New website spotlights treasure trove of heritage in Fife

Historic Environment Scotland’s online platform showcases its collections, archives, images and information.

On trove.scot, users can find out more about some of the most historic sites in Fife, such as the iconic Forth Bridge, one of Scotland’s seven World Heritage sites; unearth gems from HES’s Properties in Care, including a 16th century gargoyle depicting a singing musician which is currently on display at Dunfermline Abbey; and step back in time with archive images of local areas, such as Crail Harbour and Rothes Colliery, for which the town of Glenrothes was founded.

From standing stones to skate parks, trove.scot contains over 5,000 years of Scotland’s history in approximately 3 million records, combining designation records of Scotland’s most important historic sites and buildings; the catalogue of Scotland’s archaeology and built heritage; over 2,000 culturally significant objects from HES’ properties; and educational and archival images and media from SCRAN.

Katerina Brown, chief executive of HES, said: “We are excited to be bringing heritage even closer to people’s everyday lives with this new platform. trove.scot will make it easier to learn about the heritage and historic environment that surrounds you, whether that is the listed buildings on your street or archive images of historic events that shaped communities.

“trove.scot marks one of the largest investments in our programme to improve and enhance digital access to information on the historic environment, and increase the number and diversity of people who engage with Scotland’s history and heritage.

“We hope that by making the vast store of information we hold more accessible, trove.scot will encourage more people to dig into Scotland’s past and see what they can discover with the new platform. Of course, the launch is just the beginning, and we’ll continue working hard behind the scenes to bring more exciting innovations to service.”