Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland

The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) is an executive non-departmental public body financed by the Scottish Parliament through the Architecture Policy Unit of the Scottish Government.

The RCAHMS is responsible for recording, interpreting and collecting information about the built environment. This information, which relates to buildings, sites, and ancient monuments of archaeological, architectural and historical interest (including maritime sites and underwater constructions) is then made freely available to the public.

It was established by a Royal Warrant of 1908 which was revised in 1992.

RCAHMS has a mission statement, which is:

* to survey and record the historic environment of Scotland
* to compile and maintain a public record of the archaeological, architectural and historical environment
* to promote an understanding of this information by all appropriate means.

The Commission is based in Edinburgh where it has a huge selection of photographs and drawings for consultation. It also publishes a range of books and documents on Scottish architecture and archaeology. Increasingly study has also been conducted of previously neglected industrial and agricultural constructions, as well as 20th century buildings, including high-rise tower blocks.

RCAHMS maintains the National Monuments Record of Scotland (NMRS) and much RCAHMS material is now available through online databases such as CANMORE.

The RCAHMS in conjunction with Historic Scotland hosts a map based GIS portal called [http://jura.rcahms.gov.uk/PASTMAP/start.jsp PASTMAP] . This allows Historic Scotland [Scheduled Ancient Monuments data.] , NMRS [National Monuments Record of Scotland data.] , Scottish Natural Heritage [Data on Listed Buildings and Designed Landscapes and Gardens.] and some Local Authority Sites and Monuments [Known as SMRs (Sites and Monuments Records).] data sets to be viewed together.

Area Inventories

Initially, RCAHMS recorded all buildings and monuments of note until the year 1715. This was later updated to 1805. The findings were published in a series of inventories. Changes in what constitutes a construction 'of note' plus developments in how the public could access this information led to the abandonment of the inventories after publication of the last Argyll volume in 1992. Consequently, only approximately one-half of Scotland was covered by this method.The volumes are now all out-of-print but are available for consultation at RCAHMS in Edinburgh or at most large public libraries.

* First Report and Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the County of Berwick (HMSO, 1909)

* Second Report and Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the County of Sutherland (HMSO, 1911)

* Third Report and Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the County of Caithness (HMSO, 1911)

* Fourth Report and Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in Galloway, Volume I, County of Wigtown (HMSO, 1912)

* Fifth Report and Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in Galloway, Volume II, County of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright (HMSO, 1914)

* Sixth Report and Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the County of Berwick (revised issue, HMSO, 1915)

* Seventh Report and Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the County of Dumfries (HMSO, 1920)

* Eighth Report and Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the County of East Lothian (HMSO, 1924)

* Ninth Report and Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles (HMSO, 1928)

* Tenth Report and Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the Counties of Midlothian and West Lothian (HMSO, 1929)

* Eleventh Report and Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the Counties of Fife, Kinross and Clackmannan (HMSO, 1933)

* Twelfth Report with an Inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Orkney and Shetland (HMSO, 1946)
** Volume I, Report and Introduction
** Volume II, Inventory of Orkney
** Volume III, Inventory of Shetland

* An Inventory of the Ancient and Historical Monuments of the City of Edinburgh (with the Thirteenth Report of the Commission, HMSO, 1951)

* An Inventory of the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Roxburghshire (with the Fourteenth Report of the Commission, 2 volumes, HMSO, 1956)

* An Inventory of the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Selkirkshire (with the Fifteenth Report of the Commission, HMSO, 1957)

* Stirlingshire. An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments (with the Sixteenth Report of the Commission, 2 volumes, HMSO, 1963)

* Peeblesshire. An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments (with the Seventeenth Report of the Commission, 2 volumes, HMSO, 1967)

* Argyll. An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments, Volume 1, Kintyre (with the Eighteenth Report of the Commission, HMSO, 1971)

* Argyll. An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments, Volume 2, Lorn (with the Nineteenth Report of the Commission, HMSO, 1975)

* Lanarkshire. An Inventory of the Prehistoric and Roman Monuments (with the Twentieth Report of the Commission, HMSO, 1978)

* Argyll. An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments, Volume 3, Mull, Tiree, Coll and Northern Argyll (excluding the early medieval and later monuments of Iona) (with the Twenty-first Report of the Commission, HMSO, 1980)

* Argyll. An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments, Volume 4, Iona (with the Twenty-second Report of the Commission, HMSO, 1982)

* Argyll. An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments, Volume 5, Islay, Jura, Colonsay and Oronsay (with the Twenty-third Report of the Commission, HMSO, 1984)

* Argyll. An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments, Volume 6, Mid Argyll and Cowal: Prehistoric and Early Medieval Monuments (with the Twenty-fourth Report of the Commission, HMSO, 1988)

* Argyll. An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments, Volume 7, Mid Argyll and Cowal: Medieval and Later Monuments (HMSO, 1992)

Notes

ee also

*History of Scotland
*Historic houses of Scotland
*Castles of Scotland

External links

* [http://www.rcahms.gov.uk Official website]