What is listing?

Many buildings are of interest, architecturally or historically, but for the purposes of designation this interest must be ‘special’. To merit designation the property must satisfy set criteria which are used to distinguish this significance.

The criteria by which the Scottish Ministers define the necessary quality and character under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 are broadly:

• Age and Rarity;
• Architectural Interest;
• and Close Historical Association.
  

The criteria provide a framework within which professional judgement is exercised in reaching individual decisions. It is rarely one factor alone which qualifies a subject for designation but rather a combination of many.

In order to be listed, a building need not be functioning for the purpose it was originally intended: for example, a redundant railway viaduct may have continued its life as a walkway or cycle path, even a wildlife sanctuary.

Similarly, the state of repair is not a relevant consideration against the test of special interest.  It only becomes a factor when the building’s condition has devalued the particular architectural or historic interest to the degree that it can no longer be regarded as special.

The term “building” is defined broadly in the legislation and can include (for example) walls, fountains, sundials, ha-has, statues, bridges, bandstands and telephone boxes.

Historic Scotland is carrying out a comprehensive resurvey of the existing lists, as well as an ongoing programme to maintain them.

What does the listing include?

The listing applies to the whole building or structure at the address named on the list and always covers both the interior and exterior, regardless of category.

The local planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing and whether or not other structures at the address may also be considered to be covered by the listing.

For example, a country house might be identified in the address column, but structures such as boundary walls, gates, gatepiers or additional buildings, such as wash-houses or stables might also be considered to be covered by the listing. This is known as the 'curtilage' of a listing.

The usual tests used by the planning authority to determine if curtilage applies are:

• Were the structures built before 1948?
• Were they in the same ownership as the main subject of listing at the time of listing?
• Do the structures clearly relate in terms of their (original) function to the main subject of the listing?
• Are the structures still related to the main subject on the ground?

Listing categories

Buildings are assigned to one of three categories according to their relative importance. All listed buildings receive equal legal protection, and protection applies equally to the interior and exterior of all listed buildings regardless of category.

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

Category B
Buildings of regional or more than local importance, or major examples of some particular period, style or building type which may have been altered. (Approximately 51% of the total).

Category C(S)
Buildings of local importance, lesser examples of any period, style, or building type, as originally constructed or moderately altered; and simple traditional buildings which group well with others in categories A and B. (Approximately 41% of the total)

Two additional categories existed until recently, Category C (non – statutory) and B for Group (statutory). These have now been phased out entirely.