New Report Highlights Climate Change Risks To Scotland's Historic Sites

A new report has highlighted the risks climate change poses to historic sites in Scotland.

The Climate Change Risk Assessment Report, published by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), assessed the most 'at-risk' of over 350 sites of national and international importance in the care of the organisation.

With 89% of the sites being exposed to at least one hazard, HES has identified 28 sites as being 'very high risk 'and 160 sites as 'high risk'.

Once of the case studies identified in the report is Blackness Castle. The fortress on the Firth of Forth is determined to be at 'high risk' from a number of natural hazards, including coastal erosion and flooding.

To protect the historic site, HES have built a retaining shore-front wall to prevent damaging wave action..

The organisation used a combination of datasets from other public bodies to gather the research, including the British Geological Survey (BGS) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).


HES said it hopes this approach can be applied to assess climate change risk to the wider historic environment, including Scheduled Monuments, Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas.

Ewan Hyslop, Head of Technical Research and Science at HES, said: "Climate change poses a number of very real threats to Scotland's historic environment, from an increased frequency of extreme and unpredictable weather events to rising sea-levels.

"As well as this, average rainfall in Scotland has risen by more than 20 percent since the 1960s, with historic buildings particularly susceptible to the accelerated decay this can cause.

"It is important we're well equipped to deal with these challenges, and the Climate Change Risk Assessment report enables us to better understand the risks we face and enhance the knowledge we have to help protect and preserve Scotland's historic environment for future generations.

"This report places Scotland at the forefront of the global challenge to tackle Climate Change, as we lead the way in the adaptation of the historic environment by working with partners to share expertise and guidance with the wider sector to enhance resilience against current and future changes to our climate."

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, added: "This report is important because it's vital that we understand the impact that climate change will have on these sites, and what steps we can take to protect them for future generations."

To view the report, visit here.

(LM)