Interior view of the atrium from second floor level of the Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
DP018368

Structural detail of column head & tie beams in the Harbour Warehouse, Dundee, prior to its conversion,
DP018428

The built heritage of Scotland is recorded by RCAHMS through a variety of programmes and projects that focus on threatened buildings, industrial buildings and sites, listed buildings, topographical areas and thematic surveys of particular building types.

The Threatened Buildings Survey (TBS) project has two main functions - statutory & non-statutory casework. RCAHMS has a statutorily defined duty (Section 7(2)(B)(C) Planning (Listed Buildings And Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997) to record listed buildings and buildings in conservation areas for which permission to demolish or part-demolish has been granted. Buildings that are to undergo significant alteration or conversion may also be recorded, constituting non-statutory casework. TBS also reacts to emergency cases where information can be salvaged from buildings at imminent risk such as fire damaged properties or dangerous structures.

The TBS programme relies on notification of works from planning departments, individuals and organisations. A series of online forms are available for this purpose. These can be downloaded, completed and returned to RCAHMS.

LPA1 (PDF document, 58KB)

For use by planning authorities to notify RCAHMS of proposals for works of demolition and/or significant alterations to a building of historic or architectural significance.

LBC1 (PDF document, 61KB)

For use by recipients of listed building consent or conservation area consent to formally notify RCAHMS that permission has been granted for demolition works.

NF (PDF document, 68KB)

For use by organisations or individuals to notify RCAHMS of buildings where there is a perceived need for recording. This can be any building or site of historic or architectural significance. RCAHMS will not automatically undertake a survey - notifications will be considered on a case by case basis.

Industrial Survey records the wide variety of structures and processes from Scotland's industrial development and forms an important part of RCAHMS' work. This can range from railways to explosives factories; paper making to sand extraction and textile mills to drinking water provision.

RCAHMS is also continuously working to update our existing records and provide comprehensive coverage in the RCAHMS collections of major Listed Buildings from throughout Scotland.

Similarly, the aim of Topographic Survey is to provide, on a district by district basis, photographic coverage of areas of Scotland not yet adequately represented in the collections.

Work often takes a Thematic approach where effort is concentrated on a particular building type such as 20th century and more recent defence sites, farms, schools or hospitals.