Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland facts for kids

Logo of the RCAHMS.

The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) was a special group in Scotland. It was part of the Scottish Government. Its job was to find, record, and share information about Scotland's old buildings, important places, and historical landscapes. This included everything from ancient ruins to old houses and even underwater sites.

RCAHMS was set up in 1908 by a special order from the King. It was one of the first groups of its kind in the UK. The main goal was to make sure Scotland's history was remembered and shared.

In 2015, RCAHMS joined with another group called Historic Scotland. Together, they formed a new organization called Historic Environment Scotland. This new group continues the important work of looking after Scotland's past.

Why RCAHMS Was Created

The Royal Commission was started in 1908. This was after some laws were made to protect old monuments in the UK. People like David Murray and Gerard Baldwin Brown felt that more needed to be done. They thought it was important to make detailed lists of all the important historical sites.

Professor Brown, who taught at the University of Edinburgh, suggested creating a Royal Commission. This idea was liked by Sir John Sinclair, who was in charge of Scotland's government. So, RCAHMS was officially created on February 14, 1908. Similar groups were also set up for Wales and England later that year.

What RCAHMS Did

RCAHMS had its main office in Edinburgh. They had a huge collection of old photos and drawings. They also published many books about Scottish buildings and archaeology. They studied all kinds of structures, including old factories, farms, and even tall buildings from the 20th century.

Keeping Records of Scotland's Past

RCAHMS kept a big database of Scotland's historical sites. This was called the National Monuments Record of Scotland (NMRS). Many of their records were put online. You could find them through websites like Canmore.

Looking from Above: Aerial Surveys

Since 1976, RCAHMS used planes to take pictures of historical sites from the air. This helped them find and record many hidden places. They had a massive collection of over 1.8 million aerial photos of Scotland. This included pictures taken by the Royal Air Force during and after World War II. They also had millions of images of international sites.

Online Tools for Exploring History

RCAHMS worked with Historic Scotland to create a map tool called PASTMAP. This allowed people to see different historical records on one map. They also managed other online tools:

• Scran: A charity with over 367,000 images, videos, and sounds from museums and archives. It's a great learning resource.
• Scotland's Places: A website that lets you search collections from RCAHMS, the National Records of Scotland, and the National Library of Scotland.

RCAHMS was one of the first groups in Scotland to use social media. This allowed people to add their own photos and information to the Canmore database. They also held talks, exhibitions, and training sessions.

From 2011, RCAHMS also looked after the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland. This list helps keep track of historic buildings that are in danger of being lost.

Becoming Historic Environment Scotland

In 2014, the Scottish Parliament decided to combine RCAHMS with Historic Scotland. This new group, Historic Environment Scotland, started on October 1, 2015. It now continues the work of protecting and sharing Scotland's amazing heritage.

Area Inventories: Detailed Books of History

RCAHMS used to create detailed books called "inventories." These books listed and described all the important buildings and monuments in different areas. At first, they focused on things built before 1707, but later extended this to 1805.

They stopped making these books after the last Argyll volume in 1992. This was because they found new ways to share information, like online databases. About half of Scotland was covered by these inventory books.

Even though the printed books are no longer made, you can still find them online. They are available on the Scotland's Places website or through Historic Environment Scotland.

Here are some of the areas covered by these inventory books:

• Berwick (1909, revised 1915)
• Sutherland (1911)
• Caithness (1911)
• Galloway, Volume I, Wigtown (1912)
• Galloway, Volume II, Kirkcudbright (1914)
• Dumfries (1920)
• East Lothian (1924)
• Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles (1928)
• Midlothian and West Lothian (1929)
• Fife, Kinross and Clackmannan (1933)
• Orkney and Shetland (1946)
  • Volume I, Report and Introduction
  • Volume II, Inventory of Orkney
  • Volume III, Inventory of Shetland
• City of Edinburgh (1951)
• Roxburghshire (2 volumes, 1956)
• Selkirkshire (1957)
• Stirlingshire (2 volumes, 1963)
• Peeblesshire (2 volumes, 1967)
• Argyll, Volume 1, Kintyre (1971)
• Argyll, Volume 2, Lorn (1975)
• Lanarkshire: Prehistoric and Roman Monuments (1978)
• Argyll, Volume 3, Mull, Tiree, Coll and Northern Argyll (1980)
• Argyll, Volume 4, Iona (1982)
• Argyll, Volume 5, Islay, Jura, Colonsay and Oronsay (1984)
• Argyll, Volume 6, Mid Argyll and Cowal: Prehistoric and Early Medieval Monuments (1988)
• Argyll, Volume 7, Mid Argyll and Cowal: Medieval and Later Monuments (1992)

Some other books were added to the series later. These focused more on archaeological remains. They used newer local government boundaries. For example, the 'Perth' books covered an area within Perth and Kinross District.

People Who Led RCAHMS

RCAHMS was run by a group of Commissioners. They had a Chairman and a Secretary. The Secretary was like the chief executive, making sure everything ran smoothly. The Chairman also played a very important role. The Queen appointed the Commissioners, with advice from the First Minister of Scotland.

Secretaries

• Alexander Curle (1908–1913)
• William Mackay Mackenzie (1913–1935)
• Angus Graham (1935–1957)
• Kenneth Steer (1957–1978)
• John Dunbar (1978–1990)
• Roger Mercer (1990–2004)
• Diana Murray FRSE (2004–2015)

Chairpersons

• Sir Herbert Maxwell (1908–1934)
• Sir George Macdonald (1934-1940)
• Sir John Stirling-Maxwell (1940-1949)
• David Charteris, 12th Earl of Wemyss (1949–1985)
• Robert Lindsay, 29th Earl of Crawford (1985–1995)
• Sir William Kerr Fraser (1995–2000)
• Kathleen Dalyell OBE (2000–2005)
• Professor John R. Hume OBE (2005–2015)

Commissioners

Here are the Commissioners who were part of RCAHMS when it joined with Historic Scotland:

• John R. Hume (Chairman)
• Gordon G T Masterton (Vice Chairman)
• Diana Murray (Secretary)
• Kate Byrne
• Tom Dawson
• Mark Hopton
• Jeremy Huggett
• John Hunter
• Paul Jardine
• Jude Quartson-Mochrie
• Elspeth Reid

Many other notable people were Commissioners over the years, including:

• Charles John Guthrie, Lord Guthrie
• Gerard Baldwin Brown
• Thomas H. Bryce
• Francis C. Buchanan
• William Thomas Oldrieve
• Thomas Ross
• Alexander Ormiston Curle
• Ronald Munro Ferguson, 1st Viscount Novar
• James Curle, archaeologist [fr]
• James A. Morris
• Sir Iain Colquhoun
• Reginald Fairlie
• V. Gordon Childe
• Ian Richmond
• Stuart Piggott
• W. Douglas Simpson
• Vivian Hunter Galbraith
• Ian Gordon Lindsay
• William Croft Dickinson
• George Patrick Houston Watson
• Annie I. Dunlop
• Angus Graham
• Rosemary Cramp
• Howard Colvin
• Gordon Donaldson
• James Dunbar-Nasmith
• Archibald A. M. Duncan
• Kenneth H. Jackson
• Leslie Alcock
• Lord Cullen
• T. C. Smout

Staff

Before the merger, RCAHMS had about 110 staff members in Edinburgh. They worked in different teams, focusing on things like:

• Surveying and recording buildings and landscapes.
• Managing their huge collections, including aerial photos.
• Education and reaching out to the public.
• Information systems.
• General office management.

Images for kids

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  Logo of the RCAHMS