Scottish Civic Trust

25/08/2026

We've written a joint letter to the Chief Executive of Glasgow City Council, expressing our concern following the decision of Glasgow City Council's Planning
Committee to allow the demolition of Hillhead Baptist Church.

✉️Read our letter here: https://tinyurl.com/3636umzs

With thanks to SAVE Britain's Heritage, Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland, The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, The Scottish Ecological Design Association and Hillhead Community Council for their support.

21/08/2026

Glasgow MSP Paul Sweeney has submitted an emergency statement to parliament calling on Scottish Ministers to urgently intervene in highly contested demolition plans for Hillhead Baptist Church in Glasgow's west end.

21/08/2026

BDA Scotland are now offering a BSL tour of The Hunterian for the Scottish Deaf community. Further information in the original post.

21/08/2026

You've probably seen the headlines about AI data centres being proposed across Scotland, including the hyperscale data centre in Ravenscraig, Motherwell.

Over the past few weeks we've had a growing number of questions from community groups, and members of our network asking what these developments actually involve and what this means for Scotland’s green spaces.

We've put together a guide that sets out the facts as plainly as we can: what an AI data centre actually is, why Scotland and particularly the Central Belt has become an attractive location for developers and what National Planning Framework 4 says about how these applications are assessed.

Within the guide we also provide answers to questions people have been raising with us such as why greenbelt sites are often preferred over brownfield land.
We're not for or against any specific proposal, instead our aim is to make sure people have accurate information before decisions get made and know how to have their say in the planning process if they choose to.

Read the guide: https://www.scottishcivictrust.org.uk/news/your-guide-to-ai-data-centres-in-scotland

17/08/2026

We have now received confirmation from the Scottish Government that it will not call in the decision to demolish Hillhead Baptist Church.

This is deeply disappointing news. Despite more than 300 objections and strong support from members of the public, heritage organisations, trusts, and UK-wide charities, the Scottish Government has decided not to intervene and call in the decision.

As a result, the demolition of the church is expected to proceed, with no commitment to retain the façade or salvage any of the building's original architectural features. As well as the loss of a remarkable building, this decision to not get involved also raises wider concerns about the protection of Scotland's built heritage and the future of other listed buildings facing similar threats, in particular demolition by neglect of listed buildings where the owner lets the structure deteriorate to a degree that they can then justify full demolition.

The Scottish Civic Trust will continue to work with our communities to campaign for the protection and preservation of Scotland’s listed buildings.

17/08/2026

Excited is an understatement! Start planning your weekends next month: doorsopendays.org.uk 🚪🗝

14/08/2026

Recent media coverage has highlighted plans to conserve three of Inverness's historic graveyards. The Scottish Civic Trust supports efforts to protect Scotland's historic greenspaces and recognises the important role that graveyards and burial grounds play as community assets.

These spaces can help support health and wellbeing, biodiversity, outdoor learning, and community engagement, while helping people connect with local heritage. Often overlooked, they provide accessible green spaces for recreation, reflection, and education.

As part of our My Place Programme, we have created two learning resource for schools. These two guides, offer children inspiration on using graveyards as local places to explore the past and the present.

Within each resource there are three different scavenger hunts aimed at early learners (Primary 2-4, or 6-9 year-olds), however the activities are fun for all ages and can be adapted to suit different groups. Access them here, under ‘Toolkits’: https://www.scottishcivictrust.org.uk/about/publications

Please share these free resources with teachers and learning practitioners who may be interested in using local graveyards as outdoor classrooms.

We are also developing a more extensive suite of resources to help schools and communities explore, understand and make greater use of these important historic places.

Image: By Corner of Tomnahurich Cemetery by Chris Morgan

30/07/2026

What a day at the Merchants House yesterday for Scotland's Civic Celebration 🎉

Thank you to everyone who came along - we welcomed communities, volunteers, heritage folk, and a brilliant group of young photographers.

Congratulations to the My Place Awards winners, who've shown incredible commitment to improving the places they live. Congratulations too to everyone in the My Place Photography Competition, whose entries showed real talent and a unique eye for the places they call home.

The event also marked the launch of Doors Open Days 2026, Scotland's largest free festival. Hundreds of buildings and places across the country will open their doors for free this September. The festival programme goes live tomorrow at noon at doorsopendays.org.uk

Swipe through to see some special moments from yesterday's ceremony 📸

23/07/2026

Breaking The Silence, a powerful public history and performance project, will be presented at Govanhill International Festival on 5-6 August. This production will be the first time the show is brought to Scotland.

Using verbatim testimony, theatre and audience interaction, Breaking The Silence brings to life the grassroots movement that challenged the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Moving beyond familiar parliamentary narratives, it highlights the role of campaigners, communities and formerly enslaved people themselves, including the testimony of Olaudah Equiano and the work of Scottish abolitionists such as William Dickson.

Performed primarily in churches, the production examines how ordinary people organised collectively to challenge injustice, while encouraging audiences to connect this history with contemporary conversations about equality and anti-racism.

Over the past four years, successful versions of the production have been staged in Liverpool, Bristol, Cambridgeshire and other locations across England. This new version, to be performed at Govanhill Parish Church, will explore Scotland's role in the slave trade and the individuals and communities who fought against it. Looking beyond Govanhill, the team hopes to develop a wider tour to communities across Scotland with historic links to abolitionist movements.

We encourage anyone interested in Scotland's history and heritage to attend and experience this production. Tickets can be purchased here: https://tinyurl.com/53r9tff9
If you are in a position to donate, read more about the project fundraiser you can do so here: https://tinyurl.com/8tjn7yhn

20/07/2026