People across Scotland are invited to submit their thoughts on what heritage means to them, in a national survey open until 7 December.
Historic Environment Scotland is hoping to incite a country-wide conversation, “Talking About Heritage”, in a bid to uncover the public’s priorities on the kinds of spaces they would like to see protected for years to come.
The initiative, launched at Govan in Glasgow, will combine in-person discussions, virtual roundtables, and the more structured survey, running into the festive season.
The project is Historic Environment Scotland’s first public consultation since its What’s Your Heritage campaign, conducted between November 2016 and March 2017.
That consultation, which heard from more than 2,000 people across Scotland, in addition to 200 members of the public who attended a series of on-the-ground workshops, helped the organisation draft new historic environment policies and revealed that 70% of respondents felt they deserved a say in what Historic Environment Scotland lists as or designates a place of value.
Talking About Heritage will aim to capture the views of a similar cross-section of society, with “young people, older people, business owners, volunteers, parents, New Scots, those who love heritage, and those with no strong feelings about heritage” all invited to take part.
“I’d love to hear about the places that matter most to you, said Elly McCrone, director of Heritage for Historic Environment Scotland.
“We’d like to understand what you’d like to see protected and how you’d like those places to be looked after so that we can ensure that our heritage continues to enrich our lives for generations to come.”
