A new online archive aims to document and preserve Scotland’s vanishing castles, creating a digital record of historic sites that are deteriorating or at risk of being lost.
The Scottish Castles Association, in partnership with the University of Stirling, is developing the archive to record the condition of surviving castles, identify sites at risk and assess opportunities for restoration or adaptive reuse.
The project, which has been operating on a digital platform, is set to reach a wider audience following a launch event at Dundas Castle.
The archive currently includes the Robert and Nicholas Bogdan collection, with further collections being catalogued and digitised. Some material is already available online.
The Scottish Castles Association hopes the archive will become a freely accessible resource for anyone interested in Scotland’s castles, bringing together photographs, drawings, research and records previously held across private and institutional collections.
It will also establish a baseline for monitoring future changes, helping researchers identify buildings at risk and guide conservation efforts.
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Significant areas of Scotland have not been systematically recorded to modern standards, leaving gaps in knowledge about the condition and risks facing many castles and fortified sites.
The archive aims to address these gaps, helping establish which buildings could be saved and ensuring the history and significance of those that cannot be preserved are documented.
The project will also involve local communities, universities, schools and heritage groups. It aims to support a new generation of castle researchers by offering students and volunteers opportunities to develop practical skills in research, photography, photogrammetry and heritage recording.
The programme is seeking contributions from supporters who could fund specific elements of the work or help develop the archive as a whole.
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