Traditional skills vital to protecting Scotland’s historic castles and palaces

An agreement to ensure that Scotland has world-class training has been signed by two of the providers of traditional building skills. Historic Scotland, the national heritage agency, and CITB-ConstructionSkills, the sector skills council and industry training board for UK construction, have committed to an action plan.

The Sector Skills Agreement was signed at Historic Scotland’s new state-of-the-art stonemasonry training facility at Forth Valley College in Stirling.

In September the first intake of ten new Historic Scotland apprentices will begin training at the college as part of a Scottish Government commitment to provide 30 traditional skills apprenticeships over three years.

Graeme Ogilvy, CITB-ConstructionSkills director – Scotland, said: “Traditionally built structures contribute to Scotland’s economy, not only by providing an obvious draw for tourists attracted to castles and palaces, these structures are often our homes, our places of work and much of the infrastructure used daily.

“They are part of Scotland’s culture and help provide a sense of place; they also reflect the diverse geography, as traditionally built structures are constructed with local indigenous materials that require distinct skills and knowledge to work.

“It is imperative that this built heritage is repaired and maintained and that it is done so correctly, as using inappropriate materials and methods has proven to be more damaging and costly in the long term.”

David Mitchell, Historic Scotland director of conservation, said: “The built environment needs the right knowledge and skills across all levels to encourage good and appropriate repair work.  

“I am particularly delighted that we have been able to meet at our new facility in Forth Valley College that will give apprentices the opportunity to learn how to properly repair and maintain our incredible historic architecture.”

Making a commitment to traditional skills training Graeme Ogilvy CITB-ConstructionSkills director – Scotland and David Mitchell Historic Scotland director of conservation