Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland
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Background
Unlike listed building status, there is no statutory basis for the Inventory, and inclusion of a site on the Inventory does not offer any legal protection. However, under the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2013, planning authorities are required to consult Historic Environment Scotland on "development which may affect a historic garden or designed landscape". This is confirmed in Scottish Planning Policy, and the inclusion of a site on the Inventory is a material consideration in planning terms.
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Types of site
The majority of the Inventory sites are estate or park landscapes associated with country houses. However, a wide variety of other types of site are included, including cemeteries, urban parks, and small gardens, where these are of historical significance. Examples include Benmore Botanic Garden in Argyll, Duthie Park in Aberdeen, the Balmoral Castle estate in Deeside, and Ian Hamilton Finlay's garden at Little Sparta in Lanarkshire.
Site selection
Sites are selected and graded based on seven value-based criteria. These are:
- value as an individual work of art
- historic value
- horticultural, arboricultural, silvicultural value
- architectural value
- scenic value
- nature conservation value
- archaeological value
Each site is assessed, on a scale of none—little—some—high—outstanding, for each criterion, using guidance set out in the Historic Environment Policy Statement.
Other parts of the United Kingdom
Separate registers of parks, gardens and designed landscapes are maintained in the other countries of the United Kingdom:
- The Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England is maintained by English Heritage
- The Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales is maintained by Cadw
- The Register of Parks, Gardens and Demesnes of Special Historic Interest is maintained by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency