HRH The Princess Royal and First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon made a special visit to Holyrood Park earlier today.
The Princess Royal joined representatives from
@scotgov
and HES to plant the 70th tree in the Queen’s Jubilee Wood, which was gifted to Her late Majesty last year.
📢 Seriously massive news alert! 📢
Prehistoric animal carvings have been discovered for the first time in Scotland.
These recently authenticated carvings rewrite the story of prehistoric rock art in north-west Europe.
News release here:
We're heartbroken and outraged by recent vandalism at
@welovehistory
Linlithgow Palace.
The ornate fountain, built by James V in 1538, has been spray-painted and physically damaged.
Walls and flagstones at the centuries-old site have also been badly defaced. (1/3)
Fancy exploring a Neolithic village?
Our new digital model of Skara Brae lets virtual visitors step inside this iconic World Heritage site on
#Orkney
. It also highlights the impacts of climate change on the 5,000-year-old village.
Thanks to Alex at Stick in the Mud Conservation - and £14,375 from our Historic Environment Support Fund - this category A listed cottage at Lower Ardelve in Lochalsh has a new lease of life. All through traditional building methods.
Doesn't it look smashing!
#HESsupported
@YorkshireMuseum
How about a Victorian guide book made from the wood of the Old Gallows Tree
@welovehistory
Doune Castle? Because who doesn't love their tourist info with a hint of historic executions?
At 7am
#OnThisDay
in 1930, the 36 remaining residents of St Kilda departed for the Scottish mainlaind on a ship called the 'Harebell'. A handful of oats and an open Bible was left in each house.
You can see footage from that day in the
@Scranlife
archive:
The Stone of Destiny has left
@edinburghcastle
for its journey to
@wabbey
It will travel in a special carrier built by our stone conservation & joinery teams.
The stone will be part of the coronation in May before it returns to Scotland.
🗞
Today is St Enoch's feast day. St Enoch was the mother of
#Glasgow
’s patron saint, St Mungo.
It is said that St Enoch’s Square is the site of her last resting place. There was a church on this site up until 1926, standing just behind the original St Enoch’s Subway Station.
June is Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month.
Scotland’s connections with the biggest ethnic minority community in Europe dates back hundreds of years.
Despite their role in Scotland’s story, we rarely talk about their contributions and experiences.
A
#GRTHM
thread 👇
It’s
#NationalCatDay
. This medieval moggy
#cat
certainly made its mark on the Chapter House tiles at Glenluce Abbey. The Abbey dates from 1192 but the Chapter House was rebuilt in the 15th century. The Abbey is a
#ScheduledMonument
:
Did you know the
#wintersolstice
is the perfect time to visit Maeshowe on Orkney? For three weeks before and after the shortest day of the year the sunlight shines straight down the passage and illuminates the chamber of the 5,000-year-old tomb
Devastating news that
@GSofA
Mackintosh Building – one of Glasgow’s most iconic buildings - and other nearby buildings stricken by fire. We will be talking to our partners to find out what support we can provide at this time.
We won't lie, we were pretty thrilled to hear
#MuseumsUnlocked
is all about the
#Neolithic
and
#BronzeAge
today. We'll be highlighting some faves - like these famous
@welovehistory
monuments from the Heart of Neolithic
#Orkney
: Maeshowe, Stones of Stenness & Ring of Brodgar.
Today, we paws to remember Greyfriars Bobby, who died
#OTD
in 1872.
The story goes, that the love he had for his master was fur-ever and the faithful terrier spent 14 years guarding the grave nightwatchman, John Gray.
What a wee diamond in the ruff! 🐶💎💞
Scotland has declared a climate emergency. And our historic environment is on the front line.
We can’t face the climate emergency and its effects on our historic environment alone. Find out how we can take action together in our new Climate Action Plan:
Fancy helping to build a new Iron Age village and Crannog in Highland Perthshire?
Yep, this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity!
Learn traditional building techniques as our Vernacular Buildings Craft Fellow, hosted by
@ScottishCrannog
:
Our experts are working to address this damage before the Palace reopens, but we want to be clear that vandalism of historic buildings is a heritage crime.
It can cause irreparable damage, divert resources from other work and cause us to lose pieces of our past forever. (2/3)
This new pedestrian bridge helping link Doune Castle with Doune village was officially opened today. Isn't it a beauty?
Spanning the Ardoch Burn, the bridge is made from local timber and was built using the craft skills of HES apprentices.
Full story 👉
Buckingham Palace announced the death of HM Elizabeth II, the country’s longest-serving monarch.
The Queen had strong links to Scotland & many of our sites. We will look back on her life, commemorating these links during this period of national mourning.
Today is the anniversary of the Battle of
#Culloden
- the last battle of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. It's one of the most important battles in the history of the British Isles, with international significance.
Find out more in our Battlefield Inventory ⬇️
Police Scotland are investigating the incident.
If you have information that could help, please report it using 101, or via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or
The recent spell of warm weather (though it feels like a long time ago now) has led to another exciting discovery - a rare
#Pictish
symbol stone in Aberdeen! Find out all about it here
Westray - aka the 'Queen o' the Isles' - is where a tiny Neolithic figurine called the Orkney Venus (or Westray Wife) was discovered on a 2009 archaeological dig.
Explore this Scottish island online with stunning aerial views from the
#HESarchives
⬇️
Statement on Stirling Castle: "At around 8:30 this morning, a group gathered on the Esplanade at Stirling Castle. A member of Castle staff, understanding this to be an unauthorised demonstration, followed our normal procedure... (1/3)
We are sorry to hear about the passing of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
He visited our
@welovehistory
sites over the years, including
@edinburghcastle
, Iona Abbey, Linlithgow Palace, and
@stirlingcastle
where he joined The Queen to officially reopen the royal palace apartments.
The Skye Terrier affectionately known to Edinburgh residents as Greyfriars Bobby is said to have died
#OTD
in 1872.
The following year, a statue was erected in Bobby's memory. Category A listed since 1977, it incorporates two drinking fountains: one for humans and one for dogs.
Whilst we’re all social distancing, we just wanted to let you know you can still access unstaffed
@welovehistory
sites for free. We need to stay at home as much as we can, but during this difficult time it’s going to be important to clear your head. (1/3)
We've released a new report about the links between some of our historically important sites & the British Empire. Nearly 38% have a connection. Some had an important function within the empire; others were owned by people involved with the empire.
More:
On this day in 1850, Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh. So today we ask - what's your favourite adaptation of his work, and why is it Muppet Treasure Island?
#SailingForAdventureOnTheBigBlueWetThing
There was a small disturbance at
@EdinburghCastle
earlier & Police were called. There's damage to the protective glass housing the Honours, but the casing was not breached & the Honours were not damaged. The Castle remains open, but we've closed the Crown Room & Royal Apartments.
Step inside Maeshowe Chambered Cairn from the comfort of your home with our newly updated app! Built over 5,000 years ago, this is one the finest Neolithic structures surviving in Europe. Download your free copy:
iOS 👉
Android 👉
Skara Brae, Maeshowe, the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar together make up the Heart of Neolithic
#Orkney
. These ancient, enthralling landscapes give us exceptional insights into the society, skills and spiritual beliefs of the people who built them.
#WorldHeritageDay
We can confirm that the group had made no prior approach to the site to seek permission for use of the Castle esplanade. Our staff followed procedure that would be taken for any unauthorised demonstration or photo opp at our sites.” (3/3)
A Shetland pony munches on grass in front of the Craw Stane, Aberdeenshire. The stone is incised with the symbols of a fish and a Pictish beast. In the distance can be seen the hillfort of Tap O North. One for
#WildlifeWednesday
?
Soar above the autumnal colours of Dollar Glen and look down on 15th century Castle Campbell - a historic moment to unwind this
#NationalStressAwarenessDay
🏰🍂
Happy Birthday to the Forth Bridge! It was officially opened
#OnThisDay
in 1890, making it 131 today 🎂
An icon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, an amazing feat of engineering.
We ❤ you
#ForthBridge
!
A Roman fortlet that once stood next to the
@AntonineWall
has been rediscovered 🤩
The fortlet was thought to be lost to time, but our archaeological survey team uncovered the remains through geophysical surveying.
Read the full story👇
#WorldHeritageDay
If you haven’t spent 2020 painstakingly crafting historic landmarks in confectionery, what *have* you been doing?
Jennifer Stuart from our Business Support Team has busied her winter evenings reconstructing
@ScottishCrannog
from
#gingerbread
. We ❤ this baked crannogy goodness!
Our aerial survey team were out flying this week and found some exciting new
#archaeological
sites in Dumfries & Galloway and the Borders. The new discoveries are from the Iron Age and include a settlement, fort and settlement enclosure. What else will we discover this summer?!
Given the latest government information on
#COVID19
, we’re sad to say we’re now closing all our sites, depots and offices with immediate effect. The safety of our staff, visitors and partners is of paramount importance. (1/3)
Happy
#HeritageAwarenessDay
2019! We're delighted that
@BarbaraDickson
is starting off the celebrations with this beautiful reading of
@JackieKayPoet
's 'Threshold'.
Open the door and step over the threshold. Where will heritage take you?
It's around about this time of year that the Watch Stone on
#Orkney
begins to feel a bit thirsty...
Legend has it that this 5.5m tall stone dips its head into loch at midnight on New Year’s Eve and takes a drink...
Do we have a Thursday treat for you!
Thanks to the wizardry of our Digital Documentation team, you can now explore the amazingly-preserved House 7 at Skara Brae, from anywhere in the world, in glorious 3D!
It's
#LeftHandersDay
, which means we will of course whip out the left-handed story of Ferniehurst Castle & Clan Kerr. 📚
The castle is said to have been designed with a "left-handed" staircase to give the left-handed Kerrs the advantage when fighting right-handed attackers. ⚔🏰
The Dwarfie Stane is prehistoric, dating to between 3500-2500 BC.
It's the *only* example in the British Isles of an above-ground boulder used as a tomb.
So like
@TheCastleHunter
, we're not impressed with whoever left a bag of loo roll on it.
#BinYourLitter
or take it home!
Today we're remembering Jane Haining.
During WWII she refused to abandon Jewish children in her care, insisting their need of help was greater than ever. She died in Auschwitz.
Jane was honoured with a commemorative plaque in 2015.
#WomensHistoryMonth
Mavisbank, dating back to the 18th century, is one of the oldest, historic buildings in
#Loanhead
.
With
@LandmarkTrust
, we're looking for your views on restoring this derelict building in
#Midlothian
and bringing the surrounding landscape back to life.
Get ready to have some fun on Heritage Awareness Day! Join us on Thursday 20 September as we share stories, laughs and
#ScottishConnections
. Stay tuned for more info.
#SaveTheDate
Hidden on the underside of a massive stone slab which tops Dunchraigaig Cairn in Kilmartin Glen, at least 5 animals have been carved into the rock, including 2 stags with enormous antlers.
🦌 🦌
We’re lighting up
@edinburghcastle
in yellow, the colour of peace and of the Ukrainian flag.
We send our solidarity to the people of Ukraine.
#StandWithUkraine
At Ferniehirst Castle near Jedburgh, the ancient seat of Clan Kerr, the staircase spirals anti-clockwise.
A "left-handed staircase" would have put right-handed attackers at a disadvantage. In Scotland, "Kerr-fisted" is sometimes used to describe left-handedness.
#LeftHandersDay
As the eyes of the world turn toward Edinburgh's St. Giles' Cathedral where The Queen lies at rest, we look back at its 800-year history as a central landmark of the Old Town.
Some terribly sad news from Beauly Priory. 😢
The iconic 800-year-old elm tree in the priory grounds has succumbed to Dutch elm disease. We plan to allow the tree to decline with grace & we've created a 3D laser scan to record this unique piece of history
If you find yourself walking down Gilmore Place in
#Edinburgh
, look up at number 33.
In this part of the city, you'll find one of our commemorative plaques - and now a new mural - dedicated to Frederick Douglass, African American author and freedom fighter.
This
#HESarchives
photo shows how the three-storey hall at Jenner's Department, Princes Street, Edinburgh looked when it opened in 1895.
You can use Canmore's new full screen and zoom functions to have a browse at
#OnThisDay
in 1979, thousands of curling players descended on the Lake of Menteith for Scotland's most recent Grand Match or Bonspiel.
The outdoor tournament traditionally pits the north of the country against the south. On this occasion, the North won by 3,937 shots to 3,144.
Before you go on a buried treasure hunt in Scotland, it’s important to remember that more than 8,000 historic sites are legally protected scheduled monuments. Undertaking certain activity at scheduled monuments, including unauthorised metal detecting, could break the law. (1/2)
Who would live in a house like this?
Well, the architect, James Gowans (born
#OTD
in 1821).
It was called Rockville and once stood on Edinburgh's Napier Road, but it was demolished in 1966.
More on Gowans ➡️
We've seen evidence of more people driving to
#HolyroodPark
. We're now closing two Holyrood Park car parks from Fri 1 May.
Only Broad Pavement remains open strictly for use by key workers & visitors with mobility issues.
Exciting news – we’re ready to start reopening our
@welovehistory
sites! 🎉
On Friday 30 April, we’ll be reopening the doors to 27 of our staffed sites and hundreds of open air, free-to-access sites. 🏰🏭⛪
Well we’ve done it: in 2017/18 we welcomed more than 5 million people to our properties for the first ever time in a single year! That’s a 17% increase from the previous year. Thank you to all our wonderful visitors - we couldn’t have done it without you!
Amazed by Orkney? Enchanted by Edinburgh? Captivated by St Kilda?
On Saturday we’ll be celebrating a
#StayAtHome
World Heritage Day – and we want you to help us to explore Scotland’s six incredible World Heritage sites virtually! (1/2)
Today we announced that African American freedom fighter Frederick Douglass will be celebrated under our 2018 Commemorative Plaque Scheme. Successfully nominated by
@EdOurBondage
, Douglass once ran anti-slavery campaigns from Edinburgh. Read more here:
"Say aaaaahhhhhhh!"
Here's a nice
#FacesInThings
from the
#HESarchives
. These boilers from the Granton Gas Works look like they have the lurgy!
This photo was take
#OTD
in 1899.
The 2.5km-long, 110m-high cantilever bridge that links Edinburgh with Fife and the Highlands is a masterpiece of human creative genius. The Forth Bridge conquered a natural barrier of a scale and depth that had never before been overcome by humans.
#WorldHeritageDay
Overwhelmed by the prospect of home educating? Let Craft Knight canter to your rescue! ✂️🖍️🎨
Learn how to make your very own horse and knight for jousting, galloping and general japery. 🐎
Share your results on
#LearningWithHES
& find more resources at
How's this for a
#YCW2020
and
#WHM2020
combo?
Around 1912, it's said that the Royal Navy challenged the men of Trondra, Shetland to a regatta. The women turned up instead - and won.
Transferring sheep and peat between islands had made them more than a match for the challengers!
The unique Bar Hill Fort is over 2,000 years old and formed part of the north-western frontier of the Roman Empire.
But this
@UNESCO
World Heritage site has – for the 5th time in 12 months – been damaged by what appears to be illegal metal detecting.
These fascinating spirals form a collection of extraordinary Neolithic rock art in a glen rich with remnants of Scotland’s prehistoric inhabitants.
Take a closer look at Achnabreck from the comfort of home with the
#HESarchives
➡️
We love this archive image of a wee lad helping his pal get a drink in 1890s Dunbartonshire. Be sure to lend a hand to your friends (four-legged or otherwise) this
#WorldKindnessDay
!
Exciting news!
Eight communities across Scotland are set to benefit from over £860k in funding awarded jointly by us &
@HeritageFundSCO
as announced by
@AngusRobertson
in Govan today.
This investment aims to create better places to live, work & visit.
What do the next 5 years hold for Scotland's historic environment?
Launched today,
#OurPastOurFuture
- Scotland’s national strategy for the historic environment - provides a roadmap🗺
Here are 3 things you need to know about what it says👇
Our aerial survey team took to the skies this week and discovered new evidence of ancient settlements. Marks in crop fields revealed a souterrain, or Iron Age underground passage, and a Roman temporary camp - isn't this exciting?!
@BBCScotlandNews
🎈Happy birthday to us!🎈
We’re 5⃣ years old today. Thank you to all the staff, volunteers, Historic Scotland members, heritage lovers and trainees and apprentices who have been part of the journey so far!
Our library of 3D
@Sketchfab
models includes
@welovehistory
sites, collections items and archaeological finds, meaning you can explore thousands of years of Scottish history digitally, from anywhere in the world!
Check it out here:
📷 Dun Carloway, Lewis
Interested in the style of Mary Queen of Scots? Find out more about our 'Women of the Crown' fashion show, held at
@edinburghcastle
last night, showcasing a collection created by international fashion designer Jeff Garner from
@prophetik
This afternoon, take a virtual tour of the recently reopened Linlithgow Palace and go behind the scenes with Sophia Mirashrafi over on our blog to discover how it was created.
After consultation, we've listed 8 towering examples of post war architecture in Aberdeen.
Find out more about how these buildings help tell the story of post-war Scotland
We are pleased that our decision to list gasholders in Glasgow & Dunfermline due to their significance and rarity was upheld by
@DPEAScotland
We are currently making a minor change to the scope of the listings so that these landmarks continue to form part of Scotland’s story.