Treasured Places: A Centenary

To celebrate its centenary in 2008, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) held an online public vote to find Scotland’s most treasured places through images from its unique national collection. The images represent places and spaces that are ‘treasured’ for many reasons, both on a personal and national level, showing different perspectives and views of well-known sites and of Scottish life throughout history. Over 20,000 votes were cast, with a survey drawing of Lady Victoria Colliery in Newtongrange pipping Glasgow School of Art and King’s College Aberdeen to the title.The final Top Ten brings together a diverse range of meaningful and enchanting images, from a lithograph of Rosslyn Chapel to a photograph of the excavation of Skara Brae, all of which feature in this full-colour souvenir booklet, along with a specially commissioned poem by Edinburgh Makar, Valerie Gillies, to celebrate the “Treasured Places” winner. The booklet also contains an essay on the history of RCAHMS in its centenary year, detailing 100 years of recording the built environment and explaining its continuing importance and relevance to the people of Scotland today.

Reviews of Treasured Places: A Centenary

"Asking people to vote for their treasured place has encouraged the nation to think about its cultural heritage and what it means to them personally. It has evoked memories and stirred debate, and has proved beyond doubt that Scotland's wide and diverse built heritage is something we, as a nation, treasure." Linda Fabiani MSP, Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture.