment, thriving town centres, and much more.

BEFS five main Manifesto policy areas are designed to demonstrate how a joined-up and strategic approach will deliver towards the long-term benefit of Scotland’s people and places across:

• Culture and Heritage

• Climate Emergency and Net Zero

• Repair, Maintenance and Retrofit

• Planning and Placemaking

• Training and Skills

15 Practical Policy Recommendations: 
BEFS Manifesto features 15 practical policy recommendations and calls on cross-party buy in towards implementation in the next term of Parliament – and beyond – to set foundations for the decades to come.

You can read the full 2026 Manifesto and a shorter Manifesto Statement on BEFS website.

BEFS Team would like to thank all Members and stakeholders that contributed their time and expertise to shaping this Manifesto. We look forward to continuing to work together, making the case for the historic built environment, over the coming months.

 

Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Research Strategy 2027-32
Scottish Government
The Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture (ENRA) Research programme is a multidisciplinary portfolio of research. It is structured in five-year cycles to enable long term strategic research and provide clarity on research priorities and programme structure. This consultation is of the draft version of the 2027-32 ENRA Research Strategy, and questions for examination cover the Strategy’s core mission, challenges, investment, impact, research areas, and more.
Closes 24 October 2025 

Heritage Crime
UK Heritage Pulse
According to the National Police Chiefs’ Council, heritage crime is defined as ‘Any offence involving damage or loss to the historic environment, including all offences involving cultural property’. Take part in this survey and help inform the response to heritage crime across the UK.
*NEW* Closes 26 October 2025 

Permitted Development Rights to Support Provision of New Homes
Scottish Government
This consultation linked to the housing emergency will investigate views on the role permitted development rights (PDR) can play in helping to address it. The consultation will explore whether action on PDR and housing delivery, particularly with regard to town centres and rural areas, could alleviate capacity pressures in the planning system. The Scottish Government is also seeking views on PDR in the context of the deployment of heat networks and domestic air source heat pumps.
Closes 27 October 2025 

HES – Talking About Heritage Survey 2025
Historic Environment Scotland
Scotland’s heritage belongs to us all – from stone circles and high streets to tenements and schools. Heritage makes communities special and it’s everything we inherit from the past that shapes who we are today as well as influencing our future. Talking About Heritage is a national conversation. The results of this survey will have an impact on how HES think about and care for heritage in Scotland. Discover other ways to get involved here.
Closes 7 December 2025 

Compulsory Purchase Reform
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is carrying out a programme of work to reform and modernise Scotland’s compulsory purchase system. Following a commitment in the Programme for Government 2024/25, a consultation has been published on a comprehensive package of proposals and options for change; to make compulsory purchase simpler, more streamlined and fairer for all parties. The consultation has been informed by extensive engagement with a range of stakeholders, including a practitioner advisory group chaired by the Chief Planner and Roseanna Cunningham. A number of questions on compulsory sale orders and compulsory lease orders are also included in the consultation paper. Any questions about the consultation: CPO.Reform@gov.scot.
Closes 19 December 2025 

Draft Circular Economy Strategy
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is committed to moving from a linear “take, make and dispose” economic model to a circular economy where materials and goods are valued and kept in use for as long as possible. This draft circular economy strategy sets out the rationale and benefits of a more circular economy within the wider economic framework and describes the overall vision to 2045 and the outcomes that they are working towards. The consultation paper contains full background information for this consultation.
*NEW* Closes 13 January 2026 

Properties and Collections Strategy: Towards Sustainable Stewardship 
Historic Environment Scotland
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has published a draft Strategy document entitled: Properties and Collections Strategy: Towards Sustainable Stewardship. This draft Strategy explains how HES plans to care for the Properties and Collections in its care over the long term and why change is needed. Scotland’s historic environment is facing growing challenges, including climate change, rising costs, and a shortage of traditional skills. The draft Strategy outlines how HES will respond to these challenges, make the most of opportunities, prioritise what matters most, and work with communities to protect and use the Properties and Collections in ways that benefit everyone.
Closes 23 January 2026 

Measuring the Values of Arts, Culture, and Heritage
Heritage Strategies International
Heritage Strategies International is part of a team lead by Historic England in a research effort called ‘Developing Taxonomies for Arts, Culture and Heritage.’ The project is funded by the UKs Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). This international survey is a means to learn from experts and advocates in Arts, Culture, and Heritage what might be measured, the importance (or not) of measuring values, and to learn what similar work on creating categories of values is being used elsewhere in the world.
*NEW* No closing date specified 

 

 Consultation Responses

Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2025: technical consultation analysis (Scot Gov 10/10/2025)

 

Petitions

PE2191: Review legislation in order to strengthen the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (Scot Parl 09/10/2025)
Petition calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to review the legislation concerning the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC), in order to:
• explicitly prohibit camping in a vehicle, outside of designated camping zones
• make the provisions of the Code legally enforceable by introducing dedicated enforcement teams and fines for Code violations.

 

Nominate your Hero for the Ecclesiastical Heritage Heroes Awards 2025 (Heritage Alliance 23/09/2025)

ScotLand Futures initiative – Four voices, one question: what would it mean to complete Scotland’s land reform journey(Scottish Land Commission 30/09/2025)

Gardens Trust launches report into the role of historic parks and gardens in the 21st century (The Gardens Trust 03/10/2025)

The Scottish Government launches a dedicated LinkedIn page covering culture and the arts (Angus Robertson via LinkedIn 10/10/2025)

Historic Houses and the Institute for Art and Law mark 75 years of cultural heritage policy as landmark cultural policy papers are made available in full online for the first time (Historic Houses 13/10/2025)

The AHF’s Heritage Impact Fund Reaches £10 Million Milestone in Pioneering Social Investment for Historic Buildings (Architectural Heritage Fund 13/10/2025)

Scottish museums share £862k through the Repair and Adaptation Fund (13/10/2025)

The University of Strathclyde building shortlisted for Innovation in Sustainability Award (Clark Contracts 14/10/2025)

Excellence in Planning for Heritage and Culture Finalists – including Edinburgh Futures Institute (RTPI 14/10/2025)

Major new study to reveal the value of the UK’s UNESCO sites (UNESCO 14/10/2025)

Six areas, towns and cities across the UK to benefit from long-term investment (NLHF 15/10/2025)

New guidance for communities looking to purchase a church or hall building ( Scottish Community Councils 17/10/2025)

SFHA Report warns of multi-billion-pound funding gap to tackle housing emergency amid surging building costs (Scottish Federation of Housing Associations 20/10/2025)

 

Green skills in archaeology (CIfA: The Archaeologist 23/06/2025)

Planning Aid Scotland’s guide to?Navigating the Consenting Processes for Renewable Energy Developments (PAS 24/09/2025)

Scottish Tourism Alliance: Holyrood Election Manifesto for 2026 (STA 03/10/2025)

New report shows extent of joint working in Scottish local government (improvement service 06/10/2025)

 

Scotland’s Cladding Remediation Programme monthly management information: September 2025 (Scot Gov 07/10/2025)

Planning permission appeals: housing development statistics (Scot Gov 07/10/2025)

Wind turbine appeal decisions: statistics (Scot Gov 07/10/2025)

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee – official report (Scot Parl 07/10/2025)

Colleges and Apprenticeships Debate: Traditional Building Skills (Scot Parl 08/10/2025)

SPICe Briefing: Wellbeing and Sustainable Development (Scotland) Bill (SPICe 08/10/2025)

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill — Stage 3: Groupings of Amendments (Scot Parl 09/10/2025)

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill — Stage 3: Marshalled List of Amendments (Scot Parl 09/10/2025)

Planning and Infrastructure Bill – official report (Scot Parl 09/10/2025)

Preliminary findings from new towns programme inquiry released (House of Lords 09/10/2025)

National Planning Framework 4: Policy 22 (flood risk and water management) – Chief Planner letter – October 2025 (Scot Gov 13/10/2025)

Written answer: Recreation Spaces: Urban Areas (UK Parl 13/10/2025)

Written statement: Retrofit measures under ECO4 and GBIS (UK Parl 13/10/2025)

Pro-growth package unshackling Britain to get building (UK Gov 13/10/2025)

Public appointment: Chair appointed to the National Library of Scotland (Scot Gov 13/10/2025)

Tourism and Hospitality Industry Leadership Group minutes: 14 May 2025 (Scot Gov 14/10/2025)

Public appointment: Chair appointed to the Board of National Galleries of Scotland (Scot Gov 14/10/2025)

Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme: quarterly report September 2025 (Scot Gov 17/10/2025)

Heat Network: quarterly report September 2025 (Scot Gov 17/10/2025)

Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board minutes: 30 May 2025 (Scot Gov 17/10/2025)

Clean energy jobs boom to bring thousands of new jobs (UK Gov 19/10/2025)

Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations: call-in guidance (Scot Gov 20/10/2025)

A Draft Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland: Consultation Paper & Supporting Documents (Scot Gov 21/10/2025)

 

Motions

S6M-19253.2
Submitted by: Lorna Slater, Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: 07/10/2025
As an amendment to motion S6M-19253 in the name of Murdo Fraser (Backing Scotland’s Colleges and Apprenticeships), leave out from “that future” to end and insert “the transformative power of education and training, and the vital roles that colleges and apprenticeships play in supporting young people and building resilient communities, including in a just transition away from fossil fuels; acknowledges the importance of having college facilities located close to where people live, ensuring accessibility and inclusion; believes that improved college governance is essential to prevent poor management decisions and to safeguard the quality of provision; acknowledges the work of EIS-FELA and UNISON in campaigning for better further education provision and supporting college staff across the country who face uncertainty about the future; calls for enhanced outcomes for women, students and apprentices, to ensure that they are not disproportionately channelled into low-waged sectors; urges colleges to align their skills offerings with the ambitions of the National Performance Framework; supports the introduction of regulated minimum training hours and standards for apprenticeships; believes that colleges must be living wage employers and exemplars of fair work practices, and calls for all apprentices to be paid a living wage.”

S6M-19253.3
Submitted by: Richard Lochhead, Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: 07/10/2025
As an amendment to motion S6M-19253 in the name of Murdo Fraser (Backing Scotland’s Colleges and Apprenticeships), leave out from “with concern” to end and insert “the Audit Scotland report entitled, Scotland’s colleges 2025, and the importance of continued investment in Scotland’s colleges and skills system to support inclusive economic success, prosperity and job creation, including provision of around three quarters of a billion pounds in Scotland’s colleges in 2025-26, and an additional £3.5 million for skills, through the Scottish Budget; acknowledges that this is particularly important in the thriving sectors, like those critical to realising the transition to net zero, and the shared opportunities of this; recognises the key role that colleges, employers and training providers have played in ensuring that 93% of school leavers have a positive destination, and providing apprenticeships and training to a record 39,000 individuals, and notes, however, concern about the impact of Brexit and the UK Government’s migration system, which is contributing to key skills gaps and labour market shortages.”

S6M-19327
Submitted by: Gillian Martin, Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: 13/10/2025
That the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee recommends that the Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2025 [draft] be approved.

 

Opinion & Comment

 

Blog: Energy performance certificates (EPCs) tell us how energy efficient our buildings are. The way these certificates are generated has changed (HES 01/10/2025)

25 years of stonemasonry excellence at HES Elgin Skills Training Centre (Project Scotland 07/10/2025)

The historic buildings of Scotland fighting for their future – Melrose Abbey, Doune Castle (The Scotsman 08/10/2025)

Blog: Heritage offers timeless lessons for a climate-resilient Edinburgh (The Cockburn Association 10/10/2025)

Poll: Huge public support for £450m tax on landowners (The Herald 12/10/2025)

Blog: Tenement Town: 18 Rankeillor Street, Edinburgh (Tenement Town 13/10/2025)

Towns may have to be abandoned due to floods with millions more homes in Great Britain at risk (The Guardian 14/10/2025)

Tens of thousands of homes insulated under government schemes need repairs (BBC News 14/10/2025)

Scotland’s last shoemaker’s shop awarded funding for conservation (Deadline News 15/10/2025)

Bridging the Gap: Why the skills system is overdue an overhaul (Holyrood Magazine 16/10/2025)

RIBA Stirling Prize. Britain’s best new building is a revamped almshouse (The Guardian 17/10/2025)

Could the first international football stadium become flats? (BBC News 19/10/2025)

Events

AHSS – Niall Murphy: Glasgow 850
Date & Time: Thursday 23 October 2025; 7:30-9:30pm
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.

Historic Environment Scotland – Discover Heritage Careers Fair
Date & Time: Monday 27 October 2025; 6-8pm
Location: Edinburgh Castle, Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG
Come along to this event hosted by Historic Environment Scotland to meet employers and training providers across the heritage sector, and discover the range of career options available.

Under One Roof – Navigating Tenement Building Repairs with North Ayrshire Council
Date & Time: Tuesday 28 October 2025; 12-1pm
Location: Online
Join Under One Roof and North Ayrshire Council for a short, lunchtime webinar on tenement building repairs. Learn about: proper procedures for organising a repair in your tenement building; the difference between individual, mutual and common areas of your tenement building; and relevant legislation and enforcement. There will be time after the presentation to ask questions, and get answers from tenement expert, Jacqueline Omoniyi.

Under One Roof – Navigating Tenement Building Repairs with Aberdeen City Council
Date & Time: Wednesday 29 October 2025; 12-1pm
Location: Online
Join Under One Roof and Aberdeen City Council for a short lunchtime webinar, discussing the proper procedures for organising repairs, from understanding your titles, to communicating with your fellow owners, to sourcing and paying contractors and enforcement action. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session with tenement expert, Education and Training Officer Jacqueline Omoniyi.

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.

SHSMG – How to Handle Social Media Backlash
Date & Time: Thursday 30 October 2025; 3-4pm
Location: Online
Concerned about a social media firestorm? Unsure how best to react to critical online media coverage? If you work or volunteer in heritage communications, this event is for you. The Scottish Heritage Social Media Group will be hearing from David McLeod, Marketing Officer at Culture Perth & Kinross, who will discuss the kinds of backlash he’s dealt with in his career, explain how it was handled, and share the outcomes. He’ll offer advice on what kind of comments demand a reaction and which are better left alone, share tips on preparing for potential backlash, and discuss strategies for reacting to online hate at short notice.

EFI – AI in the City Public Forum
Date & Time: Thursday 30 October 2025; 6-7:30pm
Location: Edinburgh Futures Institute, 1 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9EF
AI for Collective Intelligence (AI4CI), Architecture and Design Scotland (A&DS) and Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI)  invite you to a public forum on ‘AI in the City’. Join expert panellists in geocomputation, city planning, smart design, AI ethics and integration, moderated by journalist, broadcaster and presenter Stephen Jardine. Explore how AI is shaping the design and management of urban and rural spaces, and discover current developments. This event offers the public direct access to expert insights and the chance to ask pressing questions. Stay informed on the opportunities, risks, and community impacts of AI in city living, building, and planning.

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.

Under One Roof – Tenement Management session for Landlords
Date & Time: Monday 3 November 2025; 12-1pm
Location: Online
In partnership with Glasgow City Council, this free webinar will provide information on how to organise common repairs in your tenement building, what the proper procedures are and help you understand enforcement options. There will also be expertise on how to deal with water leaks in your building. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session with tenement expert, Jacqueline Omoniyi.

Under One Roof – Landlord Information Session: common repairs, missing shares and dealing with damp and mould
Date & Time: Tuesday 4 November 2025; 10am-12pm
Location: City Halls & Old Fruitmarket, 100 Candleriggs, Glasgow G1 1NQ
In partnership with Glasgow City Council, Under One Roof will be discussing the common repairs process, helping you understand proper procedures and enforcement options. You will hear from Glasgow City Council staff about the city’s missing shares scheme and how that can assist owners with common repairs.? Under One Roof will also present on damp and mould, a topical issue affecting tenement flats, explaining best practice and sharing helpful information. Tea and coffee will be provided, and the presentation will be followed by a Q&A session with tenement expert, Jacqueline Omoniyi. Glasgow City Council staff will also be on hand to help with your questions. Register by email: Rebecca@underoneroof.scot

Under One Roof – Repairing Standard Event for landlords with East Ayrshire Council
Date & Time: Wednesday 5 November 2025; 2-3pm
Location: Online & at East Ayrshire Council Headquarters, London Road, Kilmarnock KA3 7BU
East Ayrshire landlords are invited to join Under One Roof and East Ayrshire Council for a short seminar on the Repairing Standard. You can join in either at Council Headquarters or online on Microsoft Teams. Hear from tenement experts all about the Repairing Standard, and what it means for your property and tenants. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A.

RIAS – BookshopLATES… New Scottish Houses
Date & Time: Wednesday 5 November 2025; 6-7:30pm
Location: RIAS Bookshop, 15 Rutland Square, Edinburgh EH1 2BE
Celebrate the publication of New Scottish Houses: Contemporary architecture and living in the landscape with journalist and author Isabelle Priest. Talks from Isabelle and some of the featured architects on how Scotland is a showcase for contemporary sustainable homes in the remotest of landscapes.

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.

The Heritage Alliance – Heritage Debate 2025
Date & Time: Thursday 6 November 2025; 12-2pm
Location: Online (via Zoom)
Topic: Closer to Home: Is Local Decision-Making the Future of Heritage?  Now in its 16th year, Heritage Debate brings sector leaders, professionals and volunteers together to share cross-sector insights, make connections and find solutions to the key challenges facing heritage today. This year, Heritage Debate will tackle one of the most significant shifts in governance affecting the sector in a generation. With local government reorganisation on the horizon, new mayoral powers emerging, and communities gaining new rights to shape their places, the question being asked: is bringing decision-making closer to home the key to unlocking heritage’s full potential? Listen to an expert panel examining what bringing power closer to home really means for the places we cherish and the communities that sustain them. More details on speakers will be announced soon.

Under One Roof – Navigating building repairs in flatted blocks with North Lanarkshire Council
Date & Time: Thursday 6 November 2025; 12:30-1:30pm
Location: Online
Come along to a short, lunchtime webinar with Under One Roof and North Lanarkshire Council, to discuss topics such as how to understand your titles, the difference between individual and ‘common’ areas of your building, and how to work with your neighbours to carry out repairs. The presentations will be followed by a Q&A, when you can ask the experts your questions.

Under One Roof – Taking Care of Your Tenement: Drop-In Session with Glasgow City Heritage Trust
Date & Time: Thursday 6 November 2025; 6-8pm
Location: The Deep End, 21 Nithsdale Street, Glasgow G41 2PZ
Join Glasgow City Heritage Trust and Under One Roof for a drop-in session aimed at anyone who wants to learn more about maintaining and repairing historic tenements. Come by to ask the experts for information on tenement repair, management and retrofit, or to pick up one of their leaflets.

AHSS – Aonghus Mackechnie: ‘If a landscape ‘speaks’, can we hear it? 
Date & Time: Monday 10 November 2025; 6:30-8:30pm
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

Historic Houses – The Historic Buildings Parks & Gardens Event
Date & Time: Tuesday 11 November 2025
Location: The QEII Conference Centre, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, London SW1P 3EE
The Historic Buildings, Parks and Gardens Event (HBPGE) has been running for over 35 years, and is open to everyone in the historic buildings, landscape conservation and heritage sectors. Owners, guardians, volunteers, professionals management staff and advisers involved with historic buildings (private, commercial, industrial, Grade I listed buildings, cathedrals, churches, manor houses, windmills, historic town centres), parks, gardens and historic landscapes. All are welcome to enjoy Historic Houses guest speakers, live demonstrations, short talks, an opportunity to meet experts and a free SPAB advice surgery.

Development Trusts Association Scotland – First Steps to Community Ownership
Date & Time: Tuesday 11 November 2025;12-1:30pm
Location: Online
A general workshop on the first steps to take when bringing a church into community ownership. This event is part of the New Futures Programme – Former Places of Worship event series. New Futures is a three-year programme (January 2025-December 2027) funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and Development Trusts Association Scotland to provide enhanced support to community groups considering taking on a former place of worship across Scotland. This programme was launched in direct response to the significant and unprecedented number of former places of worship which are due for disposal over the next several years. This workshop is open to any community group interested in taking ownership of a former place of worship but will be of most help to those at the beginning of the process. For questions and enquiries, please email Louise Paterson, Churches Programme Officer.

SHBT – Seaside City: Revisiting the History of Edinburgh’s Coastline
Date & Time: Wednesday 12 November 2025; 6-8pm
Location: Riddle’s Court, 322 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2PG
Speakers: Jonathan Gardner, contemporary archaeologist and critical heritage studies researcher and Tamsin Grainger, a Walking Artist and writer.
Stretching from the River Almond to the River Esk, Edinburgh’s remarkable coastline runs from one of the few Roman ruins in Scotland to buried quarries and beaches made entirely from the rubble of the city’s demolished buildings. Through docks and ports to beach resort, nature and culture, past and present are brought together in diverse ways. This part of the city has enjoyed something of a revival of interest over the past few years: esplanade, beach, and shore making new lungs for the city. How might engaging with this oldest and most ephemeral boundary of the city help us re-imagine it anew?

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.

Scotland’s Community Heritage – Conversations 2025: Routes to Resilience
Date & Time: Wednesday 19 November 2025; 9:15am-4:15pm
Location: Hybrid – The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ and Online
This day-long hybrid conference is an opportunity to connect with heritage professionals and community groups, sharing challenges, celebrating successes and exploring resilient futures together. Expect speakers, Q&A sessions, panel discussions and workshops, all available to attendees joining online or in person. There will also be opportunities to get involved and share your news with the ever popular One Minute Mayhem slot or by displaying a digital poster.

Under One Roof – Navigating building maintenance for landlords, with Argyll and Bute Council?
Date & Time: Wednesday 19 November 2025; 12-1pm
Location: Online
Join Under One Roof and Argyll and Bute Council for a short lunchtime webinar on Navigating Building Management and Maintenance. Get help with understanding your responsibilities as a landlord and discuss the proper procedures for working with your neighbours to maintain your building. After the presentation, there will be a chance for you to ask your questions to tenement expert, Jacqueline Omoniyi.

Development Trusts Association Scotland – Planning and Your Church
Date & Time: Thursday 20 November 2025; 1-2:30pm
Location: Online
This workshop on engaging with the planning system in regards to former places of worship is brought to you by Planning Aid Scotland. This event is part of the New Futures Programme – Former Places of Worship event series. New Futures is a three-year programme (January 2025-December 2027) funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and Development Trusts Association Scotland to provide enhanced support to community groups considering taking on a former place of worship across Scotland. This programme was launched in direct response to the significant and unprecedented number of former places of worship which are due for disposal over the next several years. This workshop is open to any community group interested in taking ownership of a former place of worship but will be of most help to those at the beginning of the process. For questions and enquiries, please email Louise Paterson, Churches Programme Officer.

AHSS – Dominic D’Angelo: ‘Greek’ Thomson and the Watson Street Warehouses 
Date & Time: Thursday 20 November 2025; 7:30-9:30pm
Location: St Andrew’s West Church & Renfield Centre, 260 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4JP
Note: Lecture will also be live-streamed via Zoom
Two years before he died, Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson designed a pair of warehouses in Watson Street for shopkeeping brothers Gavin and William Millar, as part of their planned expansion to become ‘the Largest Furniture Department in Scotland’. Dominic d’Angelo, Chair of The Alexander Thomson Society, looks at how both buildings ended up as lodging houses, and, on their 120th anniversary, the fire that would claim 40 lives. Tickets available from Eventbrite or on the door: £6 / students £2 / season ticket for all 5 lectures: £25.

RIAS – LIVE 2025
Date & Time: Friday 21 November 2025; 9am-4:30pm
Location: Dynamic Earth, Holyrood Rd, Edinburgh EH8 8AS
RIAS are proud to host the single largest annual gathering for architects in Scotland, as an opportunity to bring people together to discuss how architects can use and develop their skills, and be a key part of Scotland’s future as a green, resilient and healthy nation. This year will be the third RIAS Live – a one-day event being held in Edinburgh where insightful presentations are met with opportunities to discuss, debate and contribute.

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland – Society AGM and Finlaggan: Archaeology versus History
Date & Time: Saturday 29 November 2025; 11am-2:30pm
Location: Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL
The place of Finlaggan in Islay as an historic centre of importance has now been explored archaeologically. This presentation focuses on how this has enabled a deeper understanding of the documentary record and leads to exciting new interpretations of medieval and later history. The Archaeology of Finlaggan, Islay is now available for pre-order. Copies will also be available for purchase at the lecture. Note: This event will begin at 11am with the Society’s AGM, which is open to everyone but mainly targeted at Fellows. The lecture, open to all, will begin at 1:30pm and last for around an hour, including a Q&A. You do not have to attend the AGM in order to attend the lecture.

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.

 

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.

C&BS – Prospect Research for Fundraising
Date & Time: Wednesday 5 November 2025; 9:30am-12:30pm
Location: Online
Do you want to find new donors but aren’t sure where to start? This hands-on course, led by Emma Lacroix, introduces the tools, techniques, and strategic thinking behind effective prospect research and supporter identification. Designed for those new to prospect development or looking to sharpen their approach, this live classroom session will help you better understand who your potential supporters are, where to find them, and how to prioritise your efforts for maximum impact. The session will also explore how to integrate prospect research into your wider fundraising strategy and build a pipeline that supports long-term growth.

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.

STBA & IHBC – Technical Panel: BS 40104- Domestic Retrofit Assessment – implications for traditional and heritage buildings
Date & Time: Friday 14 November 2025; 09:30-10:30
Location: Online
Hosted jointly by the STBA and IHBC Technical Panel: BS 40104:2025, which has recently launched, and provides a comprehensive, risk based methodology for assessing dwellings before retrofit works are carried out, ensuring projects are based on sound, standardised practice. Join their experts as they introduce the new standard and describe its implications to assessing and retrofitting traditional and heritage buildings.

The Engine Shed – Using Archives to Explore Scotland’s Brick Heritage
Date & Time: Monday 17 November 2025; 2-3pm
Location: Hybrid – The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ and Online
This talk will use Historic Environment Scotland’s Archives material to discuss the role of the brick in building Scotland’s heritage. Scotland has excellent examples of traditionally constructed brick buildings. From the iconic Templeton’s Carpet Factory in Glasgow to the windswept North Unst lighthouse, brickwork is an important part of our built heritage.

The Engine Shed – Traditional Building Maintenance with optional Stirling maintenance walk
Date & Time: Thursday 20 November 2025; 9:30am-3:30pm
Location: Hybrid – The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ and Online
Learn about the practicalities of detailed and regular inspections of traditional buildings and discover how a robust maintenance plan can stave off decay and expensive repairs. This full-day experience includes a tour of Stirling’s historic Old Town. The team will point out a range of maintenance issues within the city and discuss the perils of ignoring the warning signs of fabric decay. Cost: £75 for the in person full day learning experience; £30 for virtual attendance.

SPAB – Repair of Old Buildings Course
Date & Time: Monday 24-Friday 28 November 2025; 10am-4pm
Location: Online
Join SPAB for the online version of their popular Repair of Old Buildings Course. Presented by leading building conservation professionals, this course explores British and international approaches to the conservation of old buildings. The programme is underpinned by the SPAB philosophy of repair and maintenance, as set out in the SPAB Approach. Through a series of recorded lectures, virtual site visits and online Q&A sessions you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of the repair, maintenance and conservation of old buildings. The online format means you’ll benefit from an extended learning period from 27 October until January, so you can study at a time and place that’s right for you. You’ll also be able to interact with the specialists, site visit hosts and other participants via the live, online Q&A sessions throughout the week of 24 – 28 November. The Repair of Old Buildings Course is recognised by the IHBC for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and RIBA for Career Learning. The course includes one year of membership to the SPAB.

The Engine Shed – Heritage Planning
Date & Time: Wednesday 26 November 2025; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: Hybrid – The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ and Online
Members of Historic Environment Scotland’s Heritage Team will discuss how they manage change to Scotland’s built heritage, both in strategic terms as well as practical matters. This includes how proposals to alter listed buildings or build new developments in conservation areas are reviewed, considered and determined both fairly and transparently. A networking lunch will provide you with the opportunity to continue discussions and explore the Engine Shed. The full-day experience includes an afternoon tour through Stirling’s Old Town to discuss recent developments in the conservation area, key buildings of concern for the council and other matters affecting the significance of the city’s historic townscape. Cost: £75 for the in person full day learning experience; £30 for virtual attendance.

Vacancies

 

Fife Historic Buildings Trust – Project Officer
Salary: £32,000 per annum (pro-rata at 0.8 FTE /4 days per week), fixed term to March 2028
Status: Part-time (0.8 FTE)
Location: Kinghorn Town Hall, St Leonard’s Place, Kinghorn, Fife KY3 9TJ
Fife Historic Buildings Trust (FHBT) are looking for an enthusiastic and organised individual with good heritage, project management and people skills to work with the existing Project Manager on new and existing FHBT projects across Fife. FHBT are an independent charitable Buildings Preservation Trust formed in 1997. Their mission is to create viable futures for heritage buildings and their communities by inspiring and enabling visionary conservation projects. Fife has a particularly rich and varied heritage with over 6,200 listed buildings and 48 conservation areas. FHBT have helped deliver over £50m in historic environment regeneration projects in Fife, supporting town centres, businesses, tourism and local communities. FHBT’s services are in demand, and there are many opportunities to develop projects that provide opportunities for engaging people and organisations across Fife with their heritage. This is a new part-time fixed term post, funded by Historic Environment Scotland, to increase capacity within the existing FHBT team to develop existing and new historic environment regeneration projects in Fife, principally the restoration and re-use of historic buildings at risk. You do not necessarily need to have formal qualifications or training in this area. You might have a background in archaeology, listed buildings, conservation, building surveying, architecture, community projects, or other areas. Download the job description, including details of how to apply to join this fantastic team: Opportunities – Fife Historic Buildings Trust.
If you have any questions before applying, please contact opportunities@fifehistoricbuildings.org.uk.
Closing date: 5pm on Friday 7 November 2025

National Trust for Scotland – Project Delivery Manager (Mackintosh Illuminated)
Salary: £40,707 – £44,847 per annum
Status: Full time; 40 hrs per week; permanent position.
Location: Flexible with time to be spent at the main properties, home working, and hot desking available at NTS premises regionally.
The National Trust for Scotland is seeking a Project Delivery Manager for the Mackintosh Illuminated Project. National Trust for Scotland (NTS) is the largest membership Charity in Scotland, with a mission to protect, care for, share and speak up for Scotland’s magnificent heritage, including its historic buildings, landscapes, footpaths and collections. The Mackintosh Illuminated Project comprises a major capital conservation project at the A Listed Hill House in Helensburgh and an ambitious programme to raise awareness and appreciation of the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his artist designer wife, Margaret MacDonald to an international audience. The Project therefore spans oversight of construction works, project management, skills training, conservation, historical research, interpretation, engagement and community relations. The project also encompasses the Trust’s other CRM property – the Mackintosh at the Willow Tea Rooms on Sauchiehall St in Glasgow where facilities and expertise already exist but will form part of a new exploration and exhibition of their work. The Project Delivery Manger will work alongside and support the Project Director in project planning & scheduling, budget monitoring, project administration, and progress reporting. This role ensures that projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards. Whilst a key part of a small, skilled team the role will have a direct responsibility for leading on critical aspects of the project delivery. This role has been supported by funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
More information can be found here.
Closing date: 4pm on Friday 7 November 2025

Historic Churches Scotland – Project Development Officer, St Margaret’s Church, Braemar
Salary: £50,000 per annum
Status: 18 month fixed-term contract
Location: Flexible homeworking, with frequent travel to Braemar
Historic Churches Scotland (HCS) is seeking a Project Development Officer for the St Margaret’s Braemar – Regenerating a hidden Scottish masterpiece project. HCS works in partnership with communities to save historic places of worship at risk through sale, disuse or decay. HCS is working in partnership with St Margaret’s Trust to secure the future of St Margaret’s Church Braemar. HCS is the owner of St Margaret’s Braemar, and St Margaret’s Trust is the day-to-day operator of the building. The partnership’s principal aim is to repair, conserve, and repurpose the Category A listed St Margaret’s Church in Braemar for the benefit of the community. This is being met through developing St Margaret’s as a high-quality visitor attraction celebrating the heritage of the village, providing a unique performance and exhibition venue, together with information for visitors to the village and surrounding area. SMT’s strapline is St Margaret’s Braemar: Performance – Arts – Heritage. This is the first stage of a two-stage project.
The Project Development Officer is responsible for the overall delivery of the Development Phase of this two-stage project, to the agreed scope, timescale and budget, including the delivery of community heritage activities in support of the project. The full job description is available here.
If you have any questions regarding the position, please email: contact@historicchurches.scot
This role has been supported by funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
To apply, please send your CV and covering letter to: contact@historicchurches.scot
Closing Date: 9am on Monday 10 November 2025

RTPI Scotland – Intern Project Officer
Salary: £22,932 pro rata per annum
Status: Part-time; 21 hours per week. 9 month Fixed Term Contract
Location: Edinburgh office (with hybrid working)
The RTPI is offering a recently graduated or current student planner the opportunity to join the RTPI Scotland team as Intern Project Officer, providing support to their diverse areas of work, including policy, research and member and stakeholder liaison. It’s an exciting time to join the RTPI Scotland team as Scotland continues to navigate the implementation of planning reforms brought in by the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019. This is your opportunity to be part of an organisation that’s shaping the future of planning and empowering planners to build a better world. As RTPI Scotland’s Intern Project Officer, you will support the RTPI, and the RTPI Scotland team in particular, on matters of policy, public affairs, research, events, and editorial of the Scottish Planner (RTPI Scotland’s quarterly journal). You will work collaboratively with RTPI colleagues in the Scotland, Policy and Public Affairs, and Practice and Research teams, as well as with various RTPI member committee’s and networks, to deliver a range of projects and programmes.
Applications: To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter that refers to the criteria in the person specification. More information can be found here.
Interview dates: Interviews will be held during the week commencing 24 November 2025
Closing Date: Monday 10 November 2025

Planning Democracy – Trustees
Planning Democracy are looking for new trustees to join their board. They are particularly interested in recruiting trustees who have skills in the following areas:

• Governance

• Communications (social media, online resources, website management)

However, they are also keen to hear from anyone who feels that Planning Democracy is an organisation they are interested in getting involved with. In return they are offering training opportunities, learning opportunities, experience in campaigning and advocacy, the opportunity to travel in Scotland and meet new people, as well as being part of a committed group of people.
If you are interested, contact Chair, Helen Todd on info@planningdemocracy.org.uk and they can then send you an application form and/or have a chat.
Closing Date: Not specified

 

BACK

 

Heritage and Placemaking Survey: Call for Case Studies
The Heritage Alliance
The Heritage Alliance is planning to publish a report exploring how the heritage sector is helping to create vibrant, creative, thriving and sustainable places for people to live, work and enjoy, which will feed into their upcoming Heritage Debate 2025. They are interested in identifying impactful case studies on ‘placemaking’; everything from heritage-led regeneration to engaging local communities with heritage, from growing local capacity in heritage skills to bringing historic buildings back into use and much more. To plug evidence gaps, they are especially interested in case studies on heritage and housing, in particular affordable and social housing. Case studies can be submitted via this form.
*NEW* Closes 17 October 2025 

Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Research Strategy 2027-32
Scottish Government
The Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture (ENRA) Research programme is a multidisciplinary portfolio of research. It is structured in five-year cycles to enable long term strategic research and provide clarity on research priorities and programme structure. This consultation is of the draft version of the 2027-32 ENRA Research Strategy, and questions for examination cover the Strategy core mission, challenges, investment, impact, research areas, and more.
Closes 24 October 2025 

Permitted Development Rights to Support Provision of New Homes
Scottish Government
This consultation linked to the housing emergency will investigate views on the role permitted development rights (PDRs) can play in helping to address it. The consultation will explore whether action on PDRs and housing delivery, particularly with regard to town centres and rural areas, could alleviate capacity pressures in the planning system. The Scottish Government is also seeking views on PDRs in the context of the deployment of heat networks and domestic air source heat pumps.
Closes 27 October 2025 

HES – Talking About Heritage Survey 2025
Historic Environment Scotland
Scotland’s heritage belongs to us all – from stone circles and high streets to tenements and schools. Heritage makes communities special and it’s everything we inherit from the past that shapes who we are today as well as influencing our future. Talking About Heritage is a national conversation. The results of this survey will have an impact on how HES think about and care for heritage in Scotland. Discover other ways to get involved here.
Closes 7 December 2025 

Compulsory Purchase Reform
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is carrying out a programme of work to reform and modernise Scotland’s compulsory purchase system. Following a commitment in the Programme for Government 2024/25, a consultation has been published on a comprehensive package of proposals and options for change; to make compulsory purchase simpler, more streamlined and fairer for all parties. The consultation has been informed by extensive engagement with a range of stakeholders, including a practitioner advisory group chaired by the Chief Planner and Roseanna Cunningham. A number of questions on compulsory sale orders and compulsory lease orders are also included in the consultation paper. Any questions about the consultation: CPO.Reform@gov.scot.
Closes 19 December 2025 

Properties and Collections Strategy: Towards Sustainable Stewardship
Historic Environment Scotland
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has published a draft Strategy document entitled: Properties and Collections Strategy: Towards Sustainable Stewardship. This draft Strategy explains how HES plans to care for the Properties and Collections in its care over the long term and why change is needed. Scotland’s historic environment is facing growing challenges, including climate change, rising costs, and a shortage of traditional skills. The Strategy explains how HES will respond to these challenges, make the most of opportunities, prioritise what matters most, and work with communities to protect and use the Properties and Collections in ways that benefit everyone.
*NEW* Closes 23 January 2026 

 

 Consultation Responses

Community Right to Buy Review
BEFS response to a Scottish Government consultation on options to enhance Community Right to Buy processes is based on feedback from several Member bodies that support community owners of historic buildings. BEFS said sustainably bringing significant vacant historic and existing built environment assets into reuse through community ownership mechanisms, in circumstances where other approaches are not available or viable, is highly beneficial. The response highlights the potential of merging compulsory purchase rights, of considering the current use and condition of subject buildings in tandem, and of investigating the complexities particular to denser urban areas. BEFS also draws attention to the dynamics for places of worship, and the scope to fully align the mechanism with Community Wealth Building action plans. (BEFS 05/10/25)

Supporting Scotland’s Transition – Land use and Agriculture
BEFS was disappointed to see the historic environment omitted as a key land and agri-environmental deliverable of the draft strategy outcomes when there is huge potential through cross-portfolio investment and towards holistic approaches. A reuse, repair, and maintenance approach to assets and sites is a key part of the just transition, especially with regards to environment and adaptation outcomes. We noted that Scotland’s historic and natural capital should be understood as inherently connected, and that the value of these portfolios be measured in tandem. (BEFS 05/10/25)

Draft Fourth Land Use Strategy
BEFS responded that investment into holistic and up-to-date data on the Scottish land portfolio is needed, and that this needs to be reviewed against national and local wellbeing and economic health. We noted that a consistent definition of integrated landscapes is needed to move forward to appropriately deliver the LUS4. BEFS also highlighted that the historic environment is a key deliverable of Scotland’s land use strategy, and that funding is a core influential factor in land use integration. (BEFS 05/10/25)

 

Urgent funding needed to address planning recruitment crisis, warns built environment leaders (RTPI 23/09/2025)

Community Innovation Practitioner funding scaled to empower co-creation and innovation across all 4 Nations including transforming empty retail spaces into creative hubs in Dundee (Creative Communities 30/09/2025)

Tribute to Sir Terry Farrell (1938-2025): architect, urbanist and champion of conservation and contextual design (Twentieth Century Society 30/09/2025)

Launch of the NLHF funded Alf Webster Museum of Stained Glass (AWMSG 30/09/2025)

Technology future for former sugar refinery as project shares in £1,563,608 of funding from Scottish Land Fund (National Lottery Community Fund 30/09/2025)

Landscape Institute response to the New Towns Taskforce Report (Landscape Institute 30/09/2025)

Scottish Tourism Alliance launches Holyrood Election Manifesto (STA 02/10/2025)

Introduction to the National Visitor Levy FAQs (STA 02/10/2025)

 

6 free-to-access training sessions from Place at the Table and Imagine If – produced for the Scottish Community Councils Network: for any community group running or considering running a Local Place Plan (Place at the Table September 2025)

National Housing Strategy: Ideas to Change the Housing System  (Nationwide Foundation September 2025)

People in Place Network: Recording and materials featuring presentations from Grow Green Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland (SURF 25/09/2025)

Our Past, Our Future – Annual Reports (HES 29/09/2025)

UK Heritage Pulse. The Big Think: Resilience – What Did We Learn (UKHP 30/09/2025)

Landscape Carbon Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work (Landscape Institute 02/10/2025)

 

Culture, Media and Sport Committee: Protecting built heritage inquiry – written submissions, oral evidence transcripts and correspondence (UK Parl 09/09/2025)

Correspondence between Ivan McKee and the Economy and Fair Work Committee regarding Subordinate Legislation and Economic Assessment (Scot Parl 22/09/2025)

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee (Draft) Report (Scot Parl 23/09/2025)

Public appointment: Chair appointed to Historic Environment Scotland (Scot Gov 23/09/2025)

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3 Debate (Scot Parl 23/09/2025)

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee (Draft) Report (Scot Parl 23/09/2025)

Communities to seize control over high streets and restore pride (UK Gov 24/09/2025)

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee Report on the Climate Change (Local Development Plan) (Repeals) (Scotland) Order 2025 [draft] (Scot Parl 24/09/2025)

Development plan examinations: list (Scot Gov 24/09/2025)

Housing (Scotland) Bill—Timed Groupings of Amendments for Stage 3 (Scot Parl 24/09/2025)

Autumn Budget Revision 2025-2026: supporting document (Scot Gov 25/09/2025)

Housing First: monitoring reports (Scot Gov 25/09/2025)

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill — Stage 3: Daily List of Amendments for 25 September 2025 (Scot Parl 25/09/2025)

Satisfaction with Local Authority Cultural Services in Scotland (2024) (Scot Gov 25/09/2025)

Notification Direction to ensure that NatureScot are engaged appropriately on development proposals affecting World Heritage Sites inscribed for their natural heritage criteria (Scot Parl 25/09/2025)

Housing (Scotland) Bill — Stage 3: 2nd Groupings of Amendments (Scot Parl 25/09/2025)

Housing (Scotland) Bill — Stage 3: 2nd Marshalled List of Amendments (Scot Parl 25/09/2025)

Correspondence between the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee and Màiri McAllan regarding building safety and maintenance (Scot Parl 26/09/2025)

Correspondence between the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee and Finance and Public Administration Committee regarding the Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 26/09/2025)

New UK Town of Culture competition to celebrate our national story (UK Gov 29/09/2025)

Quarterly Housing Statistics in the year to end of June 2025 (Scot Gov 30/09/2025)

Social housing delivery passes 100,000 (Scot Gov 30/09/2025)

Preventing homelessness and improving housing standards (Scot Gov 30/09/2025)

Housing statistics quarterly update: new housebuilding and affordable housing supply (Scot Gov 30/09/2025)

Housing statistics: Scottish Landlord Register data (Scot Gov 30/09/2025)

Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update: New Housebuilding and Affordable Housing Supply to end June 2025 (Scot Gov 30/09/2025)

Affordable Housing Supply Programme: quarterly updates on approvals, site starts and completions (Scot Gov 30/09/2025)

Correspondence between Màiri Mcallan and Ivan McKee to the planning authorities regarding SME homebuilders and development on smaller sites (Scot Gov 30/09/2025)

Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update: New Housebuilding and Affordable Housing Supply to end June 2025 (Scot Gov 30/09/2025)

Debate on motion S6M-18992 regarding the Housing (Scotland) Bill at stage 3 (Scot Parl 30/09/2025)

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee Official Report: Energy Performance Certificates (Reform) (Scot Parl 30/09/2025)

Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee Report on Delegated Powers in the Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill at Stage 1 (Scot Parl 01/10/2025)

Housing Investment Taskforce: September 2025 (Scot Gov 01/10/2025)

Correspondence between the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee and Graeme Dey regarding the Committee work programme (Scot Parl 01/10/2025)

Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee Report on Delegated Powers in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill (as amended at Stage 2) (Scot Parl 02/10/2025)

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill – Daily list of amendments for Stage 3 (Scot Parl 02/10/2025)

Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill (Scot Parl 02/10/2025)

Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index (SSHTPI) quarterly report: September 2025 (Scot Gov 02/10/2025)

Heat in Buildings: progress report 2025 (Scot Gov 02/10/2025)

Cladding Remediation Programme: factsheet (Scot Gov 02/10/2025)

Economy and Fair Work Committee. Stage 1 Report on the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 03/10/2025)

Rural Affairs and Islands Committee Stage 1 Report on the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 03/10/2025)

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill – Daily list of amendments for Stage 3 (Scot Parl 03/10/2025)

Cladding Remediation Programme: progress bulletins – September 2025 (Scot Gov 06/10/2025)

 

Motions

S6M-19078
Submitted by: Bob Doris, Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: 25/09/2025
That the Parliament congratulates the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) on its 50th anniversary in 2025; understands that a quarter of people in Scotland live in social housing and that SFHA members are not-for-profit organisations that provide safe, warm and affordable rented homes for life to over 600,000 people throughout Scotland; further understands that having a secure and affordable home can have long-lasting positive impacts on health, education and employment; recognises that housing associations and co-operatives provide a range of services to tenants, including general housing, sheltered and amenity housing, care and specialist support services, help, advice and support on employment, energy and social security related issues, alongside a whole range of community investment programmes; notes the recent publication of independent research by SFHA, Shelter Scotland and CIH Scotland, which indicates that during the next parliamentary term, from 2026 to 2031, more than 15,000 homes per year will be required to meet projected housing needs; further notes other research by SFHA that indicates that housing association homes generally perform the best of any tenure on the Scottish Housing Quality Standard and are the most energy efficient homes, and calls on the Scottish Government to continue to work with SFHA and its member housing associations and co-operatives to deliver even more homes and services for communities and tenants across Scotland, so that everyone in Scotland is housed in a quality, warm and affordable home.

S6M-19253
Submitted by: Murdo Fraser, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: 06/10/2025
That the Parliament recognises that future economic growth is reliant on providing the right opportunities to create good jobs that allow businesses to expand; notes with concern the findings of the recent Audit Scotland report, highlighting a 20% real-terms cut in funding to the college sector over the past five years, and believes that this has a negative impact on the economy and limits opportunities for young people to get ahead; acknowledges the concern from business representative groups about the future of apprenticeships, and the harm that a restriction in apprenticeship numbers causes to job creation in Scotland, and calls on the Scottish Government to restore funding to Scotland’s colleges and raise the number of modern apprenticeship places from 25,507 in 2024-25 to at least the 34,000 identified by Skills Development Scotland as necessary to meet Scottish economic growth ambitions.

 

Opinion & Comment

Under One Roof Guest Blog: Everyone needs good neighbours (Safe Deposits Scotland September 2025)

Industrial strategy, property and the creative industries – Professor Christopher Smith (Arts Professional 22/09/2025)

Street artist investigated over ‘distressing’ mural on listed flats (BBC News 26/09/2025)

Edinburgh Council approves plans for controversial statue of Dr Elsie Inglis (Deadline News 01/10/2025)

Thumping ambition – and demolition: 10 high-rises that changed modern Britain (The Guardian 01/10/2025)

Historic Environment Scotland embarks on ‘difficult and emotional’ decisions over future of 300 properties (The Scotsman 06/10/2025)

Scotland’s historic buildings must not be ‘left to rot’ as tough choices loom (The Scotsman 07/10/2025)

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.

V&A – Great Expectations Conference
Date & Time: Tuesday 21 October 2025; 10:45am-5pm
Location: Online; In-person at the V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
A major gathering to confront the challenges facing our historic churches, chapels and meeting houses. Sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance. The UK’s historic churches, chapels and meeting houses are part of our cultural and heritage landscape – but for how much longer? Fragile finances, declining congregations, rising repair bills, and ever-expanding expectations of what they can and should provide mean that they face an uncertain future. How to reconcile great expectations with limited resources? How can these remarkable buildings continue to serve their communities, inspire new generations, and remain part of our shared cultural fabric?Together with partners from across the sector, the V&A and National Churches Trust are enabling a conversation that brings together people who wouldn’t usually find themselves in the same room – heritage experts and planners, parishioners and policymakers, conservationists and creatives.

Under One Roof – Navigating Common Repairs, with Helensburgh CARS
Date & Time: Wednesday 22 October 2025; 12-1pm
Location: Online
Want to find out about organising repairs in the common areas of your building? Join Under One Roof and Helensburgh CARS for a webinar to discuss the proper procedures for organising repairs, from understanding your maintenance responsibilities, to working with your neighbours, to enforcement procedures, and to understanding the role of the factor. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session with tenement expert, Education and Training Officer Jacqueline Omoniyi.

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.

Under One Roof – Navigating Tenement Building Repairs with North Ayrshire Council
Date & Time: Tuesday 28 October 2025; 12-1pm
Location: Online
Join Under One Roof and North Ayrshire Council for a short, lunchtime webinar on tenement building repairs. Learn about: proper procedures for organising a repair in your tenement building; the difference between individual, mutual and common areas of your tenement building; and relevant legislation and enforcement. There will be time after the presentation to ask questions, and get answers from tenement expert, Jacqueline Omoniyi.

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.

EFI – AI in the City Public Forum
Date & Time: Thursday 30 October 2025; 6-7:30pm
Location: Edinburgh Futures Institute, 1 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9EF
AI for Collective Intelligence (AI4CI), Architecture and Design Scotland (A&DS) and Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI)  invite you to a public forum on ‘AI in the City’. Join expert panellists in geocomputation, city planning, smart design, AI ethics and integration, moderated by journalist, broadcaster and presenter Stephen Jardine. Explore how AI is shaping the design and management of urban and rural spaces, and discover current developments. This event offers the public direct access to expert insights and the chance to ask pressing questions. Stay informed on the opportunities, risks, and community impacts of AI in city living, building, and planning.

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.

The Heritage Alliance – Heritage Debate 2025
Date & Time: Thursday 6 November 2025; 12-2pm
Location: Online (via Zoom)
Topic: Closer to Home: Is Local Decision-Making the Future of Heritage?  Now in its 16th year, Heritage Debate brings sector leaders, professionals and volunteers together to share cross-sector insights, make connections and find solutions to the key challenges facing heritage today. This year, Heritage Debate will tackle one of the most significant shifts in governance affecting the sector in a generation. With local government reorganisation on the horizon, new mayoral powers emerging, and communities gaining new rights to shape their places, the question being asked: is bringing decision-making closer to home the key to unlocking heritage’s full potential? Listen to an expert panel examining what bringing power closer to home really means for the places we cherish and the communities that sustain them. More details on speakers will be announced soon.

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

Historic Houses – The Historic Buildings Parks & Gardens Event
Date & Time: Tuesday 11 November 2025
Location: The QEII Conference Centre, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, London SW1P 3EE
The Historic Buildings, Parks and Gardens Event (HBPGE) has been running for over 35 years, and is open to everyone in the historic buildings, landscape conservation and heritage sectors. Owners, guardians, volunteers, professionals management staff and advisers involved with historic buildings (private, commercial, industrial, Grade I listed buildings, cathedrals, churches, manor houses, windmills, historic town centres), parks, gardens and historic landscapes. All are welcome to enjoy Historic Houses guest speakers, live demonstrations, short talks, an opportunity to meet experts and a free SPAB advice surgery.

SHBT – Seaside City: Revisiting the History of Edinburgh’s Coastline
Date & Time: Wednesday 12 November 2025; 6-8pm
Location: Riddle’s Court, 322 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2PG
Speakers: Jonathan Gardner, contemporary archaeologist and critical heritage studies researcher and Tamsin Grainger, a Walking Artist and writer.
Stretching from the River Almond to the River Esk, Edinburgh’s remarkable coastline runs from one of the few Roman ruins in Scotland to buried quarries and beaches made entirely from the rubble of the city’s demolished buildings. Through docks and ports to beach resort, nature and culture, past and present are brought together in diverse ways. This part of the city has enjoyed something of a revival of interest over the past few years: esplanade, beach, and shore making new lungs for the city. How might engaging with this oldest and most ephemeral boundary of the city help us re-imagine it anew?

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.

Scotland’s Community Heritage – Conversations 2025: Routes to Resilience
Date & Time: Wednesday 19 November 2025; 9:15am-4:15pm
Location: Hybrid – The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ and Online
This day-long hybrid conference is an opportunity to connect with heritage professionals and community groups, sharing challenges, celebrating successes and exploring resilient futures together. Expect speakers, Q&A sessions, panel discussions and workshops, all available to attendees joining online or in person. There will also be opportunities to get involved and share your news with the ever popular One Minute Mayhem slot or by displaying a digital poster.

AHSS – Dominic D’Angelo: ‘Greek’ Thomson and the Watson Street Warehouses
Date & Time: Thursday 20 November 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
Two years before he died, Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson designed a pair of warehouses in Watson Street for shopkeeping brothers Gavin and William Millar, as part of their planned expansion to become ‘the Largest Furniture Department in Scotland’. Dominic d’Angelo, Chair of The Alexander Thomson Society, looks at how both buildings ended up as lodging houses, and, on their 120th anniversary, the fire that would claim 40 lives. Tickets available from Eventbrite or on the door: £6 / students £2 / season ticket for all 5 lectures: £25.

RIAS – LIVE 2025
Date & Time: Friday 21 November 2025; 9am-4:30pm
Location: Dynamic Earth, Holyrood Rd, Edinburgh EH8 8AS
RIAS are proud to host the single largest annual gathering for architects in Scotland, as an opportunity to bring people together to discuss how architects can use and develop their skills, and be a key part of Scotland’s future as a green, resilient and healthy nation. This year will be the third RIAS Live – a one-day event being held in Edinburgh where insightful presentations are met with opportunities to discuss, debate and contribute.

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland – Society AGM and Finlaggan: Archaeology versus History
Date & Time: Saturday 29 November 2025; 11am-2:30pm
Location: Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL
The place of Finlaggan in Islay as an historic centre of importance has now been explored archaeologically. This presentation focuses on how this has enabled a deeper understanding of the documentary record and leads to exciting new interpretations of medieval and later history. The Archaeology of Finlaggan, Islay is now available for pre-order. Copies will also be available for purchase at the lecture. Note: This event will begin at 11am with the Society’s AGM, which is open to everyone but mainly targeted at Fellows. The lecture, open to all, will begin at 1:30pm and last for around an hour, including a Q&A. You do not have to attend the AGM in order to attend the lecture.

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.

 

 

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 – Repairing Traditional Masonry Structures
Date & Time: Friday 17 October 2025; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: Merryhill Training Centre, Charlestown, Dunfermline, Fife KY11 3DR
Taught by a blend of theory and practical ‘hands-on’ sessions, this one-day course covers the construction and appropriate repair of traditional masonry structures such as culverts, tunnels, light houses, viaducts, canals, harbours, retaining walls, piers and masonry arch bridges using natural stone and the range of lime and early patented cements that have been used in the past as bedding and pointing mortars. There are now a wide range of lime and natural cement binders along with additives that can be used to emulate both the technical and aesthetic performance of original mortars in repair schemes from re-pointing to stitching cracks and grouting structures to secure them. Download full course description here (PDF)

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.

C&BS – Prospect Research for Fundraising
Date & Time: Wednesday 5 November 2025; 9:30am-12:30pm
Location: Online
Do you want to find new donors but aren’t sure where to start? This hands-on course, led by Emma Lacroix, introduces the tools, techniques, and strategic thinking behind effective prospect research and supporter identification. Designed for those new to prospect development or looking to sharpen their approach, this live classroom session will help you better understand who your potential supporters are, where to find them, and how to prioritise your efforts for maximum impact. The session will also explore how to integrate prospect research into your wider fundraising strategy and build a pipeline that supports long-term growth.

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.

MC Consulting –Cash for Culture
Date & Time: Wednesday 12 November 2025; 09:30am-5pm
Location: Edinburgh
This intensive one-day seminar will explore proven solutions to the challenge of how to raise money to support vital work in local authorities, focusing on the opportunities from trusts and foundations, HNWI, commercial sponsorship and more. This session is designed to provide practical advice and insight on how to access the private funds available, plus discussion about some of the challenges with ethics, accountability and charitable structures. With examples of what’s worked and what’s not, explore how to meet capital challenges and secure those all important revenue funds. Cost: £299

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.

The Engine Shed – Using Archives to Explore Scotland’s Brick Heritage
Date & Time: Monday 17 November 2025; 2-3pm
Location: Hybrid – The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ and Online
This talk will use Historic Environment Scotland’s Archives material to discuss the role of the brick in building Scotland’s heritage. Scotland has excellent examples of traditionally constructed brick buildings. From the iconic Templeton’s Carpet Factory in Glasgow to the windswept North Unst lighthouse, brickwork is an important part of our built heritage.

The Engine Shed – Traditional Building Maintenance with optional Stirling maintenance walk
Date & Time: Thursday 20 November 2025; 9:30am-3:30pm
Location: Hybrid – The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ and Online
Learn about the practicalities of detailed and regular inspections of traditional buildings and discover how a robust maintenance plan can stave off decay and expensive repairs. This full-day experience includes a tour of Stirling’s historic Old Town. The team will point out a range of maintenance issues within the city and discuss the perils of ignoring the warning signs of fabric decay. Cost: £75 for the in person full day learning experience; £30 for virtual attendance.

SPAB – Repair of Old Buildings Course
Date & Time: Monday 24-Friday 28 November 2025; 10am-4pm
Location: Online
Join SPAB for the online version of their popular Repair of Old Buildings Course. Presented by leading building conservation professionals, this course explores British and international approaches to the conservation of old buildings. The programme is underpinned by the SPAB philosophy of repair and maintenance, as set out in the SPAB Approach. Through a series of recorded lectures, virtual site visits and online Q&A sessions you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of the repair, maintenance and conservation of old buildings. The online format means you’ll benefit from an extended learning period from 27 October until January, so you can study at a time and place that’s right for you. You’ll also be able to interact with the specialists, site visit hosts and other participants via the live, online Q&A sessions throughout the week of 24 – 28 November. The Repair of Old Buildings Course is recognised by the IHBC for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and RIBA for Career Learning. The course includes one year of membership to the SPAB.

The Engine Shed – Heritage Planning
Date & Time: Wednesday 26 November 2025; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: Hybrid – The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ and Online
Members of Historic Environment Scotland’s Heritage Team will discuss how they manage change to Scotland’s built heritage, both in strategic terms as well as practical matters. This includes how proposals to alter listed buildings or build new developments in conservation areas are reviewed, considered and determined both fairly and transparently. A networking lunch will provide you with the opportunity to continue discussions and explore the Engine Shed. The full-day experience includes an afternoon tour through Stirling’s Old Town to discuss recent developments in the conservation area, key buildings of concern for the council and other matters affecting the significance of the city’s historic townscape. Cost: £75 for the in person full day learning experience; £30 for virtual attendance.

 

Vacancies

Scottish Borders Council – Landscape Architect
Salary: £34,907.25 – £37,695.84 per annum
Status: Permanent; part-time: 28 hours per week
Location: Hybrid work from home/Main Building, Council Headquarters, Newtown St Boswells, Melrose TD6 0SA
Exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and committed professional, for the post of Landscape Architect within the Heritage and Design Team. You will provide specialist technical landscape and design advice in the delivery of the Council’s statutory responsibilities in relation to the natural and built environment throughout the Scottish Borders. The Scottish Borders has a rich and varied rural environment, and landscape input is required on a wide range of projects, in particular for planning applications associated with the landscape and visual impact of windfarms and other forms of renewable energy. The landscape supports agriculture, forestry, mature woodland and outdoor recreation as well as a rich and diverse wildlife. You will be at the heart of a committed team of brilliant and valued environmental specialists, covering landscape, trees, ecology, heritage and design and archaeology, working together to advise on the built and natural environment and Placemaking within the Planning, Housing and Buildings Standards Service. You will provide advice and guidance on a wide range of developments including renewables; windfarms, solar power and battery storage; forestry applications and housing proposals, and also input into Policy development for the LDP. You will provide advice on climate adaptation on landscapes and places and will help to deliver the Council’s programme of Capital Works and projects. This is an interesting, busy, and diverse portfolio of work which requires a dynamic, innovative, and creative individual.
Informal enquiries may be made to Debbie McLean by telephone on 01835 825209 or by email at Deborah.McLean@Scotborders.gov.uk. For more information and applications see the full job description here.
Closing Date: Wednesday 15 October 2025

Fife Historic Buildings Trust – Project Officer
Salary: £32,000 per annum (pro-rata at 0.8 FTE /4 days per week), fixed term to March 2028
Status: Part-time  (0.8 FTE)
Location: Kinghorn Town Hall, St Leonard’s Place, Kinghorn, Fife KY3 9TJ
Fife Historic Buildings Trust (FHBT) are looking for an enthusiastic and organised individual with good heritage, project management and people skills to work with the existing Project Manager on new and existing FHBT projects across Fife. FHBT are an independent charitable Buildings Preservation Trust formed in 1997. Their mission is to create viable futures for heritage buildings and their communities by inspiring and enabling visionary conservation projects. Fife has a particularly rich and varied heritage with over 6,200 listed buildings and 48 conservation areas. FHBT have helped deliver over £50m in historic environment regeneration projects in Fife, supporting town centres, businesses, tourism and local communities. FHBT’s services are in demand, and there are many opportunities to develop projects that provide opportunities for engaging people and organisations across Fife with their heritage. This is a new part-time fixed term post, funded by Historic Environment Scotland, to increase capacity within the existing FHBT team to develop existing and new historic environment regeneration projects in Fife, principally the restoration and re-use of historic buildings at risk. You do not necessarily need to have formal qualifications or training in this area. You might have a background in archaeology, listed buildings, conservation, building surveying, architecture, community projects, or other areas.
Download the job description, including details of how to apply to join this fantastic team: Opportunities – Fife Historic Buildings Trust.
If you have any questions before applying, please contact opportunities@fifehistoricbuildings.org.uk.
Closing date: 5pm on Friday 7 November 2025

 

BACK

 

 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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