Exclusive:Clear out at the top of Historic Environment Scotland: Another senior manager leaves crisis-hit quango
Another manager has left Historic Environment Scotland as questions remain over what the government plans to do about the future of the heritage quango
Another senior manager has left Historic Environment Scotland (HES) as questions are raised about the future of the heritage quango.
It is understood that Craig Mearns, who was accused of racism, has now quit his role as Director of Operations.
The Scotsman revealed on Tuesday that Katerina Brown, chief executive of HES, has also tendered her resignation after less than two years in post.
READ MORE: Historic Environment Scotland CEO Katerina Brown 'to step down' from role at crisis-hit quango
Last month it emerged that a senior manager who was accused of twerking in front of Martin Compston at a corporate event in Edinburgh Castle had also left the quango.
Meanwhile, Stephen Duncan, the organisation’s commercial director, is understood to still be suspended 11 months after a probe began into procurement irregularities.
The shake up at the top of the organisation comes as the Scottish Government is pressed to outline its plans for the future of the heritage body.
In its Holyrood manifesto, the SNP pledged to "review the structures of Historic Environment Scotland" and take steps to support a new chair.
Yet Tuesday’s Programme for Government makes no explicit mention of the heritage body in the shake up of quangos.
John Swinney’s plan for the next parliamentary term merely says the government will "assess the potential to simplify the management of our national cultural assets".
HES has been mired in controversy over the past year and whistleblowers outlined the details of repeated scandals at the organisation.
It was revealed that Mr Mearns made derogatory comments towards tourists at Edinburgh Castle.
The woman who twerked in front of Martin Compston was further accused of sexually harassing a junior staff member and suspended while an investigation was carried out.
Katerina Brown was brought in to post in September 2024 with the intention of steadying the ship.
However, her tenure coincided with multiple revelations of serious concerns within the organisation.
Directors at HES lodged a formal grievance about her conduct and she was suspended before finally being returned to post.
A spokeswoman for HES said the quango does not comment on individual personnel matters.
An insider said Ms Brown had “had enough” and decided to walk shortly before her two year anniversary with HES.
During her tenure, the former chair of the organisation, Hugh Hall, stood down as the Scottish Government launched an investigation into his conduct.
Scottish Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Stephen Kerr said: “Historic Environment Scotland receives over £70 million in taxpayers’ money every year and is responsible for safeguarding some of the most important historic sites and assets anywhere in Scotland.
“It is far too important to constantly lurch from one crisis to another with ministers seemingly content to sit on their hands.”
Mr Kerr criticised the Scottish Government’s failure to outline a clear plan for HES in its Programme for Government, despite a promise to review its structures.
“With senior figures gone or suspended for months on end, taxpayers deserve to know who is actually running HES and whether ministers have any grip on it,” Mr Kerr added.
“The SNP must stop ducking responsibility and urgently set out how they intend to restore proper leadership, governance and public confidence in Scotland’s national heritage body.”
The Scottish Government was asked specifically how the Programme for Government reflected the SNP manifesto pledge to review HES.
A spokesman did not directly respond to the query but said: “We will continue to support the HES chair and board as they take this work forward.”
Scotland’s Auditor General Stephen Boyle found “unacceptable weaknesses” in HES’s governance, misuse of company credit cards, misuse of hospitality tickets and allegations of a “toxic workplace culture”.
John Swinney also staged an unusual intervention at the height of the crisis, documents recently released under freedom of information to The Scotsman show.
The First Minister stepped in to tell HES that the steps outlined by those in charge of the organisation “need to be followed to improve governance and operations”.
He told civil servants to “move with urgency” to resolve the problems with the quango.
Richard Hardy, national secretary of the civil service union Prospect, criticised what he called a “substantial impact to the public purse” by the staffing issues at HES.
He said: “What HES needed in 2025 was the space and time to build on its new staffing strategy and work towards recruiting and retaining key craft skills, such as stonemasonry which are rare but vital.
“What it got was an an absentee CEO, political interference, negative press coverage and key staff tied up dealing with the fall out from all three.
“What is needed now, as it has been all through this sorry time, is a period of calm reflection and
professional leadership so that the lessons of the last 18 months can be absorbed and addressed,
and our members can once again feel valued and supported to deliver the vital work of the
organisation.”
“Our focus is on implementing the recommendations of the recently commissioned independent ‘Organisational and Cultural Review’ and continuing to strengthen the organisation,” the HES spokeswoman added.
“We remain focused on delivering our core purpose of investigating, caring for and promoting Scotland's historic environment.”
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