News & Views

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is working with the Institute of Conservation (Icon) and partners to develop a new risk register to highlight the traditional building and heritage skills most at risk of disappearing. The project will create the Heritage Skills At Risk Register which will enable the identification, assessment and classification of skills such as thatching, traditional stained and leaded glass making, architectural blacksmithing, and stonemasonry.

Demand for such skills is growing rapidly, partly because of the urgent need to retrofit historic buildings to help meet national net zero targets. However, there is a serious lack of training opportunities for people who want to learn these skills and low awareness about them being viable career options. There are currently fewer than ten trained thatchers in Scotland, with only five Icon-registered stained-glass conservators, 20 architectural blacksmiths with traditional forge skills, and fewer than 300 trained stonemasons.

Through the development of the Heritage Skills At Risk Register, HES and Icon aim to start a national conversation about the issue and encourage other organisations to highlight skills with similar shortages so they can be addressed. Announced during Scottish Apprenticeship Week (3-7 March), the initiative also highlights the lack of training facilities where people can learn heritage skills.

It comes as a YouGov poll commissioned by HES found that the vast majority of Scots (78 per cent) think it is important that more people learn the skills required to preserve the historic environment. Similarly, the survey found that 82 per cent think it is important that there is adequate training provision.

Asked which traditional skills they would consider learning themselves, 47 per cent said historic stained glass making, 33 per cent said stonemasonry, 32 per cent said blacksmithing, and 20 per cent said thatching.

HES will work with Icon and other partners through the heritage sector’s Skills Investment Plan to identify the skills most at risk. This follows in the footsteps of the UK-wide initiative to identify and track endangered skills through the Heritage Crafts Red List, and will look to quantify the practitioners working in Scotland responsible for the built environment.

HES is currently the largest stonemasonry trainer in Scotland, with the City of Glasgow College the only other place that people can learn this traditional craft. Of the 49 key traditional building skills defined by HES, only 6 per cent have formal training provision in place, 50 per cent have no informal training provision in place and the initial suggestion is 49 per cent are at high risk of lost and 41 per cent at risk. There is no Modern Apprenticeship in roof slating and tiling provision north of Arbroath, there is no architectural blacksmith training at all in Scotland, and the knowledge and skills required to properly repair and maintain existing traditional buildings are often missing from available training courses. HES has two skills training centres in Elgin and Stirling, and also helps people learn on-the-job while earning a wage by offering Apprenticeships, Traineeships, and Craft Fellowships.

Scotland needs to scale up its training opportunities in heritage skills as demand is rising rapidly due to the need to repair and retrofit traditional buildings, and factors such as climate change exacerbating existing problems. Around 71 per cent of traditionally built housing in Scotland is in need of critical repairs , with an estimated 10,000 new jobs needed over the next decade to maintain and adapt such properties. A survey conducted by HES in 2023 revealed that more than two thirds of employers (68 per cent) anticipate a skills shortage by 2028.

Dr David Mitchell, Director of Cultural Assets at HES, said:

We have been sounding the alarm on Scotland’s heritage skills shortage for some time and it is now reaching a critical point.

“The Heritage Skills At Risk Register is a proactive measure to help address this crisis, and we urge other organisations to contribute to it so we can collaboratively build a comprehensive national picture of where skills are needed. With demand for heritage skills increasing rapidly, we cannot afford to delay. We must significantly increase training opportunities to ensure our traditional and historic buildings are maintained for future generations.

“We need a concerted effort to attract young people into the sector from schools, colleges and universities, as well as encouraging skilled workers and career changers to consider this vital field. Traditional skills are not just about conserving the past; they are crucial to Scotland’s future, particularly in our efforts to achieve net zero. With approximately one in five homes in Scotland being built before 1919, these skills will play a pivotal role in our journey towards a sustainable future.”

Emma Jhita, Chief Executive at the Institute of Conservation, said:

“The conservation profession relies on a relatively small pool of highly skilled conservator-restorers. While Icon’s membership represents expertise across more than 150 material practices, challenges within the education sector and a vanishingly small number of professionals in some areas of practice mean that skills-many of which have taken years to develop-exist on a knife edge.

“Urgent action is needed to address these challenges.

“Icon is delighted to be collaborating with HES in developing the Heritage Skills at Risk Framework-an essential initiative to highlight the skills most at risk, bring together stakeholders, and ensure that strategies are put in place to safeguard the future of our shared heritage.”

Case studies

Thatching

Troy Holt, 26, based in Dunkeld, works on thatching, drystone dyking, and lime work conservation projects throughout the Highlands and Islands, through his HES Craft Fellowship.

Troy said: “A typical day varies significantly. We could be doing stonework, thatching, lime work, or other building jobs. Key projects for the upcoming year include rethatching the museum at Glen Coe, traditional timber builds on Lewis and a thatching project at Balmoral.

“The biggest challenges are environmental conditions like the Scottish weather, limited daylight in winter, or running out of coffee! We often work in remote places without mains electricity or heating. The best jobs are those where we collaborate with other heritage crafts folk, which is a rare occurrence but always enjoyable.

“Scottish vernacular thatching is probably the most endangered skill we practice. The number of thatched roofs in Scotland has significantly reduced, unlike in Devon for example, where many thatched roofs persist. Consequently, the number of thatchers using distinctly Scottish materials and processes has dwindled. Estimates suggest there are only seven experienced thatchers left in Scotland.

“Another issue is the sheer variety of materials historically used in Scotland – heather, brooms, reed, marram, straw, bracken – compared to the southern tradition of straw and reed. Each material requires different skills and knowledge and, with few practitioners, much is at risk of being lost.

“Scottish vernacular thatching is unique. No other place in the world practices thatching in the same way, with such a variety of materials. The regional availability of each material ensures a rich and diverse set of practices that offer lessons in historic and vernacular building. This alone makes it worth preserving, but it also relates to a working-class, Gaelic culture often overshadowed by grand castles.

“The tradition of thatching stretches back to the very first peoples who built here. The way we thatch a heather roof now is much the same as in the Iron Age. The problem is a lack of funding and training opportunities, and a lack of awareness of Scottish vernacular thatching as a modern skill. Although not suitable for modern housing, a heather thatch is perfect for community shelters, workshop spaces or museums. Encouraging this attitude would rekindle the craft’s relevance.

“There aren’t enough thatchers, and those few left can’t guarantee a livelihood from this craft alone. But if we trained more thatchers and encouraged the use of this skill in modern building, we might reverse this decline.”

Historic stained-glass making

Gordon Muir, 63, from Glasgow, is the first person in Scotland to undertake a Craft Fellowship in historic stained-glass making through HES. He is currently working on various conservation and repair projects involving churches and other buildings.

Gordon said: “My involvement with stained glass began in November 2019 when my neighbour asked if I could help move some large glass panels for a commission he was working on. I was eager for any creative endeavour and quickly accepted. At that time, I was working as a care assistant for people living with advanced dementia, a job I had done full-time over the past 10 years.

“I previously attended Glasgow School of Art, and even then, my work was influenced by stained glass. I loved how the dark lead created structure, rhythm, and energy in the pictorial space, and the vibrant colours and intensity of natural light, which are impossible to reproduce in paintings.

“In the late 90s, I worked for an off-licence shop chain, producing painted window promotions in their shops around Glasgow. I also did sign writing for pubs, restaurants, and other retail outlets for stores in Edinburgh and Glasgow. From working on these windows, I gained experience of the mechanics and methodology of applying paint to glass, using markers and acrylic paints.”

Blacksmithing

Craig Easton, 29, based in Balfron, works with his mentors at Two Ravens Forge to develop his skills through hands-on experience as a HES Craft Fellow. Craig works on private and conservation commissions, including the creation of replica 7th century handbells to replace those stolen from Fortingall Church in 2017.

Craig said: “I learned so much through my college course but the Craft Fellowship has allowed me to work full-time as a blacksmith and given me opportunities I would have struggled to find otherwise. I’ve been able to develop my skills and learn from my mentors’ experience.

“Blacksmiths have been pivotal in villages, towns and cities across Scotland since the Iron Age. Most of the tools and techniques we use today would be recognisable to blacksmiths from 100, even 1000 years ago. But there has also been innovation, like the induction forge we have in the workshop. This heats the metal using magnetism and is powered by electricity rather than coal.

“The biggest challenge so far hasn’t been mastering the skills, it’s been getting into the problem-solving mindset of a blacksmith. Almost anything you can draw can be made; it’s just finding out how to do it.

“People think blacksmithing is about making swords but it’s everywhere – railings, gates, our historic buildings. These skills shaped our towns and cities and if we lose them, we lose part of Scotland’s identity.”

Stonemasonry

Sarah Tebbs, 25, who lives in Arbroath, is an apprentice stonemason with HES based at its Arbroath depot. She first became interested in stonemasonry during a primary school trip to Lincoln Cathedral, but only recently considered it as a career. She previously worked as an outdoor activities instructor.

Sarah said: “As I work in conservation, not construction, the pace is very different. Our aim is to ensure every action we take will not cause damage to our monuments. Every job, no matter how small, requires careful assessment, planning and approvals, which can take time.

“Our upcoming project is replacing several damaged cills at the Abbot’s House in Arbroath Abbey. The stone is ready to be cut, but we need all relevant approvals and checks in place. All the cutting we do at college is done by hand, using techniques stonemasons have used for centuries. The main difference is the strength and quality of our tools – nylon mells instead of wood, and stronger chisels, sharpened on a bench grinder rather than by hand.

“Power tools and machinery have made shaping stone more efficient, but knowing traditional methods is essential for working at sites without access to power, when machinery fails or when replicating historic stonework.

“How many children do you think know what a stonemason is? You can’t aspire to a job you don’t know exists. I’m here because I was exposed to it at a young age and carried that curiosity into adulthood. This country is full of historic buildings in need of repair, but not enough people have the skills and knowledge to repair them without risking further damage. Our aim in conservation is to preserve what we have now so its historical and cultural importance can survive for future generations.

“Stonemasonry is a male-dominated field, which can be intimidating, especially if you are not used to that environment. I have worked at outreach events for school and university leavers and spoken to young women who didn’t think this was something women could do. It’s strange to hear that in 2025, but there are still social and psychological barriers that can prevent us from pursuing careers in construction. I want to show that stonemasonry is a role for any gender.”

Figures related to recent HES-commissioned poll are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1008 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 13-17 February 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all Scottish adults (aged 18+).

About the Institute of Conservation (Icon)

Icon is a charitable company working to safeguard cultural heritage and the professional membership body for the conservation profession.

Icon’s vision is to protect, preserve and promote our treasured cultural heritage through cultivating skilled conservation professionals, supporting meaningful collaboration across the cultural heritage sector, and delivering public benefit through engagement and advocacy.

Icon’s mission is to represent and support the practice and profession of conservation by promoting the public value of caring for cultural heritage and upholding high standards and ethics in conservation practice.
Icon ensures that the guardians and owners of objects, buildings and collections can access knowledgeable and passionate professionals who will help them safeguard the physical remains of our past for the future.