Listing explained

Listing will only affect you if you wish to alter or extend the listed building. At this point you will need to consult with the planning department in your local authority to see if they think you need to apply for listed building consent (LBC).


Listing always covers all of the structure, interior and exterior, no matter what the category of listing. The area around a building may be covered by the listing and the listing may extend to other structures. This is called the curtilage and its boundaries are defined by the planning authority. If you are unsure what is covered by the listing please contact your planning authority.


Listing recognises the special character of your building, during your ownership and into the future for the benefit of the nation. As an owner, you have access to specialist advice and information from Historic Scotland and your planning authority. Alterations to a listed building for domestic purposes may be eligible for retrospective relief from Value Added Tax (VAT).

For more information contact HM Revenue and Customs on their National Advice Service line on 0845 010 9000, or by e-mailing enquiries.sco@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk. HMRC Reference: Notice 708 (February 2008), Buildings and Construction, section 9, pages 40-47, provides information on construction works and listed buildings. You can find the publication on the HM Revenue and Customs website at www.hmrc.gov.uk. For places of worship which are still in use as such, there is a scheme which provides relief equivalent to the amount of VAT paid. Full details of the scheme can be found at www.lpwscheme.org.uk.


While there is no right of appeal against listing we welcome suggestions that a building is not (or, following alterations, is no longer) of sufficient architectural or historic interest to merit listing. You can apply for a review of a listing at any time using the form on our website. For new listings we consult with owners, where possible, before listing so that we can take into account their views before a decision is made.

If an application for listed building consent is refused by the planning authority or is granted with conditions you think are unreasonable, you can appeal to the Scottish Ministers. Appeals are handled by the Scottish Government’s Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals, Tel: 01324 696400. You can find out more at www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/planning/decisions-appeals/Appeals/dpea.


All listed buildings have the same level of protection regardless of category (there are some additional controls affecting the setting of A-listed buildings). The listings are divided into three categories, which are not themselves statutory, to distinguish between the different levels of importance.

There are around 47,500 listed buildings:

Category A: (approximately 8% of the total) buildings of national or international importance, either architectural or historic,
or fine little-altered examples of some particular period, style or building type.

Category B: (approximately 50% of the total) buildings of regional or more than local importance, or major examples of some
particular period, style or building type which may have been altered.

Category C(S): (approximately 42% of the total) buildings of local importance, lesser examples of any period, style or building
type, as originally constructed or altered; and simple, traditional buildings which group well with others in categories A and B.



No. Listing recognises the special interest of our built environment so that it can be taken into account when changes are proposed. We recognise that buildings need to adapt to new requirements and listed building consent aims to sensitively manage change to buildings, but not to prevent it. Find out more about how to manage change to your building from our Managing Change in the Historic Environment series of leaflets, which cover a variety of subjects, available at www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/managingchange. Contact your planning authority to find out more about how to apply for listed building consent (LBC) and to find out about local and national policy regarding listed buildings.


Listed building consent is the mechanism by which the planning authorities ensure that any changes to listed buildings are appropriate and sympathetic to their character. It is applied for in much the same way as planning permission, with an application form and plans of the proposed work submitted to the planning authority. There is no charge for listed building consent. The process involves Historic Scotland where required, and you can find out about our role in LBC and guidance in relation to specific types of works on our website at www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/altering-a-listed-building.


If you are planning to make alterations which may affect the character of the building, contact your planning authority who will tell you whether they consider the works require listed building consent.


If you need to make repairs or do routine maintenance on your building, and you are using the same materials as already exist, you will not need listed building consent but we recommend you check with your local authority before you start to ensure they agree the materials are like-for-like.


Historic Scotland offers some grants for historic buildings which need repairs. For more information, contact our Grants Branch on 0131 668 8801 or visit our website www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/grants. Your local authority may also offer grants related to historic buildings.

The Funds for Historic Buildings website at www.ffhb.org.uk is a comprehensive guide to funding for anyone seeking to repair, restore or convert for a new use any historic building in the United Kingdom.

Historic Scotland has also established City Heritage Trusts in Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness and Stirling, as well as helping to fund the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust and grant-giving Trusts in Glasgow. All of these bodies provide grants to owners for the repair and maintenance of historic properties in these cities. Please contact the relevant local authority for more details.


There is no evidence to suggest that listing will have a negative effect on the value of your house. On the contrary, listing marks it out as being a building of special interest and character and this can be a selling point for estate agents as it is seen as a mark of quality.


No. A building is listed as it is at the point of addition to the lists; you will not be asked to undo any changes retrospectively.


Although traditional materials can be more expensive, this is not necessarily true. Where the use of particular traditional materials is required, these are likely to last much longer than modern materials, and will save you the cost of replacement or the possible negative consequences of having used modern materials on a traditionally built house. They are also usually more sustainable.


If you have a technical question contact our Conservation Group for advice on 0131 668 8668 or our website www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/conservation. There are a large number of technical publications produced by Historic Scotland dealing with repair and maintenance techniques. These can be found on our website and in our publications catalogue. Many of these publications are free, for more information please call 0131 668 8638.


Here on our website  you can download our free booklet Scotland’s Listed Buildings: What ListingMeans to Owners and Occupiers and find a wealth of other information.

Download the above Frequently Asked Questions here {pdf, 275kb]