Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has today launched its new digital portal of information on the historic environment.
Users in Ayrshire can now delve into the heritage on their doorstep with the platform, which brings together HES’s unique and diverse collections of information in one convenient place.
From standing stones to skate parks, new website contains over 5,000 years of Scotland’s history in approximately 3 million records, combining designation records of Scotland’s most important historic sites and buildings; the catalogue of Scotland’s archaeology and built heritage; over 2,000 culturally significant objects from HES’s properties; and educational and archival images and media from SCRAN.
Users can learn more about Ayrshire’s rich history and significant buildings, from the A listed Alloway cottage where Robert Burns was born to Laigh Milton Viaduct, the oldest surviving railway viaduct in the world; explore archive images of local landmarks like Ailsa Craig or see the 19th century excavation of a Bronze Age cist at Pun Brae.
Users can also unearth gems from HES’s Properties in Care, such as a medieval font panel on display at Crossraguel Abbey, one of the biggest and most ornate examples of its time.
A new website will make this wealth of information more accessible than ever before, providing an exciting new resource for hobbyists, educators, historians and heritage professionals alike. Using filters, keyword and map searches, users can now unearth a range of detail from HES’s different sources in a single search.
Katerina Brown, Chief Executive of HES, said: “We are excited to be bringing heritage even closer to people’s everyday lives with this new platform.
“New digital portal will make it easier to learn about the heritage and historic environment that surrounds you, whether that is the listed buildings on your street or archive images of historic events that shaped communities.
“It marks one of the largest investments in our programme to improve and enhance digital access to information on the historic environment, and increase the number and diversity of people who engage with Scotland’s history and heritage.
“We hope that by making the vast store of information we hold more accessible, it will encourage more people to dig into Scotland’s past and see what they can discover with the new platform. Of course, the launch is just the beginning, and we’ll continue working hard behind the scenes to bring more exciting innovations to service.”
To access 5,000 years of history, visit trove.scot here.
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