Events

From 21st June to 30th August, the Burntisland Heritage Centre invites visitors to a vibrant new exhibition celebrating the town’s natural heritage. Open Wednesday to Saturday, 11am–4pm, this free exhibition features stunning local photography, a children’s quiz, and a fascinating fossil display curated by a local expert.

This is a hugely exciting time for Portsoy and the North East Scotland Preservation Trust (NESPT) as the Trust works to develop its significant long-term pipeline of regeneration projects in and around Portsoy’s A-listed Old Harbour.

Join us to hear directly from the NESPT and a variety of wonderful neighbouring projects as they showcase the diverse efforts being made to preserve and revive coastal heritage across north east Scotland.

In addition to presentations, the day will include networking opportunities, a tour of Portsoy’s historic harbour buildings, and time to explore the Salmon Bothy's community museum space.

Members and non-members are welcome.

Timings:

9:30am Arrival/Tea and coffee

10:00am Welcome

10:10am Talk and Q&A

11:00am Networking

11:30am Break

12:00pm Talk and Q&A

12:45pm Lunch

1:30 - 2:30pm Talks and Q&A

2:45pm Visits/tours

4/4:30pm Finish

Speakers to be confirmed in the coming weeks

Notes:

Ticket price includes lunch and refreshments, Heritage Network members receive a discount

Come join us at Made In Stirling on September 11, 2025 at 10:30 AM for a morning of networking and learning.

This event is perfect for young people in the heritage sector looking to dymystify networking and boost confidence. Share your experiences, gain insights, and expand your network!

Tea,coffee and cake will be provided.

Don't miss this opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and build valuable connections. See you there!

Spaces are limited, if you can't attend on the day please cancel your ticket or let us know.

We will be taking photos during the event. If you would not like your photo to be taken you will be able to indicate this to the event organisers upon arrival.

Join us to explore the strategies and philosophies governing architectural conservation in Scotland. We will examine the nature of traditional Scottish building materials and outline how international standards of good conservation practice can be applied to offset or adapt to the impact of climate change on our historic built environment.

A networking lunch will provide you with the opportunity to continue discussions and explore the Engine Shed.

Our full-day experience includes an afternoon site visit to Bannockburn House, where our team will lead you on a technical tour of this remarkable late 17th-century mansion and identify conservation techniques in practice.

Houses have fascinating histories too! The social side of our ancestors can often be just as interesting as the individuals themselves. Buildings have a history all of their own, which exposes the lives of the people who lived there over time. This half-day course led by experienced genealogist, Lorna Kinnaird, PGDip, FSAScot, QG, ASGRA, will get you started on carrying out a house history in Scotland and will get you accessing some pretty amazing records. The course will cover:

Identifying key features of dating buildings
Identifying sources for buildings
Accessing documents for buildings
Linking key sources with vital record sources
No previous experience is needed.

Stakeholder Session

Reimagining Heritage: Inclusive & Immersive Storytelling and Co-Creation in Dumfries & Galloway

For: Professionals working in heritage, tourism, health and social care, community engagement and education.

Event Overview:Join us for a half-day gathering of stakeholders, creatives, and community members as we begin a journey to reimagine how heritage is experienced and understood across Dumfries & Galloway.

With the support of the Sparks Commission, this event marks the beginning of a collaborative enquiry into how we can make heritage spaces, stories, and experiences more inclusive, imaginative, and reflective of the region’s diverse communities. Together, we will explore how to reach and involve people who have traditionally faced barriers to engaging with heritage — including disabled people, individuals from low-income backgrounds, and those with marginalised cultural identities.

Why Attend?This is an opportunity to:

• Contribute to an open discussion about inclusive heritage and storytelling.
• Connect with local heritage partners, allied health professionals, cultural hubs, and community leaders.
• Help shape ideas for accessible, meaningful, and co-created heritage experiences across the region.
• Hear from Commingled and Mostly Ghostly, two organisations bringing together expertise in inclusion, accessibility, and heritage interpretation.

Our Focus:How can we co-create heritage and storytelling experiences that are truly inclusive, dynamic, and rooted in lived experience? This event is a space to reflect, share, and begin forming new connections — all with the aim of building a more collaborative and open approach to heritage in Dumfries & Galloway.

What We Hope to Achieve:We’re not just aiming for a single event outcome — we want to spark a longer-term shift in how people see and shape heritage. By encouraging new narratives and storytellers to emerge, we hope to inspire curiosity, confidence, and a greater sense of belonging in all who take part.

This event is ideal for:

• Heritage and cultural organisations
• Health and wellbeing professionals
• Community organisers and activists
• Artists, creatives, and storytellers
• Anyone passionate about inclusive cultural engagement

Let’s come together to imagine a more open, connected, and participatory heritage future — one where everyone’s story matters.

Itinerary for the Day:

• 11:00 am – Garden Tour (45 mins)

Our day begins promptly with a guided tour of the distinctive double Walled Garden. This unique space, where the grand house itself forms the fourth wall, benefits from a sheltered microclimate created by the coastal location and sun-warmed stonework. Visitors often say it feels like stepping into another world.

• 11:45 am – Refreshment Break

Enjoy freshly baked cake served with tea and coffee.

• 12:15 pm – House Tour (1.5 hours)

Explore the rich history of Hospitalfield House, a remarkable 19th-century Arts & Crafts home built on the site of a medieval hospice established by the Benedictine monks of Arbroath Abbey. The tour will highlight the inspiring story of Patrick and Elizabeth Allan Fraser, who envisioned Hospitalfield not simply as a residence, but as a centre of artistic education. This vision lives on through the Art School founded in 1902 and its continued legacy today.

• 1:45 pm – Lunch at the Garden Café

• 3:00 pm – Travel to the Memorial Chapel (approx. 20 mins)

The chapel is located off-site within the Western Cemetery. Parking is available on East Muirlands Road.

• 3:20 pm – Chapel Tour (30 mins)

A guided visit to the Memorial Chapel, offering further insight into the Allan Frasers’ legacy.

The cost for the day is £45.00 per person and includes:

• A guided tour of Hospitalfield House, garden and chapel
• Light refreshments and lunch in the Garden Cafe.

Please ensure timely arrival, as the day’s programme will run on a fixed schedule.

Non members are welcome.

ALL BOOKINGS MUST BE MADE BY: 16 AUGUST 2025

This event is co-produced by EDAS and Historic Environment Scotland 

Historic Environment Scotland is developing a long-term strategy for the historic Properties and Collections in their care, that they manage on behalf of the people of Scotland and Scottish Ministers. Following public consultation, the Strategy should be published in 2026 setting out how a sustainable future can be realised for over 360 historic properties and their associated collections across Scotland.

This represents a key moment to take stock - to think not only about conservation of these culturally significant assets but also to sustainably use the Estate as a driver for jobs, responsible tourism and local economies.

In partnership with EDAS and Historic Environment Scotland, this special event will explore the economic and place-based benefits that the Strategy could deliver, how it may intersect with local place plans, visitor levies, and evolving management of heritage sites.

Join sector leaders, policymakers, and economic development professionals for a dynamic discussion around how we can productively use these heritage assets, through sustainable management, across Scotland with communities and partners.

We’ll also provide opportunities for attendees to contribute ahead of the consultation phase of the strategy - ensuring economic development voices are part of the national conversation.

Event Objectives:

• Understand the ambitions and implications of a 10-year HES Properties and Collections Strategy
• Explore connections to local economic development, tourism, jobs, and place-making
• Understand how heritage-led regeneration impacts across EDAS’ core policy areas - People, Place, Planet, Prosperity
• Encourage cross-sector engagement with public consultation

Provisional Agenda:

10:00 Welcome and Opening Remarks
Neil McInroy, EDAS Chair 

10:05 Keynote: The Property Care in Care and Collection Strategy in Context
Dr David Mitchell, Director of Cultural Assets, Historic Environment Scotland 

10:15 Strategy Overview and Vision
Speaker: Emily Tracey / Pauline Megson, Historic Environment Scotland

10:25 Balancing the Visitor Experience with Community Needs
Speaker: Katey Boal, Head of North Region Operations Directorate, Historic Environment Scotland

10:30 Economic Impacts and Opportunities
Dr George Findlater, Head of Community and Economic Development, Historic Environment Scotland

10:35 Panel Discussion: The economic value of Heritage
Including:

• Visitor levy and local funding
• Local Place Plans and regional strategies
• What success looks like for communities
• Skills

Panellists: 

• Moderated by Neil McInroy, EDAS Chair
• Ken Massie, Head of Destination Development, Visit Scotland
• Fergus Murray, Head of Development and Economic Growth, Argyll and Bute Council
• Leigh Sparks, Professor of Retail Studies, University of Stirling and Chair, Scotland's Towns Partnership
• Elin Williamson, Head of Business Growth and Inclusion, City of Edinburgh Council 
• Paul Zealey, Skills Planning Lead, Skills Development Scotland 

11:00 Shaping the Future Together – Discussion

11:25 Closing Reflections & Next Steps

11:30 Close