BEFS Facilitation | Scotland’s Castles: Use them or Lose Them

At the end of 2025 Built Environment Forum Scotland facilitated a focused workshop  as part of the Scottish Castles Association’s conference ‘Scotland’s Castles: Use Them or Lose Them‘, held at the Engine Shed in Stirling. 

The events, held on the on 9-10 October 2025, brought together stakeholders from across the heritage sector to explore how the planning system can effectively support the restoration and reuse of Scotland’s historic castles and related buildings. The conference featured keynote speakers from Historic Environment Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland, the Landmark Trust, and the King’s Foundation, alongside restorers, planners, conservation professionals and building owners. 

Following the conference, BEFS was invited to facilitate a workshop with a smaller group to build on the conference discussions and reach consensus on the key principles and practical steps for action. Participants identified several priority areas, including the need for consistent planning guidance, alongside signposting to accessible information for potential buyers, practical case study sharing, and front-loaded pre-application support for prospective owners. 

The workshop outcomes highlighted that what is needed is not new standardised policy, but better sharing of existing information, evidence-based solutions, and practical tools such as route maps and resource toolkits to help navigate the planning process. 

BEFS looks forward to working with the Scottish Castles Association on emerging recommendations and next steps. 

Read the full outcomes report here.

 

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