Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland

Critics – including David Murray in his Archaeological Survey of the United Kingdom (1896) and Gerard Baldwin Brown in his Care of Ancient Monuments (1905) – had argued that, for the legislation to be effective, detailed lists of significant monuments needed to be compiled; and had also made unfavourable comparisons between the policies of Britain and its European neighbours.

Study was also increasingly conducted of previously neglected industrial and agricultural constructions, as well as 20th-century buildings, including high-rise tower blocks.

Since 1976, RCAHMS conducted intensive aerial survey of archaeological sites, buildings, landscapes and natural features.

This allowed Historic Scotland,[2] NMRS,[3] Scottish Natural Heritage[4] and some Local Authority Sites and Monuments[5] data sets to be viewed together.

An outreach programme included publications, exhibitions, induction and training sessions for students and other groups, and a series of free lunchtime lectures, as well as daily Facebook and Twitter feeds.

[6] Under the terms of a Bill of the Scottish Parliament published on 3 March 2014 RCAHMS would be dissolved and its responsibilities including the management of collections undertaken by a new executive Non-departmental public body to be called Historic Environment Scotland, which would also take over the property management responsibilities of Historic Scotland.

[8][9] A final publication entitled 'An Inventory for the Nation' was published in the same month, detailing RCAHMS' activities over the past century.

RCAHMS also published a series of lists covering archaeological sites and monuments which simply enumerated and identified, rather than interpreted, historic structures.

The Secretary was originally the person who wrote the Commission's report and undertook the required fieldwork, but later adopted a role similar to that of a chief executive.