Exclusive:Scotland risks 'wholesale loss' of heritage as archaeology cuts leave numbers at 'bare minimum'

Archaeologists working for local authorities are charged with the protection of 90 per cent of Scotland’s historical and archaeological sites - but numbers of staff continue to fall.

Scotland could face a “wholesale loss” of heritage as numbers of archaeologists working for local authorities continue to decline in the face of development of houses, roads and infrastructure across the country.

Archaeologists working at the site of the Culduthel Iron Age craftworking village near Inverness, which was discovered as housebuilders prepared to move onto the land. PIC: HeadlandArchaeology. | HeadlandArchaeology.

Levels of archaeologists employed by councils to monitor planning applications, work with developers and maintain the most detailed records of historic sites have fallen to a “bare minimum” with numbers at risk of further fall, it has been warned.

Archaeologists employed by local authorities are responsible for the protection of roughly 90 per cent of historic sites in Scotland, with Historic Environment Scotland (HES) responsible for around 10 per cent.

They play a key role in working with developers to assess and protect sites ahead of construction work with such ‘developer-led archaeology’ exposing numerous historic sites in the past - including Culduthel Iron Age craftworking village near Inverness, which was discovered ahead of a major house building project.

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Meanwhile, around 200 graves were excavated at the Ballumbie medieval cemetery and lost chapel near Dundee before houses were built on the site.

At least two local authorities - Shetland and Perth and Kinross - are considering changes to its archaeology service, which is often outsourced. But full details of arrangements - and whether they will represent a reduction in service - are not yet known.

A Harness Strap mount found by archaeologists at Culduthel near Inverness ahead of housebuilders moving onto the site. Dating from 2nd Century AD, it has unfinished ‘cells’ which would have been completed at the Iron Age village by glass workers. PIC: Headland Archaeology. | Headland Archaeology

There are now just 19 archaeologists and Historic Environment Record officers employed across Scotland’s councils, with the number falling from 26 in 2015 and 33 in 2005.

Bruce Mann, UK vice-chair of the Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers, said heritage would start to be lost if numbers continued to fall.

“We have seen a steady reduction in the number of archaeologists,” he said. “When people have left, posts haven’t been replaced. We are now looking at the bare minimum of staff.

“There is a level of concern across Scotland. There are some individuals worried about their future and people are worried about whether their service will be cut altogether.”

Mr Mann added: “If the local authority service goes, we are looking at the wholesale loss of heritage. Most of it will be gone before you realise that it is there.

Bruce Mann, Vice-Chair of Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers and Regional Archaeologist for Aberdeenshire, Moray, Angus and Aberdeen City Councils. | Contributed

“You are losing part of the nation’s identity. It will be a loss not felt straight away, but as time goes on the story of who we are will be eroded. We would lose the remains of our collective past, while increasing the risks for developers.

“We would lose the opportunity to tell the story of who we are and where we have come from. We would miss opportunities for people to engage with our history, and to make the past a positive difference in their lives today. And critically, we would also miss the opportunity to learn from the past, such as the impacts of past climatic change, and apply those lessons to how we approach the future.”

Archaeologists working for local authorities are responsible for monitoring every planning application that is submitted to assess any potential impact on archaeology.

In Scotland in 2019, the 17 local authority planning archaeologists assessed 21,945 planning applications.

Key to this process is the Historic Environment Record officer, who is responsible for keeping detailed records on every known historical and archaeological site within the regional boundary. From there, an assessment is made on the impact a development could have on a site and gauge any risk to sites also unknown.

Mr Mann said; “There is a recognition that for the vast majority of historic sites, this is the mechanism that protects them. We don’t know the full extent or where all the sites are yet. That is the nature of it.”

He added: “In terms of local authorities, we monitor everything and we assess what the potential impact is for archaeology, whether that is upstanding buildings or sites not yet fully discovered. It is the professional interpretation that we have got.

“We have a site marked on the map and then you have the blank areas in between. What we need to understand is what potentially is in the blank areas in-between.”

Around 8 per cent of all planning applications will need some sort of archaeological assessment.

Mr Mann, who is also the regional archaeologist for Moray, Aberdeenshire, Angus and Aberdeen city councils, said archaeologists “worked in tandem” with developers so that a site was fully understood.

He said: “We can count one hand the amount of developments that have been stopped because of archaeological reason and we work in tandem with developers to make sure the process is fair and that everyone understands the site.

“We also remove a huge amount of risk from developers.”

An independent report in 2019, commissioned by the Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers, found the service saved developers an estimated £1.3 billion in delays and emergency excavation costs.

If services continued to be cut, developers would have no obligation to safeguard the majority of historic sites, record them or share what has been found with anyone, Mr Mann added.

He said: “There is a concern overall about the direction we are heading in while there is a feeling that local authorities still have this expectation to look after Scotland’s heritage.

“How do we balance value for money against a huge requirement to look at Scotland’s history?”

Perth and Kinross Council said a decision on budgets would be taken by councillors on February 26. Shetland Isles Council were contacted for comment.