Historic Buildings

Revealing Thirlestane Castle: Lifting Barriers to Scotland’s Past

At Thirlestane Castle, we believe that heritage should be open to all. This project will allow us to install a discreet, sensitively integrated lift that opens up the Castle’s remarkable upper floors, home to nationally important collections, to those currently excluded by physical barriers. In tandem, we will carry out a scoping exercise to explore how our interpretation might better reflect the breadth and complexity of the Castle’s history, with a particular emphasis on voices less often heard. Through engagement with schools and communities across the Scottish Borders, including those in areas of high deprivation such as Langlee and Bannerfield, we will lay the foundations for interpretation that is relevant, inclusive and resonant. The legacy will be a Castle that welcomes more people, tells more stories, and offers a richer, more rewarding experience of Scotland’s past.