Scottish Marine Historic Environment Data Audit - Sources for the enhancement of the Coastal and Marine Historic Environment Record

Wessex Archaeology

The aim of the project was to identify significant existing datasets, assess their value for cultural heritage purposes and to make a series of recommendations for enhancement of the marine HER. The project is intended to inform and support both the work of Historic Scotland to safeguard the coastal and marine environment, and the role of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) in the enhancement of its coastal and marine records.

An important element of the project was the design and creation of a database listing the most significant organisations holding data of relevance to the coastal and marine historic environment with regard to possible future data mining. Where possible, the limits of the data sources which had a geographic extent were defined.

The aims of the project were accomplished by contacting the most relevant external authorities, agencies and contractors and requesting general descriptions of holdings of potential relevance and extents of data coverage. Maps of organisations were created in some cases from the coordinates recorded in the Audit Database.