Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland
Established 7 February 1908

This year we commemorate 100 years of surveying and recording Scotland's past. Our centenary celebrations have already begun with the vote for Scotland's Top Ten Treasured Places, and RCAHMS will be opening its doors and welcoming the public to a series of centenary events being held over the course of 2008.

We are proud to play such a vital role in Scotland's historic and cultural heritage. Over the coming year RCAHMS will be displaying the wealth of our resources in centenary exhibitions including Faces and Places at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and The First One Hundred held at our archive at John Sinclair House, Bernard Terrace, Edinburgh. We will be hosting a programme of Centenary Lunchtime Seminars (see details below) as well as regular workshops, touring exhibitions and launching a new and improved website.

For more information on RCAHMS events, exhibitions and publications please watch this space for updates or contact us at info@rcahms.gov.uk.

John Sinclair House, open 10am-5pm Saturday 27th September. SC674676

A highlight of the RCAHMS’ centenary programme this year is Edinburgh Doors Open Day.  Every weekend in September, hundreds of properties throughout Scotland that are usually closed to the public will be open to explore for free.  Although the RCAHMS search room is always open, this event provides a unique opportunity to take a look behind the scenes in John Sinclair House.  Visitors can learn more about the work we do and the projects we undertake day to day through the series of activities on offer.

On Saturday 27th September RCAHMS will be open from 10am until 5pm.  We will be running scheduled tours of the building to see our Survey and Recording, Photography and Conservation departments in operation and younger visitors will be able to take part in the Treasured Places Animation Workshop.  There will be a morning and afternoon session.  Spaces may be limited so please contact us soon if you would like to take part.  Visitors of all ages are welcome to sign-up!   

In the search room we will be holding a series of short talks by prominent Edinburgh architects and RCAHMS staff.  They will be here to give an insight into some of the other buildings open throughout Edinburgh.  Guest speakers include Gordon Duffy and Rebecca Wober from Studio DuB and Mark Hopton (RCAHMS commissioner) from LDN Architects.  RCAHMS’ Simon Green will be talking about ‘Edinburgh’s Lost Doors’ – the buildings in the city that have been lost through demolition and those that were designed but never built.  To illustrate this fascinating subject, original drawings and photographs from our archive collections will be on display.

For visitors just passing, or waiting to join an activity, our touring exhibition ‘Sir Basil Spence: Celebration of a Modern Architect 1907-1976’ will be on display in the foyer.  To find out more information on Edinburgh’s Doors Open Day please go to www.cockburnassociation.co.uk.  To book a place on the Treasured Places animation workshop please call us on 0131 662 1456 or email info@rcahms.gov.uk.

Hope to see you here!

All seminars are held between 1pm and 2pm in the Conference Room, John Sinclair House, 16 Bernard Terrace, Edinburgh, EH8 9NX. Details are subject to change at short notice. Please call reception on 0131 662 1456 to confirm dates and speakers.

All seminars are held between 1pm and 2pm in the Conference Room, John Sinclair House, 16 Bernard Terrace, Edinburgh, EH8 9NX. Details are subject to change at short notice. Please call reception on 0131 662 1456 to confirm dates and speakers.