A “hands-off” approach to the preservation of some historic structures in the Stirling area could be adopted by Historic Environment Scotland.
The body charged with protecting Scotland’s historic buildings is currently looking at the criteria it could use to identify sites across the country which could be left to managed decline.
According to HES a combination of climate change, damage caused by rocketing visitor numbers, and natural ageing raises questions over which buildings to preserve.
HES is currently carrying out surveys at more than 200 of its properties including Stirling district’s Doune Castle, Inchmahome Priory and Stirling Bridge to assess deterioration.
The results will be used to inform how they are managed in future.
The city’s Mar’s Wark, Argyll’s Lodging and Stirling Castle are not part of these assessments.
Director of conservation at Historic Environment Scotland, David Mitchell, told a national newspaper last week: “Everything decays, we are fighting against the ravages of time. In some instances, we will have to let some stuff go.
“We have to be bold and make decisions about what we are going to focus on. That’s very difficult because these sites are loved by people locally and we understand that, but they are the choices we have to make.”
An HES spokesperson told the Observer that the idea of curated decay is “purely a theoretical option at this stage” for sites that may be in a difficult condition due to the accelerating impact of climate change and require extensive investment.
It was emphasised that “wherever possible [HES] will work on the basis of consolidation and repair or providing access in a different way.”
In a statement Mr Mitchell told the Observer: “Many of the properties we manage have featured as filming locations over the decades, which can lead to a significant increase in visitor numbers in a short space of time.
“While a site like Stirling Castle has the infrastructure and physical resilience to cope with this, many of our smaller sites can face challenges in absorbing these impacts.
“In recent years Doune Castle has seen a surge in visitors due to its starring role as the fictional Castle Leoch in Outlander, which has opened up the site to new audiences and encouraged new engagement with Scotland’s history and heritage, which is of course hugely positive.
“However, the increased footfall has also led to issues relating to ground erosion at the site, and some congestion with visiting vehicles exceeding the capacity of the existing facilities.
“Maintaining a high-quality visitor experience while protecting the site itself requires a careful balance, and we continue to work closely with Stirling Council and the local community to help ensure the castle can remain a sustainable site and enjoyed into the future, and recent investment in creating new access routes at the castle reflects that approach.”
