 Mae'r bwysig i gynnwys hwnnw, mae'n gweithio'r bwysig i gynnwys gennymillogion Ysbyt yng Nghymru yn ystod yng Nghymru i Siarandau i'r ddae o'r rhaglen gwrs iawn o'r lleoliol iawn o'r cyfrifysgol yng Nghymru. Mae'r gweithio'r bwysig wedi'i gwybod y myfyrdd y gweithio hwnnw, mae'n gweithio'r gweithio i'r bwysig i'r pryswyr i gynnwys ysbyt yn ymwysig o'r ddyddol, o'r lluniau i gael, a'n amser i gydwladd o'r ddweud, dyma'r sgolion a ddweud? I'm grateful for the opportunity to bring this debate to the chamber, and I thank all the members who supported the motion. We are a nation of proud Scots. Proud of our culture, proud of our history, and proud of our historic sites. We attract millions of visitors from all around the world to Scotland each year. Who come to see our beautiful scenery, our friendly welcoming people, and our castles, monuments and heritage sites. Tourism is huge for our economy, giving a boost not only to the sites themselves, but also to local businesses, hotels, restaurants, shops and communities where employment relies on those attractions being fully open. But for local communities they are much more than just tourist attractions, mae'n fwyllt o gweithio i gydag i'r gweithio a'r gweithio i'r gweithio oedden nhw. Ieithwm Feirbwyll 2022, mwyafwch i'r gweithio i Dondonald Castle, ond wedi y dyfodol mennyddiad yn Dr Kirstine Crowe i ddodd i'r colegau o'r gweithio i Dondonald Castle, i'r cyffredin hefyd. Ieithwm ddim yn ymddangos i gydag i'r gweithio i'r gweithio, ond mae'n gweithio i gael gweithio i gael gweithio i gael gwaith gwaith gweithio i'r gweithio, Felly, hefyd, llwyddu gennym eu plan ar y cyllid yr llwyddiad. Mae'r ddweud o'r ffordd tawd, ac mae'n melysio'r byw arddai â'r cyllid yn ardalodd, rydyn ni'n defnyddio'r cyllid yn oed yn ddiwrddol, yn unrhyw o'r llwyddiad a'r gweithloedd o'r ddau i'r ddau llwyddiad, ac mae ydych chi'n roi schyffrith. Ie brydynt yr llwyddiad o'r cyllid yn ymlaesol yma. mae'n hanesio'n gweld ac eich reoliad i'r gwahanol. Custiynau yn y cysylltu, ag i'n cael ei adnod y trydy waith y rhaglen a'n teimlo h surrounded o Hygiodd yn ei ffordd. Diolch yn yr ysgol, mae'n gweithio y stfer o'rดdiad y trofod o'r ffordd yn Cymru, ddym Hamilton wedi i gael eu cyllid yn y bwysig? Cymru iawn y ffordd yma, neu hwn yn iddo i ddefnyddio cyflywedadau. Fel ddarparu o'r freid ynglyniau, mae'n ddod o gael ei gael, walls, narrow doorways, making it a challenge to get access with modern machinery. The inspections required careful planning, with some areas only able to be accessed from above by harness and a rope, and the availability of stone masons was also impacting on the delivery of repairs. Hes recently hosted a drop-in session in the Parliament where they engaged with a number of MSPs and were able to discuss how they were progressing with sites in each area. I also recently met with Hes on-site at Chris Rheigal Abbey just outside Maybowl, the ancient capital of Carrick, as my dad always reminded me. Although it still has hair as fencing around it, the team were discussing how they could safely move the fencing to allow more access and let visitors see more of the site. They also planned to put storyboards in the fencing to allow the story of the abbey to be told. I thank Craig, Paul and the rest of the team for taking the time to show me around and explain what they were doing. It was very much appreciated. Since lodging the motion, the figure of 60 sites closed is now reduced to 47. While the reduction is welcome, the number of closed sites is still too high. Hes has said that it is making every effort to safely reopen sites as quickly as possible, but the Government needs to ensure that it is engaging with them and giving them all the support they need. Hes continues to deliver traditional skills training at its two stone masonry training centres in Stirling and Elgin, as well as through their craft fellowship programme. They work with the construction industry training board, Scottish Qualifications Authority, Scottish Funding Council and Skills Development Scotland to create a sustainable framework of qualifications and apprenticeships. However, the sector has faced a shortage of skilled craftspeople, including stone masons, for many years now, and the funding for training must be available to allow the training places to be taken up. The motion called on the Scottish Government to make additional funding available to accelerate the reopening of closed sites, and I am pleased that the Scottish Government has now increased funding for Hes. I would encourage both to ensure that the money is indeed being used to help to open closed sites as quickly as possible. In March this year, I again visited Dondonald Castle for the second time. There is still some scaffolding in place for repairs that have yet to be completed, but the castle is open, and it is now a hive of activity. It is now open every day from 10am to 5pm, and this time I was able to go inside. The 14th century hilltop fortified castle was once home to Scots King, Robert II, grandson of Robert the Bruce, and it offers spectacular views across the Ayrshire countryside. When I first walked inside and saw the impressive barrow vaulted ceilings, my first word was, wow. I then understood why the community was so passionate about their castle. On the day that I visited, there was a school visit from Glasgow, where the kids had an educational talk in the visitor centre, a tour of the castle, and then a guided walk on the grounds, all tying in with the curriculum. Alongside educational talks, they also host theatre productions, movie nights, weddings and the Dondonald Games. They are also home to a number of groups, including a writer's group, a young walking group, Ayrshire's young archaeology club, crazy castle kids and a scrabble group, which I am told is a diverse group and one that is very competitive. By hosting those groups and arranging visits from schools to care homes, those sites provide cosy spaces, education hubs and placement and volunteering opportunities. They are so much more than just a visitor attraction. Although visitor numbers aren't back to pre-Covid levels, the fact that they are open makes life much easier. They are now seeing the return of international tourists, with a visitor book showing tourists from Lithuania, Poland, Italy, the United States, New Zealand and Canada to name a few. We need to ensure that all efforts are made to secure the long-term viability of Scotland's historic sites and reopening them gives them a starting chance. To conclude, I want to finish with something that Christine said to me in my first visit to Dondonald Castle. It stuck with me and sums up how we feel about her heritage. She said that, at Dondonald, the visitor centre is the heart of the community, but the castle is its soul. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and congratulations to the last speaker for bringing forward this debate. The benefits of having heritage and historic sites of national importance in your hometown are endless. The passion and the pride in our sense of place is evidence, and I just set that out for Dondonald. Not only do our heritage sites bring in tourists from around the globe and support our local economy, they also provide us with a sense of place of who we are and where we have come from. Sites like the Nithgol Palace in my constituency offer a direct connection to our local history offering opportunities to learn and engage with the worlds and the stories of the past. The birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots was closed at the beginning of lockdown and remained closed following investigations by Historic Environment Scotland into the fabric of the high-level masonry in May 2021. The scaffolding on the North Range predated all that. In March last year, I personally requested a site visit to the palace, which I attended with the then culture minister, and was taken up the scaffolding on the north side of the palace to see the range of damage and decay that had been found due to decades of adverse weather. Wetter climates have had their impact on our ruins, advancing that ruination further. The damage meant that the necessary repairs that were required on public safety grounds were substantial. Of course, on and off for decades is the debate in the town around having a glass roof on the palace to allow more functionality, but also in recognition that the continuing ruination and decay of the stonework needed to be arrested somehow, and other countries have taken more radical ways like glassing historic buildings. Perhaps had we done so in years gone by, we would have preempted the current situation. We need to look nationally at a strategic approach to this problem, which, at least last time, has been surfaced here, and the territory of England and others will also have to face up to it. The planned management of our ruins of sites and buildings, which themselves evolved in different ways between and within different centuries, needs to be addressed and faced up to. The closure of such an important site as Lennithgo palace has had a massive effect on the town. The connection between the palace, the town and local community is significant. Local business and heritage sites and national tourism are intertwined, so when heritage sites close, streets lose footfall, businesses lose custom and communities lose their sense of place. Last year, it was revealed that visitor numbers to Lennithgo palace had soared from 66,500 in 2013 to 94,718 in 2018, showing the volume of increasing visitors to Lennithgo pre-lockdown. As one of the few closed sites that was previously staffed and with the largest number of visitors of those closed, the loss of income for historic environment Scotland is felt in the town also. Indeed, as the local MSP, I have previously convened meetings between Historic Environment Scotland and the local community groups to ensure that visitors who come to the palace would linger longer in Lennithgo. I am pleased that Historic Environment Scotland had announced a partial reopening of Lennithgo palace planned for this summer, although I understand that that is now delayed due to the shocking act of vandalism on the delicate ffountain masonry and walls and flagstones of the palace. That sort of action on a national monument is heritage crime and must be treated very seriously. It is worth highlighting that irresponsible acts such as vandalism often take place in closed off spaces in areas where the perpetrators believe that they are less likely to be caught. That factor must be considered by his when they are considering closures and reopening. Presiding Officer, as a site of national importance and the heart of a local community, it is vital that Lennithgo palace can open in full as soon as it is safe to do so. The people of Lennithgo and beyond need their palace, and the palace needs its people. Thank you, Ms Hyslop. I now call Stephen Kerr to be followed by Fosal Cowdery around four minutes, Mr Kerr. Presiding Officer, first of all congratulations to Sharon Dowey on securing this debate. I associate myself with the words that she expressed and I also would like to associate myself with the words of Fiona Hyslop, who I agree with, I hope very much, as I know she has just expressed, that Lennithgo palace will be open again soon to visitors. We have in this country a wonderful history from the wars of independence, Jacobite rebellions, the being at the forefront of the industrial revolution, the enlightenment, the defence and liberation of the free world during the world wars. This is our story and we can take pride in retelling that story from whatever perspective we choose to tell it. I am a Scottish Unionist. I believe that it is very important that we celebrate Scotland's history, whether before or after the active union of 1707, the anniversary of which was just earlier this week, the 316th anniversary of that event. I think that if I may express personal feelings on this, I said this before and I am going to take the opportunity to say it again. I find it very frustrating in Scottish politics that there are some people in the political spectrum, not necessarily members of this Parliament, who would consign those of us who believe in being Scottish and British to the margins in the sense that they say that we are not true Scots. I am a true Scotland. I love Scotland and I take a great deal of pride and draw a great deal of passion from our nation. That combination of Scottish and Britishness is enhanced. I think that I heard the former First Minister say last summer that she identified as both Scottish and British. That is a very welcome thing to hear members of the SNP say, because it will blunt some of the anger and some of the vile hatred that some of us experience. I believe that Scotland is empowered by being within the United Kingdom or whether you don't. I think that it is important that we, as members of this Parliament, are perturbed and interested in the condition of Scotland's historic sites, the symbols of Scotland's cultural independence. I think that all of us who believe in Scotland's nationhood would like to see priority given to the accessibility and safeguarding of the key sites that shape our Scottish identity. I ask Angus Robertson, please, to explain to Parliament fully why it is that, after so long, Arbroath Abbey, the site of the signing of the declaration of Arbroath in 1320, a document of worldwide importance, one of the proud moments of Scotland's emergence as a nation with an identity, why that site is still closed. We have heard from Fiona Hyslop talking about Llym Llythgopallus, but I think that it is important that we receive reassurances from the minister, Angus Robertson, that Llym Llythgopallus is going to open soon. What is the delay? When can we expect it to reopen? This magnificent site, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. As was put forward in the motion by Sharon Dewey, those are just two of the now 47 sites that are managed by Historic Environment Scotland, which are currently closed. For a nation to have a greater sense of its own identity, the places where this identity was forged and continues to be shaped must be accessible to all of us. We must learn the lessons from what has happened to some of those historic sites in terms of their upkeeping maintenance. Deep down, we should resolve collectively to support the Scottish Government to see that there are appropriate levels of investment and care placed in those sites of historic Scottish heritage. People who love Scotland, Presiding Officer, will feel compelled, as I do, to conserve those things that make us the nation we are. For us, one of those things that make us the nation we are are those historic sites. I am a Scottish Conservative. I believe in conserving. I hope that we will hear from Angus Robertson exactly the steps that will be taken to open up all the historic sites that have been closed for too long. Thank you, Mr Kerr. I now call Faisel Shadry to be followed by Murdo Fraser around four minutes, Mr Shadry. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I would like to thank Sharon Dylew for bringing this important issue to the chamber. I visited Llym Gopales earlier this year and met with some of the Historic Environment Scotland team working there. They told me about the restoration and preservation work that had been undertaken there. I learned of the unique history of the palace and the important work that Historic Environment Scotland were doing to keep that history alive. Our historic environment is on the front line of climate change, and some of our historic sites need specialised restoration and repair work. During my visit to Llym Llym Gopales, I learned about the work that needed to take place there that required skilled labourers and stone masons to carry out. I agree with Sharon Dylew's motion that Scottish Government must do more to ensure that there is not a shortage of skilled labourers able to provide these skills. Modern apprenticeship in stone masonry should be funded and made more readily available. College and further education courses should be fully funded to be able to teach these important skills. The Scottish Government took a very serious look at stone masonry and helped to develop the stone masonry facility at Forth Valley College, which was referred to earlier. At one point, it doubled the number of apprenticeships in stone masonry, so that commitment is there. However, I am sure that the current Secretary can tell us what the current situation is when he closes his debate. It's really good to hear that the Scottish Government is looking into it, and I'll be wanting to hear the update on that as well. Providing skills to labourers who can help to restore our historic site is crucial to ensure the reopening of some of these sites. Scotland's historic environment provides huge support to Scotland's tourism industry. Statistics show that the sector generated £4.4 billion in 2019, as well as supporting 68,000 full-time jobs. The local towns and businesses around these sites highly benefit from the increased footfall from the tourists and visitors. Many businesses in areas such as Dumfries and Galway and the Scottish Borders heavily rely on this revenue from tourism. These areas have some of the highest reported percentage of site closers or restricted access at the beginning of 2023. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, we must ensure that our historic sites are able to remain open and keep supporting local businesses and tourism in Scotland. That is not possible if 60 historical sites remain closed to the public. The Scottish Government's budget at the end of last year predicted an increase in commercial revenue for historical environment Scotland in the coming year. How will this be met if so many of these important historic sites remain closed? Scotland's historic environment plays an important role in keeping Scotland's culture alive. It tells a story of Scotland's past and our cultural heritage. It supports the economy and thousands of jobs. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the arts and culture sector hard, and investment and funding is still needed to help rescue this sector. If many of these historic sites remain closed in the coming months, we cannot hope to revive this important part of our culture. I start by congratulating Sharon Dowie on securing this debate. I listed with great interest all the contributions from members in the chamber already. It is clear from that historic environment Scotland's properties are an essential part of our history, heritage and culture, but they also have a major economic role to play. They draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to Scotland, in particular localities—people coming from the rest of the United Kingdom and all around the world—and therefore it is really important that we do what we can to preserve them and ensure that they stay open. We have already heard about the negative impact of the closures that we have seen over the past few years. Closures that we know have been caused—well, first of all, they are caused by Covid, but then post-Covid, when we would have hoped that they would have been reopened, a range of issues around the fabric of these buildings were identified. I saw for myself on a visit to Dunkeld Cathedral, close up on how the masonrym was crumbling due to the impact of weather as the climate gets wetter. The stonework is crumbling, becoming a real risk and threat to visitors. Therefore, HHS has had, sadly, no alternative but to close these properties until they can be properly restored, and we should not underestimate the cost and the time that that is going to take in many cases. There is good news. I have seen that Dunkeld Cathedral in my region was reopened last year after some remedial works. Aberdower Castle in Fife, a lovely property and well worth a visit, was reopened in April just last month for the season. I well remember visiting Aberdower Castle a few years ago, watching Colonel Hugh Fraser's Dragoons, not in any way related, as far as I know, who are a re-enactment society, re-enacting a battle from the 17th century, which I watched with great interest. When I was doing research from my book into the markets of Montrose and the markets of Argyll, I was trying to understand how battles at the time of the Scottish Civil Wars would develop. Watching Colonel Fraser's Dragoons with their pike pack was incredibly helpful, trying to understand how battles of the time would have been conducted. I visited Dunkeld Cathedral. I was contacted by a number of constituents last summer who were very concerned that Dunkeld Cathedral and its grounds were closed to the public. Dunkeld is an unusual property, because the east end of the property is still in use. It is a place of worship. The active Church of Scotland congregation still uses it. The west end of the property, the nave, is ruined and has no roof. It is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. All the building has been affected by crumbling machinery. That meant that the building was closed, although the Church services could still take place under a canopy over the entrance. It meant that the grounds, which are very attractive, were very popular with visitors down by the River Tay. The grounds were closed too, because of the concern about following masonry. I am pleased that, following contact from myself and the work that was done by the Church session, the grounds have now been able to be reopened, so at least people can visit the grounds. Safety fencing has had to be put up around the nave of the cathedral to prevent people from getting too close and at risk of following masonry. However, it is terribly sad to see a building like that that should be open and accessible to visitors having to be closed because of the risks. When I solve for myself the work that is being done by HDS to try to restore it, we should not underestimate how much that is going to cost, nor should we underestimate the difficulties of getting that work done due to the shortage of stone masons that other members have referred to, where stone masons are on high demand, not just in our country but right across Europe. It is very difficult to recruit stone masons. HDS is doing good work trying to recruit apprentices to bring them on and make that an attractive career option, but there is a lot more work to be done. I would say to the Constitution Secretary that this is a vital issue for Scotland. I am sure that he knows that it will require funding to support HDS. It also requires funding for apprentices to come in and train to be stone masons, but it is vital to all our communities across Scotland that these historic monuments are put in a condition where not only they can last for future generations, but they can also be enjoyed by locals and visitors as that important part of the visitor economy that we have heard about. Thank you very much, Mr Fraser. I now call on Angus Robertson to wind up the debate, Cabinet Secretary, around seven minutes, please. First, I would like to begin by extending my warm thanks to the member for providing the opportunity today to highlight and discuss the importance of protecting the historic environment for the benefit of everybody in Scotland and, indeed, people who travel to this country wishing to enjoy it as well. I also underscore my appreciation for what has been an entirely positive tone and approach right across the parties to the challenge that we know faces our historic environment. In addition to Sharon Dowie, we heard from Fiona Hyslop, who has been consistently such a strong advocate for Linlithgow Palace. A call echoed by Stephen Kerr. We heard from Faisal Choudhury and from Murdo Fraser saying, among many other things, how important it was to understand the scale of the environmental impact that our historic environment faces. The challenge that that poses given that we are a country full of castles, abeys and historic sites that are being so challenged by the environment that we live in in the 21st century. The motion mentions the important benefits that the historic environment sector delivers, and the Scottish Government very much agrees with that. Those benefits feature heavily in the revised strategy for Scotland's historic environment called our past or future. The strategy focuses on priorities that have been identified through extensive consultation with the sector and with people across Scotland. Those priorities include the core themes of delivering the transition to net zero in response to climate change, empowering resilient and inclusive communities and places, and building a wellbeing economy, all of which align with Scottish Government ambitions. I would therefore commend all members who have taken part in this debate or have been in the chamber throughout it. I commend the strategy, which was published on the 28th of April, to all members, and I look forward to its formal launch in June. Specifically regarding the closure of historic sites, I can appreciate the great frustration that the member and other members across the chamber and the wider public feel when they see some of our historic properties with access restrictions. I think that we all understand that. However, I feel that it is vital that we recognise the reasons for those restrictions, and we have heard about those as well, for those restrictions because of the health and safety of visitors for historic environment Scotland's staff and our contractors. All those groups and all those challenges must be of paramount importance. Therefore, safety must remain our top priority while the inspection programme progresses and while work to repair our historic properties takes place. I recognise that historic environment Scotland has acted responsibly with the speed of which access was restricted at affected sites when it became aware of significant high-level masonry concerns. Those high-level masonry concerns make it clear that the increasing effects of climate change are having a marked effect on our built environment. Historical structures were not designed or built to withstand the current levels of precipitation or the fluctuation in temperatures, which has now become commonplace. Those stresses are not only felt on the original fabric of our historic buildings but also on historic repair work, which has exacerbated weaknesses in our historic high-level masonry. This situation is not unique to Scotland since we know that climate change is impacting across the world. Although it is far from the ideal situation, I am heartened that Scotland's lead public body for the environment, Historic Environment Scotland, known by many of us as HES, quickly put in place a prioritised inspection programme to assess our historic properties. The programme of work has allowed sites deemed safe to be reopened as soon as possible. Sharon Dowey outlined the numbers that have been able to be open and I very much welcome that as well. The programme of work has allowed sites deemed safe to be reopened or partial access to be provided where it is safe to do so. It is important to note that many of the properties in care are routinely closed for the winter months and Historic Environment Scotland recently announced the reopening of more than 20 sites as part of its seasonal reopenings. I think that we can all welcome that. It is also fully reopened or increased access to more than 40 sites as part of the high-level masonry programme. I am pleased that the member has had the opportunity to visit Crossrigal Abbey, which is affected by high-level masonry issues to witness first-hand the work being undertaken by Historic Environment Scotland. I encourage other members with affected properties in their constituency or region to take up the offer from Historic Environment Scotland for site visits to learn more about the challenges at individual properties. I am happy to give way to Stephen Kerr. I am grateful to the Cabinet Secretary for Giving Way and I stand to make a plea to him to use his good office to intervene to ensure that the excellent stone nationary course work that is done at Forth Valley College, which has been highlighted by a number of members, which I have seen myself, which is absolutely superb, is that regardless of what the current flux in the finance arrangements are for colleges, that particular course and its vital importance to the work of preservation of our historic sites, that course will be properly funded and protected. Will he intervene to make sure that that happens? I will certainly be raising the issues that he raised with my culture and minister colleague, who takes the lead on this issue within the portfolio. Now, undoubtedly, substantial resources are required to undertake the high-level masonry inspection programme and subsequent conservation work. We are providing his, with unprecedented levels of funding, £72.7 million in 2324 to maintain Scotland's heritage and historic environment. This is an 82.6 per cent increase from the £39.8 million level of support before the impact of the pandemic in 2019-20. It is very brief because I am running out of time. I think that it is very important to reflect on the issues around lost income. Clearly, a pre-pandemic historic environment in Scotland had a very buoyant income, not least from the Lithgow Palace, so perhaps he might want to give that perspective in presenting such figures. Indeed. Taken with the commercial income of HES, which is showing strong signs of recovery, that means that HES' operating budget this financial year is £114.5 million, that is 22.4 per cent higher than before the pandemic. If I can draw attention to members to the increase in the top five visited properties in 2021-22, all increased by over 300 per cent with Glasgow Cathedral visited by seven times as many visitors as in 2021. If I can take briefly the opportunity to encourage anybody in the chamber or watching this debate to join historic environment Scotland, it is an extremely effective way of being able to support the organisation. I have been asked specifically about skills training, which is extremely important, and a short life working group has been established with a diverse membership to investigate the skills gaps and demand for stonemations. The working group will shortly report and I will ensure that members are updated on its work. However, I think that it is really important to point out that the shortage of skilled craftspeople has not yet impacted on the high-level masonry inspection programme, as there are other more relevant, restricting issues at this stage in the process. That was highlighted by Sharon Dary correctly. The availability of limited stock of specialist heavy plant hire to undertake high-level work. The remote location of many sites, which causes access issues for the equipment. The protection of certain species of nesting birds, badgers and bats will delay some inspections. There are a variety of complications for historic environment Scotland. In conclusion, the Scottish Government remains committed to the protection and conservation of our historic environment and is proud to champion the role that it plays not only as a defining waypoint in our past but also for the opportunities that it presents in building a fairer and a more sustainable future for Scotland. I again thank the member for raising this debate today and for the other members for their interest and support for the historic environment. I welcome the views that have been expressed in this debate, which have been very helpful in raising the profile of these important issues, and I will forward on the points raised today to the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development to inform her future discussions with Historic Environment Scotland regarding this vital issue. Thank you very much. Thank you, cabinet secretary. That concludes the debate and I close this meeting of Parliament.