by Bill Heaney
Historic Environment Scotland must put strong controls in place to prevent fraud and ensure value for money after unacceptable weaknesses were found in its governance, the Auditor General for Scotland has warned in a report out today.
The audit of HES’s 2024/25 accounts reported weaknesses in governance arrangements, including: procurement issues, data breaches, unclear processes for complimentary tickets to events at its venues, and no formal register of interests for the Executive Leadership Team.
Dumbarton Castle is just one of the many historic sites for which Historic Environment Scotland is responsible. Mary Queen of Scots was held there before being exiled to France.
It sounds as if, yet again, West Dunbartonshire has not been blessed with an organisation that administers its public services.
Auditors reported weaknesses in the financial management of electronic purchasing cards and hospitality. They also found that the HES board was not provided with a paper to scrutinise the cancellation of a specialist archive storage project, which has already cost £2.9 million, with a further £0.5 million likely to be spent. Together, these issues suggest a culture where organisational policies are not consistently applied or followed.
HES operated without a Chief Executive or Accountable Officer for almost six months in 2025. The Scottish Government should have appointed a substitute Accountable Officer to provide the necessary leadership and accountability in accordance with ministerial guidelines.
This includes allegations of a toxic workplace culture – West Dunbartonshire Council is steeped in similar controversy – which needs to be fully investigated and addressed.
‘My report outlines unacceptable weaknesses in HES’s governance arrangements. It is critical that strong controls are now put in place to prevent the risk of fraud and demonstrate that value for money is being achieved.’