Scotland's Historic Environment Audit
Know the past, build the future
Glossary
There can be many interpretations of these terms. However, for the purposes of the audit, terms are defined as follows:
Baseline information
This is basic information gathered at the start of a programme of work. In the case of Scotland's Historic Environment Audit (SHEA) baseline information is being gathered to provide a snapshot of the historic environment at the current time. It will later be used to provide a comparison for assessing changes over time.Evidence base
The evidence-base is the body of research, performance indicators and information analysis which assists policy makers to make informed decisions. Evidence-based policy making is a high priority for the Scottish Government. It follows from a recognition that policy makers need to improve the quality of their decision-making in the context of rapid change and scarce resources.Historic environment
The historic environment goes beyond the definition of ‘the built heritage’ in the Stirling Charter and extends to the present day. Our whole environment, whether rural or urban, on land or under water, has a historic dimension that contributes to its quality and character. It has been shaped by human and natural processes over thousands of years. This is most obvious in our built heritage: ancient monuments; archaeological sites and landscapes; historic buildings; townscapes; parks; gardens and designed landscapes; and our marine heritage, for example in the form of historic shipwrecks or underwater landscapes once dry land.We can see it in the patterns in our landscape – the layout of fields and roads, and the remains of a wide range of past human activities.
Importantly, it also includes our buildings erected before 1919 (see Note 4). Although the majority of older buildings are not listed, most provide flexible and often spacious domestic and office accommodation. A huge investment of money, energy and materials went into these buildings – it would be poor stewardship of this inheritance to neglect it.
The context or setting in which specific historic features sit and the patterns of past use are part of our historic environment. The historical, artistic, literary, linguistic, and scenic associations of places and landscapes are some of the less tangible elements of the historic environment. These elements make a fundamental contribution to our sense of place and cultural identity. (Scottish Historic Environment Policy 1 )
