Conserving Gardens & Designed Landscapes

The Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes identifies sites of national importance and provides information on them to try to ensure that change is managed in a way that takes into account the qualities and significance of these landscapes and their constituent elements. This means seeking to retain key landscape features and characteristics for the future, while also allowing the landscape to accommodate modern demands.


Inclusion in the Inventory is quite different from listing or scheduling. There are no additional legal restrictions or consents regime, nor do we intervene in the day-to-day maintenance or management of Inventory sites.

Our statutory involvement is limited to developments that require planning permission. Under the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2008, planning authorities are required to consult Historic Scotland on development proposals considered to affect an Inventory Garden or Designed Landscape.

This means that all public enquiries about development proposals that may affect an Inventory site should be directed to the relevant Local Authority. The Local authority will then consult us on our view of the level of impact of the proposed development. Our comments will be a consideration in their determination of the case, however it is important to note that our advice in these cases is not binding, and the Local Authority is free to determine each case without further reference to us.