Scotland’s listed buildings Front cover: row one:
Row two:
Row three:
Row four:
Pittencrieff Park Doocot
Category B © Nick Haynes;
Wolfson Centre, University
of Strathclyde, Glasgow,
Category B © Historic
Scotland; Cottage at Baile,
Berneray,
Western Isles,
2
Category B © Nick Haynes
Main Street, Port Charlotte
Category B © Nick Haynes;
The Bandstand, Dunfermline
Public Park, Fife, Category B
© Nick Haynes; Mackintosh
Queen’s Cross, Glasgow,
Category A © Nick Haynes
Darnley Street, Glasgow,
Category A © Neale Smith;
Old College, University
of Edinburgh, Category
A © Neale Smith; Scott
Monument, Princes Street
Category A © Nick Haynes
Drumfin and Former Lowland
Church Manse, Campbeltown,
Category B © Nick Haynes;
Titan Crane, Clydebank, West
Dunbartonshire, Category A
© Andrew Lee; Seton Castle,
East Lothian, Category A
© Neale Smith
Scotland’s listed buildings
This booklet explains what listing
means for owners and how we assess
buildings for listing.
Scotland’s historic environment has been shaped
by over 10,000 years of human activity. Past
generations have left their mark on our towns
and cities and the countryside around us. The
sense of place and the strong cultural identity
provided by our historic environment are rooted
in our communities and promote a positive
image of Scotland across the world.
Efforts to conserve our built environment
were first given legal form in the United Kingdom
in 1882. In Scotland, listing itself began in earnest
after 1945 and a great many buildings had been
listed by the 1970s.
Listing identifies buildings which have
special architectural or historic interest. We
believe that listed buildings are among Scotland’s
greatest assets.
Listed buildings chart Scotland’s history and
highlight our national, regional and local distinctiveness. They help to make Scotland a great
place to live and work in, and to visit. The historic
character of our environment is important to our
quality of life and helps us to understand who
we are.
Ranging in date from medieval buildings
to those built in the early 1980s, listed buildings
cover many aspects of our lives: from croft houses
and tenements, bridges and mills, to country
houses and places of worship. This varied and
exceptional heritage is a testament to the vision
and skills of our predecessors and listing helps us
to recognise their achievements and to value our
inheritance for the future.
Today’s owners and occupiers of listed
structures have an important part to play
in managing our heritage. They can help to
ensure that future generations will be able to
enjoy these buildings of special architectural or
historic interest.
left Seton Castle, East Lothian, Category A
© Neale Smith
above Cottage at Baile, Berneray, Western Isles,
Category B © Nick Haynes
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What is listing?
Listing is the way that a building
or structure of special architectural
or historic interest is recognised by
law through the Planning (Listed
Buildings and Conservation Areas)
(Scotland) Act 1997.
This means that listed buildings are managed
through the planning system, using listed building
consent, so that changes to them can be carefully
considered.
The term ‘building’ is defined broadly in the
legislation and it can include a great variety of
other man-made structures such as fountains,
sundials, statues and bridges.
Many buildings are of interest, architecturally
or historically, but when considering a building
for listing this interest must be ‘special’. To merit
listing, the building must meet set criteria (see p.7).
Listed buildings and listing
categories
There are around 47,000 listed buildings
in Scotland. Buildings are regularly added to and removed from the list. B
­ uildings
are classified under one of three categories. All listed buildings are treated
equally in the legislation regardless of
their category. The categories are advisory and do not have any legal weight.
Category A
above Wolfson Centre, University of Strathclyde,
Glasgow, Category B © Historic Scotland
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Buildings of national or international
­importance, either architectural or historic, and little-altered examples of some
particular period, style or building type.
(Around 8% of the total number of listed
buildings.)
buildings which group well with others
in categories A and B. (Around 42% of
the total number of listed buildings.)
Category B
Group categories
Buildings of regional or more than local
­importance, and major examples of some
particular period, style or building type
which may have been altered. (Around 50%
of the total number of listed buildings.)
Some related groups of buildings may
have been given a ‘group category’ in
the listed building record. There are A
and B groups. These are not statutory
and have no legal weight. They do not
alter the individual category of listing
and are included to show that the interest of the listed building is enhanced by
the other listed buildings in the group.
Category C
Buildings of local importance, lesser examples of any period, style, or building
type, as originally constructed or moderately altered; and simple traditional
above Pittenweem from the west, Fife,
Category B © Nick Haynes
5
6
Assessing buildings for listing
Each building is assessed on its
own merits. A number of factors
are taken into account to determine
if a building has the special
architectural or historic interest
required for listing.
The Scottish Historic Environment Policy 2011
sets out the criteria for listing. In summary, the
main considerations are:
■■ Age and rarity
Buildings erected before 1840 may be included
if their special character is substantially
unimpaired. Later buildings are selected for
their individual character and quality. Those
built after 1945 are evaluated in the same way.
However, buildings that are less than thirtyyears-old will not normally be listed.
We also consider:
■■ the special value within building types, either
for architectural or planning reasons, or as
illustrating social and economic history.
■■ the contribution to an architecturally or
historically interesting group, such as a planned
burgh, town square or model village, as well as
intrinsic merit considered in isolation.
■■ the impact of vernacular buildings,
particularly how individual buildings are affected
by their grouping. At the other end of the
spectrum, a major country house may well be
enhanced by adjacent buildings such as stables,
lodges, gatepiers or bridges.
■■ Architectural or historic interest
This is assessed under the following headings:
interior, plan form, technological excellence or
innovation, material or design quality, setting,
and regional variations.
■■ Historical association
Intimate associations with nationally important
people, or events whose associations are welldocumented, where the physical fabric of the
building is also of some quality and interest,
can be determining factors. The association
must be well authenticated and significant. The
fabric should also reflect the person or event
and not merely be a witness to them.
left Muckrach Castle, Highland, Category A
© Historic Scotland
right Old Aberdeen Town House, Aberdeen, Category A
© Nick Haynes
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■■ authenticity, that is, a building’s closeness
to the original fabric and therefore its ability to
convey its significance, and levels of integrity,
carries weight. This need not mean that a
building is as it was originally built, since changes
may have added to its significance. What is added
or taken away will be considered in deciding its
overall quality.
A building need not be in use, or still used for its
original purpose, for it to be eligible for listing.
For example, an industrial building may have
been converted into flats with retail units, while
a redundant railway viaduct may have continued
its life as a walkway or cycle path. Both could be
eligible for listing.
The condition of a building is not normally
relevant when considering it for listing. This only
becomes a factor when the building’s condition
has reduced the particular architectural or
historic interest to such a degree that it can no
longer be regarded as special.
Listing proposals,
reviews and delistings
Anyone can propose a building
for listing, request a review of an
existing listing, or ask for an existing
listing to be removed.
Proposals should be made by filling in our
application form. The form is available online or
we can post you a copy.
Once we receive a proposal, or identify
that a building is of interest or requires review,
research is then carried out. This may include a
site visit. The aim of the research is to assess the
proposal against the listing criteria. Depending
on the type of case, we may need to go through
a number of detailed steps before we can reach
a final view. If we find that the building may
be of interest (or not of interest in the case of
delisting and Certificate Of Intention Not To
List requests) we reach an interim decision on
the proposal. Normally, the planning authority
is then consulted, along with the owner where
possible. The principal purpose of consultation
is to confirm that the factual information about
the building is correct, such as the date of
construction or the attribution to a particular
architect.
We will normally tell you if a building that
you own or occupy has:
■■ been listed
■■ been delisted (unless it has been demolished)
■■ had the statutory address (the legal part of the
listed building record) changed
We will also inform the local authority and we
will also let them know about all delistings.
The Briggait, Glasgow, Category A © Andrew Lee
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Other types of listing
proposals
Building preservation notices
Local authorities can serve building
preservation notices to protect un­
listed buildings which they consider
to be of special interest and which are
­threatened by demolition or alteration
affecting their special character. The
building will be protected in the same
way as a building which has been
listed. The ­notice is effective for up to
six months, during which time we will
assess w
­
­ hether or not the building
should be listed.
Certificate Of Intention Not To List
A Certificate Of Intention Not To List
(C O I N T L ) is a certificate which exempts a building from being listed
during the five years from the date of the
certificate. A planning authority may not
serve a building preservation notice in
relation to the building during this time.
A C O I N T L provides certainty for owners and developers considering works to
a particular building. Applications for a
certificate are assessed in a similar way
to a listing proposal.
Appeals
We are always happy to review our decisions and these can be requested using
our proposal form.
If you are unhappy with our decisions
there is a statutory right of appeal for
owners, occupiers or tenants for:
◼ new listings
◼ changes to the statutory address of
an existing listed building
Appeals must be made to the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals within three months of the date of
the letter we sent you telling you about
the new listing or change to the statutory address of an existing listing. See
our website for more information about
appeals.
While there is not a statutory right of
appeal for delistings, a change of listing
category or a refusal to list a building
we will be happy to review our decision
if relevant new information has come to
light which was not available when the
decision was taken. Reviews for these
types of cases can also be requested
using our proposal form.
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The listed building record
Each listing is given a listed building
record. The only statutory, or legal,
part of a listing is the address in the
listed building record.
All of the other material, including the category,
is not statutory and has no legal weight, but is
provided for information. The record is intended
to help people understand the special interest of
the listed building. You can search the records
online on our website.
The way in which listed building records are
written and presented has changed enormously
over time. Early and un-reviewed listed building
records tend to be very brief and may not
explain why the building is of interest. Later,
architectural features were described in more
detail but there was little explanation about
the interest of the building. Currently, we
provide a brief architectural description of the
building and a fuller description of why the
building merits listing. We are also introducing
photographs and location maps. A glossary of
the architectural terms used in listed building
records can be found on our website.
Listing applies to the building(s) or
structure(s) at the address on the listed building
record and it always covers both the interior
and exterior, regardless of the category. (Bear
in mind that building names and/or street
numbers can change over time and the listed
building record may not be up to date.) Because
all listed buildings are different, what is actually
covered by the listing can vary quite widely.
Your local authority will advise you if changes
you may wish to make to a building will require
listed building consent or if a building not
mentioned in the statutory address is covered
by ‘curtilage’.
Curtilage
Under the terms of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act (Scotland)
1997, every listed building has a ‘curtilage’.
This means that any object or structure within the curtilage of the building which, though
not fixed to the building, may be considered
to be listed. For example, a country house
might be named in the statutory address, but
structures such as boundary walls, gates,
gatepiers or additional buildings, such as a
lodge or stable block may not be named or
described but could still be part of the listing.
The local authority determines what is
covered by the listing and whether or not
other structures at the address may also be
treated as listed.
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Some of the issues planning authorities
consider to determine the extent of curtilage
include:
◼ were the structures built before 1948?
◼ were they in the same ownership as the
main subject of listing at the time of listing?
◼ do the structures clearly relate in terms of
their (original) function to the main subject of
the listing?
◼ are the structures still related to the main
subject on the ground?
Can parts of a listing be excluded?
Legislation introduced on 1 October 2015
(Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed
Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland)
Act 1997) allows us to state that any of the
following may be excluded from a listing and
are therefore not listed:
◼ an object or structure fixed to the building
◼ any object or structure within the curtilage
of the building
◼ any part or feature of a listed building that is
not of architectural or historic interest
This is to ensure that listed building consent is
only required where it is appropriate.
It means that where a listed building record
states in the statutory address and the statement of special interest (it will quote the rele-
vant section of the Act) that a part of a building or a curtilage structure is excluded from
the listing you will normally not need listed
building consent for alterations to the part
which is identified as not of special interest.
We recommend that you check with your local
authority planning department before undertaking any work. While listed building consent
might not be required you may need other
permissions, such as planning permission or
a building warrant.
See our website for more information about
listing exclusions.
above Aberfeldy Bowling and Tennis Pavilion,
Perth and Kinross, Category B © Nick Haynes
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12
Working and living with listed buildings
If you wish to alter, extend or
demolish a listed building you will
need to contact your local authority to
see if you need listed building consent.
Remember that listing covers the interior as
well as the exterior of your property. Like-forlike repairs to a listed building do not normally
require consent but we advise that you contact
your local authority before starting work.
The local authority is the main point of
contact for all applications for listed building
consent. They will consider applications using
guidance such as Historic Scotland’s Managing
Change Guidance Notes and other national policy
documents, as well as their own policies.
Historic Scotland’s role is primarily advisory
and acting as a source of expert knowledge. We
provide specialist advice to planning authorities
and to owners and their agents who wish to alter
or develop listed buildings. You can find out more
about this in the Managing Change Guidance
Notes which offer advice on various factors
relating to listed buildings such as windows,
interiors, extensions and demolition.
Contacting the planning
authority
The first step to take if you are planning works
to a listed building is to contact your planning
authority. They will tell you if you need to apply
to them for listed building consent. The planning
authority is responsible for determining what
is covered by the listing and whether or not
other structures at the address may also be
treated as listed.
Alterations which affect the character of the
building will usually require consent. Alterations
which may seem minor, such as stone cleaning
above Detail of door, Darnley Street, Glasgow,
Category A © Neale Smith
opposite Lochgarry, Cleveden Drive, Glasgow,
Category B © Neale Smith
of all or part of the property, or replacing
windows, may require consent. Major work such
as extensions, structural alterations or partial or
total demolition is very likely to require consent.
This applies regardless of the category of listing
(A, B or C) and to work affecting the interior and/
or exterior.
Listed building consent is applied for in much
the same way as planning permission, using an
application form and plans of the proposed work.
There is no charge for listed building consent.
It is a criminal offence to demolish, alter, or
extend a listed building in any manner which
would affect its character as a building of special
architectural or historic interest without first
having obtained listed building consent.
Always contact your local authority before
you start work if you are unsure about what is
covered by a listing, or whether listed building
consent is needed.
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Owners’ responsibilities
A building is listed in the condition it is in on
the date of listing. You will not be asked to
undo any previous changes.
As with any asset, the owners of listed
buildings are responsible for the repair and
maintenance of their property. However, local
authorities have various powers which they
can use to help to ensure the future of the listed
buildings in their areas.
Planning authorities can undertake urgent
works necessary for the preservation of an
unoccupied listed building (or unused parts of
an occupied listed building), provided that the
owner is given notice of the intention. The cost
of these urgent works can be reclaimed from
the owner.
The planning authority can also be
authorised by Scottish Ministers to acquire
listed buildings in poor repair through
compulsory purchase. The authority must
first serve a repairs notice. If the notice is not
complied with, the planning authority may
start compulsory purchase procedures.
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Where a planning authority is satisfied that
the building has been deliberately allowed to
fall into disrepair for the purpose of justifying
its demolition and the development or
redevelopment of the site, the planning authority
can apply to Scottish Ministers for a direction
that only minimum compensation be paid on the
compulsory acquisition.
Places of worship
Places of worship are handled differently from
other types of listed buildings. Listed building
consent is not required for internal alterations to
the interiors of places of worship that are still in
use. There is a voluntary consent arrangement
currently in place for works to the exterior of
places of worship through an agreement with most
denominations. Check with your local authority
whether consent is required. Proposals for total
demolition still require listed building consent.
above The White House, Isle of Coll, Argyll & Bute,
Category C © Andrew Lee
right The Hub (former Highland Tolbooth Church),
Edinburgh, Category A © Nick Haynes
15
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Other heritage designations
Historic Scotland is also
responsible for designating
other types of heritage assets.
We are responsible for designating scheduled
monuments, gardens and designed landscapes
and historic battlefields. More information
about these can be found on our website.
Some listed buildings are also scheduled
as monuments of national importance.
If a monument is both scheduled and
listed, only scheduled monument consent is
required, not listed building consent. See our
booklet, Scheduled Monuments – A Guide for
Owners, Occupiers and Managers.
We are currently reviewing sites that
are both listed and scheduled. The aim is to
remove instances where structures are both
listed and scheduled. In the majority of cases,
structures are expected to remain designated,
either as scheduled monuments or listed
buildings and the redundant designation will
be removed.
Listed buildings can also be found in
conservation areas and World Heritage Sites.
These are not designated by Historic Scotland.
Scotland has over 600 conservation areas
which are designated by local authorities.
Local authorities are required to determine
which parts of their areas are of special
architectural or historic interest and they
may designate these as conservation areas.
The public will normally be consulted on any
proposal to designate conservation areas or to
change their boundaries.
Searching for listed
buildings, other
designations and our
decisions
You can search for listed buildings,
scheduled monuments, gardens and
designed landscapes, historic battlefields and historic marine protected
areas on our decisions portal at http://
portal.historic-scotland.gov.uk/. Here
you will also find information about our
designations and scheduled monument consent decisions. If you are still
not sure about whether your building is
listed you can also email or telephone
us for help.
For a map-based search and wider
environmental information, including
conservation area boundaries, see
Scotland’s Environment website [www.
environment.scotland.gov.uk]
You can also ask your local authority to
tell you if you are listed and what is covered by the listing.
World Heritage Sites can also contain listed
buildings. They are inscribed by UNESCO
(The United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation) as places of outstanding
universal value in terms of their cultural and/or
natural heritage.
Scotland currently has six World Heritage
Sites and these are detailed on our website.
The McManus, Dundee, Category A © Andrew Lee
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Further sources of information
More information about listing can
be found on our website where you
can also download our factsheets on
specific topics.
Insurance
It is for each owner to decide what insurance is
appropriate to cover possible risks and to protect
the value of their asset. Because of the likely age
and character of a listed building, repairs and
insurance premiums may be more expensive than
repairs to an equivalent modern building. They
will, however, be similar to those of a traditional
and unlisted building. However, as listing
introduces the possibility of the requirement for
listed building consent, many insurers will adjust
premiums to reflect this process which in some
cases may require specialist skills in carrying out
repairs or alterations. An up-to-date building
valuation will help potential insurers assess the
risk more accurately. See the factsheet on our
website for more information.
Altering a listed building
Contact your local authority to apply for listed
building consent. Our online Managing Change
Guidance Notes offer advice on various aspects
relating to listed buildings, such as windows,
interiors, extensions and demolition.
Conservation Advice
Our Technical Conservation website has a wealth
of material about traditional buildings, including
our INFORM guides. Through our Technical
Enquiry Service, we also provide guidance on
conservation issues to the construction industry,
building professionals, educators and building
owners and occupiers. We offer advice on where
18
to find information about the care of historic
buildings and we produce publications for the
public as well as professionals. The Technical
Enquiry Team can be contacted on 0131 668 8600
or hs.conservationgroup@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
for advice. See also our Technical Conservation
website at conservation.historic-scotland.gov.uk.
Grants
Grants from government-funded sources are
intended to contribute to the conservation
needs of the most significant elements of the
historic environment. They help to meet the
costs associated with using traditional materials
and employing craft skills in the repair and
conservation of original features. We have a
variety of grant schemes. For our building repair
grants, private owners should be aware that as
well as the architectural or historic merit of a
property, applications are considered under
extended criteria that include the completed
project providing enhanced community use. This
includes how it contributes to local regeneration
and provides a degree of public access. This may
mean that private owners are less likely to attract
grant assistance from public funds. See our
website for available grant schemes or contact us
on 0131 668 8801.
The Funds for Historic Buildings [www.ffhb.
org.uk] is a comprehensive guide to funding for
owners seeking to repair, restore or convert for
a new use any historic building in the United
Kingdom.
The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme
[www.lwpscheme.org.uk] makes grants towards
the VAT incurred in making repairs and carrying
out necessary alterations to listed buildings used
mainly for public worship.
Your local authority may also offer grants
related to historic buildings.
Legislation and policy
■■ The Planning (Listed Buildings and
Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997
[www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1997/9/contents]
■■ Scottish Historic Environment Policy
(December 2011) [www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/
shep-dec2011.pdf]
■■ Managing Change in the Historic
Environment. See our series of guidance
booklets on our website.
■■ Our publications. We have a wide range of
publications about listing and listed buildings.
Most are free to download from our website.
Suggestions and complaints
Burns Monument, Ayr, Category A © Nick Haynes
We welcome feedback about listing. Please let us
know what you think at hs.listing@scotland.gsi.
gov.uk.
Historic Scotland is committed to providing
high-quality customer services. We value
complaints and use information from them to
help us improve our services.
If something goes wrong or you are
dissatisfied with our services, please tell us:
Complaints Officer, Chief Executive’s Office,
Historic Scotland, Longmore House, 2.20,
Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH . Telephone
0131 668 8713. Email HSComplaints@scotland.
gsi.gov.uk. You can find out more about our
complaints procedure on our website.
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Historic Scotland is charged with ensuring
that our historic environment provides a
strong foundation in building a successful
future for Scotland. One of our duties is to
compile the statutory list of buildings of
special architectural or historic interest.
This booklet explains what listing means
for owners and how we assess buildings
for listing. It is also available in Gaelic as
Togalaichean Clàraichte na h-Alba.
Historic Scotland
Listing and Designed Landscapes Team
Longmore House
Salisbury Place
Edinburgh EH9 1SH
Telephone 0131 668 8701 / 8705
Email hs.listing@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
Above: Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum,
Dunfermline, Fife, Category B © Nick Haynes
Text © 2015 Historic Scotland
Design by Dalrymple
Printed in Scotland by Allander
This edition published 2015
Historic Environment Scotland –
Scottish Charity No. SC045925
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