Our Authors

Adam works within our Conservation Directorate as Carbon Manager for our estate. His role involves the delivery of our Carbon Management Plan in contribution to Scottish Government emission targets. This includes carbon reduction delivery methods, data capture and analysis, staff engagement and supporting our wider sustainability agenda.

Adrian is an archaeologist in the Cultural and Natural Resources Team. He advises on archaeological matters at our properties in care and leads on the team’s outreach activities.

Aimee works in the marketing department focusing on events and all the fabulous properties in the south of Scotland. She mostly blogs about upcoming events, our magnificent online shop and everything about the year of innovation, architecture and design - look out for her blogs that'll take you behind the scenes with Scottish designers.

Alex is an archaeologist in Survey and Recording, Heritage Directorate. He specialises in the archaeology of the intertidal zone and the archaeology of graffiti!

Alex Paterson is the Chief Executive of Historic Environment Scotland. He has been in this role since September 2016.

Ali works in our Digital Team coordinating our social media and blog content. She enjoys helping our expert staff across the country tell their stories in new and interesting ways.

Ali McCaig is Measured Survey Projects Manager within the Landscape Archaeology team. Her job involves discovering, interpreting, surveying, and illustrating a wide range of archaeological sites and landscapes across Scotland.

Allan works in the Heritage Directorate dealing with designation work relating to Scotland’s nationally important archaeological sites and ancient monuments. Allan’s interest in Scotland’s heritage began through his study of medieval castles but now encompasses everything from Mesolithic shell middens to Second World War anti-invasion defences.

Andrew Burnet works in the Interpretation Unit at Historic Environment Scotland and was the main author of Mary Was Here, about the travels of Mary Queen of Scots. His epic poem for children about Picts and Vikings has yet to find a publisher.

Andrew James is one of our Education Officers. He joined the Scran team after studying for an MPhil at Glasgow School of Art, and has a wide range of experience in museums, galleries, archives and education.

Audrey joined HES in March this year and is responsible for delivering ‘History Live’ - a celebration of the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology culminating in a Stirling-based festival at the end of September. Audrey has previously worked at Stirling Castle, VisitScotland, Kyles on Scotland and the Edinburgh Playhouse and is also an STGA blue badge guide.

Barbara Cummins is the Director of Heritage for Historic Environment Scotland.

Bryony works within the Communications and Media team as a Senior Digital Officer, sharing the stories about Scotland's historic environment and finding ways to bring the past to life through new technology.

Catherine works in the Heritage Management Directorate dealing with casework relating to Scotland’s nationally important gardens and designed landscapes. Outside of work, she is a keen gardener and walker.

Catherine is responsible for the digitisation of historical aerial imagery to service commercial orders. She joined us in 2015, after completing a Masters Degree in Landscape and Environment History at the University of Edinburgh.

Christine Wilson is our Publications Officer, working on lots of wonderful HES books. She is currently working on A History of Scotland's Landscapes, which will be published in spring 2018.

Clare works within our Conservation Directorate as Head of Analytics, Reporting and Audit. Her role involves implementing new processes to improve national consistency and operational efficiency, and to provide the analytical overview to inform decision-making and planning for the future. Clare works to ensure we can accurately report on the work we do in a transparent manner; she is responsible for the delivery of our Annual Report on the Properties in the Care of Scottish Ministers.

Daisy started with Historic Environment Scotland in August 2017 and works at Direlton gardens as an apprentice gardener. She attends Scotland's Rural College Oatridge part time, studying towards a horticulture qualification. Daisy has a keen interest in nature and conservation after completing her degree in animal behaviour and ecology and conservation.

David works within our Conservation Directorate, looking in detail at the impacts climate change will have on our properties, and the wider historic environment.

David joined our organisation in 2002. He became Director of Conservation in 2008. He has a particular interest in industrial heritage and the Scottish architectural iron founding industry.

Deirdre joined Historic Environment Scotland a frighteningly long time ago when it was the Historic Buildings and Monuments division of the Scottish Office. These days, she is a Senior Casework Officer in the Heritage Directorate where she deals with monuments casework. Her claim to heritage fame is undertaking the first (intentional) fully submerged underwater site inspection by a member of HES staff.

Donna works in the Digital Team and looks after our websites, making sure they are kept up-to-date. She's also managed several projects, including the new Edinburgh Castle website.

Duncan provides support to the Estates team of the Conservation Directorate. With a background in History he enjoys learning about the significance of our properties and the stories we’re able to perpetuate through our conservation work.

Eleanor works as Sustainability Officer within our Conservation Directorate. Her role involves raising awareness of our Climate Change projects and is involved in waste minimisation and improved resource use in the organisation.

Elizabeth is our Head of Designations. She is responsible for decisions about designations relating to listed buildings and scheduled monuments as well as the battlefields and gardens and designed landscapes inventories.

Fiona works in our Interpretation team and loves telling the stories of our properties in care. Her favourite site changes with every new project but she has a particular soft spot for medieval castles and cathedrals.

Gemma Lubbock works as a Roving Steward for Historic Environment Scotland. When she isn’t working in fantastic castles and amazing abbeys, she is reading and writing books, having just self-published her first novel Dancing in the Mists of Time and riding about the countryside on a gypsy cob.

George is a member of our Archaeological Survey team. He takes part in landscape and site surveys all over Scotland, and produces material for the National Record of the Historic Environment. George is currently working on the hillforts and settlements at Traprain and North Berwick Laws, East Lothian, and on the archaeological mapping of the island of Arran. In each case, 3D models are helping in the interpretation and recording of complex archaeological landscapes.

Georgie is an Assistant Cultural Resources Advisor, providing historical and archaeological research services related to our Properties in Care.

Gordon is an Assistant Ranger, based at Holyrood Park. Whether at work or in free time he enjoys exploring the great outdoors.

From time to time we have guest posts from partners, visitors and friends of Historic Environment Scotland.

Hazel works in the Heritage Casework Team, giving advice on the historic environment. She also has extensive outreach experience.

Helen delivers learning and engagement activity for our Scran service. Alongside this she is undertaking a practice-led PhD in Creative Writing.

Hugh is Collections Registrar at Historic Environment Scotland. Since joining in 2004, Hugh has worked on a wide range of collections projects and he leads the development of the collections website, with the ultimate aim of making all our objects available to the public online. He regularly works with museums, galleries and private lenders to manage inward and outward loans for exhibitions.

James Crawford is our Publishing Manager. Over the past decade he has researched Scotland’s National Collection of Aerial Photography and has written a number of books on it, including Above Scotland, Scotland's Landscapes, and Aerofilms: A History of Britain from Above. He is also the author of Fallen Glory: The Lives and Deaths of the World’s Greatest Lost Buildings, shortlisted for the 2016 Saltire Non-Fiction Book of the Year Award, and is Chair of the Board of Publishing Scotland. Scotland from the Sky is his first series for the BBC as writer and presenter.

Jane Thomas works in the Archives and Engagement Section of the Heritage Directorate. She has grown our Archives, bringing in important collections of architect’s papers, such as those of Basil Spence, and curated various exhibitions including Back to the Future. She publishes on Scottish architectural subjects, recently editing our publication on Dumfries House.

Jennifer works in our Interpretation Unit, writing and developing the interpretation and exhibitions you see when you visit Historic Scotland sites.

Jill works in the Collections Unit and is responsible for the care of objects associated with properties in south-east Scotland. This includes documentation, collections care, research, displays and exhibitions and risk management. She is based in Edinburgh, but spends a lot of time out and about at the properties in care.

Judith is part of the Cultural Resources Team based in Longmore House. She works with a variety of in-house and external experts to update the Statements of Significance for HES Properties in Care. The Statements try to capture the many different reasons why these places are important, and help to guide their management and interpretation. You can find them on our website.

Kara Darling is one of our marketing executives, working mainly with our national events programme and Historic Scotland properties in the South.

Keith joined HES as an Assistant Ranger in May 2015 and is based at Holyrood Park. He enjoys the outdoors and the huge variety of tasks involved in the job ensure that every day is interesting and different. In his spare time, Keith enjoys reading and running – with particular favourites being the paths and trails in the Pentland Hills and – of course – Holyrood Park.

Kevin Grant is an Archaeology Officer with our Archaeology and World Heritage Team. He was previously the St Kilda Archaeologist for the National Trust for Scotland. He received his PhD in Archaeology from the University of Glasgow in 2016, where he studied the communities and landscapes of the Western Isles in the early 19th century.

Kim Beasley is the ScotlandsPlaces Project Officer. She is an archivist who is also studying for a PhD. When she's not thinking about old things she's probably taking photographs of her guinea pigs.

Kim Harsley is an archivist, managing the Digitisation Project. When she's not thinking about old things she's probably taking photographs of her guinea pigs.

Laura works in the Membership team, and was previously based at Craigmillar Castle. She is fascinated by Scottish history, and especially the Medieval and Renaissance periods. Her must-see sites include Crichton Castle, Linlithgow Palace and Dryburgh Abbey.

Laura works in the events team helping to deliver incredible events such as Spectacular Jousting and The Rock of Ages, to name but a few. Blogging to help deliver an insight into the life of an event organiser and tricks of the trade.

Laura is our Archaeology and World Heritage Manager. She has spent 17 years working in archaeology and the wider historic environment, and loves going out onto sites we fund to find out what's happening, making sure we live up to our aim of making sure Scotland’s archaeology is for everyone!

Laura works in the Archaeology and World Heritage Team. She has visited thirty five World Heritage Sites and counting, mostly for pleasure but occasionally for work as well. These include sites in Scotland, North Africa, Thailand, Libya and Iran. The only Scottish World Heritage Site she has not visited yet is St. Kilda. When not planning to add to this list she supports her team with their work and is responsible for organising World Heritage promotion, meetings and events including World Heritage Day.

Laura worked in the public services team answering questions on our archives and supplying images for everything from family history research to biscuit tins. She has now left HES.

Lucy Vaughan is our Head of Conservation for the North of Scotland. As an accredited conservation architect, Lucy has a keen interest in architecture, design and craft skills and enjoys working closely with our local communities.

Lynsey works in the Collections Unit and is responsible for the care of objects relating to properties in central Scotland. This includes documentation, collections care, research and outreach, and risk management. She is based in Edinburgh, but spends a lot of time out and about working at various properties across the region.

Maria is a Conservation Architect with a background in Building Engineering and Energy and Environmental Engineering. She joined the Technical Conservation Team as an intern in September 2016. She researches and gathers information on the remaining earth built and earth-mortared buildings in Scotland.

Mark Watson is part of our Industrial Heritage team. He is also UK rep for TICCIH: The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage, vice convenor of IHBC Scotland, and a re-urbanist historian interested in regeneration, world heritage, European and Scottish industrial heritage.

Matt is an Interpretation Ranger based in Edinburgh who enjoys protecting the wildlife of the park and educating people about what a special place Holyrood Park is. He says that there are few greater joys than being up high a looking down on a kestrel hovering below (unless you’re a mouse that is!).

Maya currently works in our Data and Recording team. She manages the ‘Archaeology InSites’ project and works on the Canmore database. In her spare time you’ll find her wandering around prehistoric monuments and researching Bronze Age beaker burials.

Melissa works as a Ranger at Holyrood Park. She really enjoys the fresh air, and incredible variety of tasks in the job. In her spare time she runs a charity working on Ancient Craft and Ancient Farming projects.

Miles Oglethorpe is Head of Industrial Heritage at Historic Environment Scotland, and has been involved with the Forth Bridge since just prior to its centenary in 1990.

Dr Moses Jenkins is Senior Technical Officer with our Technical Research team. He studied history at Stirling and Glasgow universities, and recently completed a PhD in traditional brickwork at Dundee University.

Nathan works as a Digital Project Officer with HES, currently focused on rationalising our websites to make sure users can find everything they need.

Neil is the Deputy Head of Engagement in the Heritage Directorate. He’s previously managed our teams that go out and about recording the nation’s buildings and industries. He’s also led projects cataloguing Scottish architects’ papers, unearthing all sorts of treasures in the process.

Niamh joined us as a Skills for the Future Trainee Heritage Officer in 2016 after completing her MSc in Architectural Conservation. She is now an Archives and Library Assistant based in the HES Archives at John Sinclair House and is part of a large-scale digitisation project.

Nicki is a cultural resources advisor with our Cultural and Natural Resources team. A historian by trade, Nicki mainly gives historical advice relating to our Historic Scotland properties.

Olivia Devine is one of our marketing executives, working mainly with Edinburgh Castle and Historic Scotland properties in the North.

Peigi MacKillop is a Web Projects Manager in our Information Systems team. Her interests include usability testing and user experience. She also has an enthusiasm for life in the Outer Hebrides, particularly in the lives people led in Black Houses, and runs a small Gaelic lunch club at John Sinclair House.

Rachel Pickering works in the Cultural & Natural Resources team. As Cultural Resources Advisor she is responsible for providing archaeological and historical advice on Historic Environment Properties in the Edinburgh region. This includes commissioning research, advising on archaeological matters relating to the sites in care, and contributing to interpretation projects.

Rebecca is our Head of Education and Outreach. She specializes in Architectural History, and has a wide range of fundraising, project development and education experience. She is also President of the International Confederation of Architectural Museums.

Rebecca is our Head of Archaeology and World Heritage. She has a PhD in Roman Scotland from the University of Glasgow and her research interests focus on Roman camps and Roman frontiers. She is currently writing an article on Severus for a book about Emperors on Frontiers.

Richard has been working in archaeology for over 25 years and is our Senior Archaeologist. He heads up the Cultural and Natural Resources team and manages all the archaeological works to the properties in care.

Richard Welander is the Head of Collections at Historic Environment Scotland. When not cleaning crowns, he usually occupies his time archiving and presenting historic relics, as well as evaluating the value of archaeological finds as part of the Scottish Archaeological Finds and Allocations Panel (SAFAP).

Robert is an aerial photographer in our Survey and Recording Team. He has been photographing Scotland from the skies for over 25 years. Although specialising in aerial photography, Robert also carries out photography for Architecture and Industry Survey and keeps up his skills in scanning and digitising in the Digital Imaging Department in John Sinclair House.

Robin Turner is an archaeologist and is Head of Survey & Recording at HES. After being told with great certainty there was no future in it, Robin has been a professional archaeologist for over 40 years, working in local government in England, for the National Trust for Scotland, and now in HES. Robin is the Chair of the UK Archaeology Training Forum.

Rory McDonald is our Senior Designations Officer. He specialises in medieval archaeology, and outside of work he loves exploring new places.

Rosanne is a Senior Designations Officer in our Heritage Directorate. Her job includes assessing buildings for listing.

Ruairidh is responsible for Gaelic policy at HES and spends his spare time organising Gaelic events. - Tha Ruairidh os cionn poileasaidh na Gàidhlig aig ÀEA, is tha ùidh aige ann an eagrachadh cuirmean Gàidhlig san ùine spàir.

Ryan Gavan is the Archive Communications Officer for Historic Environment Scotland.

Sally works in the Interpretation Unit, and loves the writing and research involved in telling tales of the castles, abbeys, cairns and factories in our care – especially when this involves folklore and music.

Sarah Connolly works as the Business Support Officer to the Director’s Office within the Conservation Directorate, and is currently seconded to the Collections Unit as Assistant Collections Manager. She has a BA (Hons) in Printmaking from Gray’s School of Art and a Post Grad in Museum Studies from the University of St Andrews.

Sean is an HR Business Partner, working closely with all areas of HES to ensure they have the appropriate staff resources needed to undertake their interesting work. He is fascinated by the complexity and specialisms within the organisation, and is amazed at some of the career paths/opportunities available. He often visits sites, but with over 70 across the country doesn't get to as many as he would like!

Sian is the Islands and World Heritage Visitor Services Manager, based at Skara Brae, and whose role includes supporting site teams at our staffed properties on Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles which includes sites spanning Neolithic to Modern.

Sofia works with the Digital Documentation team, focusing on the use of digital technologies to document heritage sites and objects. She has always loved old buildings and currently spends most of her time laser scanning historic sites all across Scotland.

Stefan is an archaeologist in our Cultural Resources Team. He provides advice on the archaeology at Historic Scotland properties, and contributes to interpretation projects. He is particularly interest in the use of technology in recording and making heritage more accessible - but still enjoys getting his hands dirty digging!

Steven works in the Heritage Management Directorate leading a team that deals with historic buildings casework on the east side of Scotland from Aberdeenshire down to the Borders. The team deals with many high-profile developments involving listed buildings and conservation areas. Steven has recently published a paper on Edinburgh’s public washhouses and is currently researching the inter-war housing of Edinburgh’s City Architect Ebenezer MacRae.

Susan Hallsworth is the Business Development Manager for NCAP. Responsible for creating and managing partnerships with a range of educational institutes, businesses, agencies, Susan works with organisations within the UK and internationally

Tom Parnell is a Senior Casework Officer with the Heritage Directorate.

Wendy works in our Conservation Directorate, and her role involves developing the public events and exhibition programme at the Engine Shed, Scotland's Building Conservation Centre.