The oldest public house on North Uist is to be converted to a place of worship.

Regulars of the Carinish Inn held a farewell party this weekend before handing over the keys to the Free Church. The Church is planning to use the building to bring together a congregation currently worshipping at three separate churches on the island. The move reverses the modern trend of churches being converted into bars.

The hamlet of Carinish is in the south-west corner of North Uist, and it is believed that the original inn dates back to 1703. The image here was taken in 1900 by the accomplished amateur photographer Erskine Beveridge (1851-1920), and shows the building as a single-storeyed stone cottage with a high wall-head to accommodate an attic floor, an end gabled wall of rough rubble, a harled and white-painted frontage and a slated roof. Slate was an unusual type of roofing material on the island at that time, as most of the cottages were thatched.

For more images and information on the Carinish Inn and North Uist, go to our searchable online database Canmore.

The Scottish National War Memorial stands at the highest point of Edinburgh Castle's ancient rock.
It was built to commemorate those who lost their lives in the First World War.

Designer Sir Robert Lorimer reused part of an old barrack block to create a memorial comprising three elements: a hall of honours, a national shrine, and a roll of honour. A number of craftsmen and women were commissioned to produce designs and sculpture for the memorial. Stained-glass windows and bronze friezes show scenes from the war and in the inner shrine, a casket holding the Roll of Honour lists the names of all the dead, overlooked by a statue of St Michael the Archangel.

The building occupies the site of St Mary's Church, built in medieval times. St Mary's was converted into a munitions house in 1540, and later demolished in 1755 to make way for a new barracks, which forms the shell of the present building.

Officially opened by the Prince of Wales on 14 July 1927, it has long been a place of national and international pilgrimage. It has also been extended to commemorate Scottish servicemen and women who died in the Second World War and later conflicts.

For more images and information go to our searchable online database Canmore.

Celtic Football Club was formally constituted this week in 1887 in St Mary's Church Hall in Calton, with the stated purpose of helping to alleviate poverty in Glasgow's East End.

The original Celtic Park was built by volunteers in 1888, but within three years the club decided to construct a new stadium after annual rental costs rose from £50 to £450. The new stadium was built in 1892 in a disused brickyard just across the street from the old stadium. The main stand was designed by Archibald Leitch the Scottish engineer and architect who also designed stadiums for Glasgow Rangers, Hearts, Arsenal, Manchester United, Everton, Tottenham and Chelsea, amongst others.

Celtic Park has undergone numerous redevelopments over the years. In 1988 the red-bricked exterior to the main stand was added and in the mid-1990s further development was undertaken to make the ground comply with the Taylor Report, which recommended that major stadiums convert to an all-seater model. With a capacity of 60,506, it is currently the largest football ground in Scotland.

This photograph of the boot room was taken by RCAHMS as part of a survey of Scottish grounds in 1991. For more images and information on Celtic Park and other Scottish stadia, including digital aerial survey images taken this summer, go to our searchable online database Canmore.

Dating back to the fourteenth century, Glamis Castle is known as one of the most haunted castles in Britain.

The castle's Crypt is said to contain a secret chamber in which 'Earl Beardie', the 4th Earl of Crawford, lost his soul to the Devil over a game of cards. The legend goes that the Earl, having already lost at cards against his host, the Earl of Glamis, returned to his rooms in a drunken rage calling for another partner. As it was now the Sabbath, no one would take up the offer and the Earl cried out that he would play the Devil himself.

Later that night a tall stranger in dark clothes arrived at the castle and asked if the Earl still required a partner. The Earl agreed and the two retired to the secret room to begin their game. The ghost of the Earl is said to remain in the chamber, gambling with the Devil for all eternity, and visitors to the castle have reported hearing loud swearing and the rattling of dice.

The crypt forms one of the oldest parts of the castle and was, in fact, used as the servants' dining hall. Like much of the castle it has undergone several alterations over the centuries. A stone well, once the only source of water within the castle, can still be seen at the foot of the stairs.

Glamis is the seat of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and the childhood home of Elizabeth the Queen Mother (1900-2002), and where her second daughter, the late Princess Margaret, was born in 1930. For more images and information on Glamis, go to our searchable online database Canmore.

The City Art Centre in Edinburgh will host a major exhibition showcasing Scotland's treasured places from RCAHMS' collections from 25 October 2008 to 18 January 2009.

The free exhibition, Treasured Places: 100 Years of RCAHMS, comprises over 180 fascinating drawings and photographs over two floors of the City Art Centre, many on public display for the first time. It will explore the unique role that RCAHMS has been undertaking since 1908 creating a collection recording Scotland's buildings, archaeology and industry for the nation. This work and this exhibition reflect the lives of the people of Scotland from our earliest history to the present day.

Highlights include stunning aerial photographs of Woden Law, an iron age hill fort revealed through the light of a winter sun on snow; intricate survey drawings of a Pictish cross slab at Glamis; fascinating original architect's drawings including the stunning W. H. Playfair elevation of Donaldson's School for the Deaf in Edinburgh; survey photographs offering a glimpse back in time to the rapidly changing face of our industrial heritage; as well as captivating historical photographs from the 1901 Glasgow International Exhibition, including this image of Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery.

Also featured are Scotland's top ten treasured places as selected by a public vote launched by RCAHMS in September 2007. The winner, Lady Victoria Colliery, was announced in January 2008 and will be shown alongside the specially commissioned poem by Valerie Gillies, Edinburgh Makar from 2005-08. A selection of public comments and reflections made throughout the vote offer diverse and poignant insights into our understanding of, and emotional connection to, the places we treasure.

Treasured Places: 100 Years of RCAHMS will also include activities for families and a public events programme. For more information on the exhibition visit www.treasuredplaces.org and for more images of Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, go to our searchable online database Canmore.

Edinburgh's iconic North British Hotel first opened its doors to the public on this day in 1902.

Designed by William Hamilton Beattie and built by the North British Railway Company it was one of two railway hotels opened in the capital at the turn of the nineteenth century. The North British serviced Waverley Station, and the Caledonian Hotel, constructed by the Caledonian Railway Company, was built on the site of the company's own station at the west end of Princes Street. One of the most prominent features of the North British Hotel is its 195 foot clock tower - the clock has always been set several minutes fast to ensure that travellers will not miss their trains.

The North British Hotel was renamed the Balmoral in 1990. It remains one of the capital's most recognisable landmarks, but it could have looked very different. Hamilton Beattie succeeded over many of the other leading architects of the day to win the North British Railway Company's competition to design the hotel. Edinburgh based architects Dunn and Findlay produced this detailed design drawing as part of their entry, and it will be on display along with many other captivating images of Scotland's built heritage featuring in RCAHMS' Treasured Places exhibition, which opens at the City Art Centre in Edinburgh on October 25th.

For more images and information on the North British Hotel or the Balmoral, go to our searchable online database Canmore and for further details on the Treasured Places exhibition go to www.treasuredplaces.org.uk.

The Reverend Henry Duncan, founder of the first savings bank based on business principles, was born on this day in 1774.

It was the wish of the Reverend Duncan to bring financial independence to ordinary Scottish people at a time of widespread poverty by "the erection of an economical bank for the savings of the industrious."

On the 10th May 1810, in a once derelict cottage donated to him by the Earl of Mansfield, he opened Ruthwell Parish Bank, persuading the villagers to deposit the little spare money they had. The established banks required £10 to open an account; in Ruthwell sixpence was enough. All the administration was carried out by the Reverend himself.

Within five years of the bank opening in Ruthwell, there were savings banks throughout the United Kingdom, and in the following year they spread to Europe and the United States. During that first year the total savings amounted to 151 pounds. Ten years later in the United Kingdom the total had reached over 3 million pounds. To date there are some 2,700 savings banks and related organisations in 92 countries around the world.

Pictured here is the modest building where it all began - now home of the Savings Bank Museum.  The museum houses a collection of early home savings boxes, coins and bank notes from many parts of the world, books on the worldwide spread of savings banks, and historical documents and letters detailing the savings bank movement.

RCAHMS have acquired a stunning collection of aerial photography of Scotland dating back as far as the 1920s. 

Produced by Aerofilms, a private company who often sold their images to postcard manufacturers,  the photographs will now become part of the RCAHMS archive and many have never been seen before by members of the public.

RCAHMS, in partnership with English Heritage and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, acquired the Aerofilms collection of historical aerial photography from Blom ASA. The full collection of over 800,000 images was the best and most significant body of oblique aerial photography of the UK remaining in private hands. Dating from 1919 to 2006, it presents an unparalleled picture of the changing face of Britain in the 20th century.  The prints, negatives and associated documentation have been transferred by region to the partnership organisations for comprehensive conservation, cataloguing and digitisation to allow them to be made accessible to the public.

The Aerofilms images include shots taken of the construction of RMS Queen Mary - the biggest passenger liner of her day - in John Brown's shipyard, Clydebank, Glasgow.  The image here was taken on 10th August 1935. The 26th September 2008 marked 74 years since the launch of the Queen Mary.

For more images of the Queen Mary and John Brown’s shipyard, go to our searchable online database Canmore, and for more information on the Aerofilms collection, contact info@rcahms.gov.uk.

Rockville, 3 Napier Road, Edinburgh - demolished 1966.  Discover Edinburgh’s lost buildings and much more at RCAHMS on Doors Open Day this Saturday. 

For more information on our programme of events go to www.rcahms.gov.uk/centenary.html.

St Andrew’s Parish Church was designed by architect Allan Dreghorn and built in 1739 by master mason Mungo Naismith. The Category ‘A’ listed building is considered to be one of the finest classical churches in Britain - its design echoing that of St Martin in the Fields in London.

Acquired in 1993 by the Glasgow Buildings Preservation Trust (GBPT) at the request of the congregation, the church was restored and converted by GBPT and Nicholas Groves-Raines Architects. In 2000 it re-opened as Glasgow’s Centre for Scottish Culture, named ‘St Andrew’s in the Square’.

This weekend (20-21 September) SAinTS plays host to the ‘Heritage, Conservation and the Built Environment Exhibition’ organised by GBPT as part of Glasgow Doors Open Day.

For more information and images on St Andrew’s Parish Church go to our searchable online database Canmore.

The Glasgow Citizens' Theatre Company first performed at the Citizens' Theatre on 11 September 1945.

Originally built as Her Majesty's Theatre in 1878, and later renamed the Royal Princess's Theatre, it became the Citizens' Theatre as a result of the occupancy of what was to become one of Britain's leading theatre companies.

The Citizens' Company was founded in 1943 and led by James Bridie, Scotland's best known playwright of the day. The name of the new company was taken from the manifesto drawn up in 1909 for the Glasgow Repertory Theatre: "The Repertory Theatre is Glasgow's own theatre. It is a citizens' theatre in the fullest sense of the term. Established to make Glasgow independent from London for its dramatic supplies, it produces plays which the Glasgow playgoers would otherwise not have the opportunity of seeing." The vision for the Citizens' Theatre included accessible ticket pricing, the provision of free previews of every show and free programmes for every member of the audience.

The columns and statues on the theatre facade - which originally formed part of the portico of the Union Bank on Ingram Street - were removed in the late 1970s and a new glazed front, entrance atrium and foyer was constructed by Building Design Partnership in 1990. The statues can still be seen on display in the new foyer.

For more images and information on the Citizens' Theatre go to our searchable online database Canmore.

The Forth Road Bridge was officially opened by the Queen this week in 1964.

At the time it was the largest suspension bridge in Europe and the fourth largest in the world, with a main span of 1005m and an overall length of 2.5km. The opening on the 4th September 1964 brought to an end the 800 year history of a ferry-boat service across the river at Queensferry. Over 4 million vehicles crossed the bridge in its first year, with this figure rising to 22 million by 2007.

Work on the bridge began in 1958 and some 39,000 tonnes of steel and 115,000 cubic metres of concrete were used by the time of its completion. The consultant engineers were Mott, Hay & Anderson and Freeman Fox & Partners and the design employed the first example in Britain of the American system of cable-spinning in the construction of a suspension bridge. In March 2001 the Forth Road Bridge became a Category A listed structure.

For more images and information on the bridge go to our searchable online database Canmore.

This week in 1930, the remaining inhabitants of Britain's most remote island were evacuated, bringing to an end the permanent occupation of the archipelago.

Situated 41 miles to the west of Benbecula in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, St Kilda is the only location in the UK to hold dual UNESCO World Heritage Status for both its environment and culture. The second of two summer expeditions by RCAHMS to survey the island will set off on Friday 29th August - 78 years to the day that the evacuation took place.

In a three-year partnership project with the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), RCAHMS is using the most advanced modern surveying techniques to produce the first-ever comprehensive map of all the surviving archaeological sites on St Kilda. Further expeditions will take place in 2009. The finished project will provide the NTS with an extensive and accurate record of St Kilda's archaeology, essential in ensuring the conservation of one of Scotland's most evocative and outstanding natural and cultural heritage sites.

For more information and images of St Kilda, go to our serachable online database Canmore or the National Trust For Scotland.

This image taken by RCAHMS photographers on Canna shows a red public phone box and a post office converted from a garden shed - one of just 20 buildings on the whole island. Only 4 miles long and 1 mile wide, Canna is the westernmost of the Small Isles in the Inner Hebrides. Previously owned by John Lorne Campbell, the island was given to the National Trust for Scotland in 1981.

Rudimentary communication hubs such as this are common throughout the Highlands and Islands. But there is opposition in the north of Scotland this week to a proposal by BT to remove a number of public telephones. They are planning to take away 192 of the phones in response to a rise in the use of mobiles. Highland Council have deemed the payphones vital to public safety, and want 151 of the call boxes to be left in place because mobile coverage in the region is poor. As unclassified roads dominate the region, the council feel the payphones are essential for raising the alarm in the event of accidents.

For more images and information on Canna or the Highlands and Islands go to our searchable online database Canmore.

The foundation stone for the Scott Monument was laid 168 years ago this week.

Following the death in 1832 of Sir Walter Scott, one of Scotland's greatest novelists, an architectural competition invited designs for an appropriate memorial. The winning entry came from George Meikle Kemp, and construction began in 1840. The official foundation stone was laid as part of a large ceremony on Scott's birthday, the 15th August.

The Gothic-styled Monument is 200 feet and 6 inches high, 55 feet square at the base and the highest gallery is reached by climbing a total of 287 steps. It is constructed of Binnie stone, taken from shale workings near Linlithgow - this stone contains natural oils which are said to aid preservation. The oils may also have helped attach the notoriously filthy air of Victorian Edinburgh to the structure, giving it a distinctive sooty-black appearance.

For more images and information on the Scott Monument, go to our searchable online database Canmore.

New Douglas Park is the home of Hamilton Academicals, who will this weekend make their return to Scotland's top division for the first time in 19 years.

To coincide with the start of the new football season on 9th August, RCAHMS have made their latest digital aerial survey of Scottish football grounds available online.

The new images take their place alongside a large number of archive photographs in RCAHMS's collection, showing the dramatic changes - in both scale and location - that have occurred to football grounds over the years. Find out more on our searchable online database Canmore.

A century-old, 'priceless' bottle of champagne was discovered this week in Torosay Castle on the Isle of Mull.

The 1893 bottle of Veuve Clicquot had been locked in a sideboard, and was only found when owner Chris James employed a specialist locksmith to cut a key to open the piece of furniture. Veuve Clicquot have now confirmed that the bottle is the oldest in existence, and James has donated it to the company to go on display at its visitor centre in Reims, France. The bottle is in mint condition as a result of being kept in the dark.

Torosay Castle, a Victorian 'Scottish baronial' mansion set in 12 acres of gardens, was completed in 1858 for John Campbell of Possil, a Glasgow merchant. He sold it in 1865 to Arbuthnot Charles Guthrie, who lived there until his death in 1897. Guthrie in turn left the castle to his nephew and the contents to his widow, who removed them all except for the wooden sideboard, which was too heavy. It is believed that the bottle had been locked inside the cabinet from at least 1897.

For more information and images of Torosay and other Scottish Castles, go to our searchable online database Canmore.

Robert Burns, Scotland's most famous poet, died 212 years ago this week.

Burns was 37 at the time of his death on 21st July 1796, and was originally buried in a modest plot marked only by a plain stone slab in the grounds of St Michael's Church in Dumfries. In 1813 his friend John Syme, believing that this simple grave was an insufficient memorial, formed a committee and launched an appeal to build a mausoleum in Burns' memory.

After a public advertisement for tender, 50 designs were received and the plans of T F Hunt, a London architect and Peter Turnerelli, a sculptor, were eventually approved. On the 19th September 1815, Burns' body was exhumed and placed in the new mausoleum.

By 1930, Turnerelli's statuary was in very poor condition, and Herman Cawthra reworked the design. This photograph of the interior of the mausoleum shows Cawthra's statues, with the figure of 'Coila' - representing Burns' birthplace of Kyle in Ayrshire as his muse - throwing her inspiring mantle over the poet as he works at the plough.

RCAHMS extensive collection includes a large number of images of memorials and monuments throughout Scotland. For more information on the Burns Mausoleum, or to browse our collection, go to our searchable online database, Canmore.

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery first opened its doors to the public this week in 1889. The Gallery, shown here in a glass plate image from 1900, is home to Scotland's national collection of portraits and currently also houses the National Photography Collection.

Architect Rowand Anderson designed the building - the first purpose-built portrait gallery in the world - to rival the most advanced art galleries of the time in Europe and America. Now a distinctive landmark on Edinburgh's Queen Street, it is a grand, neo-gothic building in red sandstone, featuring a number of decorative exterior sculptures of figures from Scottish history - from poets, monarchs and statesmen to William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.

Since the Gallery first opened, the collection has grown steadily and includes famous historical portraits of Mary, Queen of Scots, Allan Ramsay's portrait of the philosopher David Hume, Alexander Nasmyth's portrait of Robert Burns and Sir Henry Raeburn's Sir Walter Scott.

This week is the last chance to see Faces and Places, a free exhibition produced jointly by RCAHMS and the Gallery to highlight some of the key people who have contributed to Scotland's built heritage. The exhibition runs up to and including 20 July.

For more information go to our searchable online database Canmore or visit the National Galleries of Scotland website.

The Antonine Wall is the UK's newest UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Wall, which stretches for 37 miles from Old Kirkpatrick on the River Clyde to Bo'ness on the Firth of Forth, was awarded the status at a summit of the UN cultural body in Quebec. Other World Heritage Sites include the Great Wall of China and the Egyptian Pyramids.

It was built 20 years after Hadrian's Wall and nearly 100 miles north in the mid 2nd century AD. Comprising a rampart of soil and turf resting on a stone foundation, in places it stood up to 10 feet tall. Much of the wall has been destroyed over time, but sections of it can still be seen at various locations along the course of its original route. This photograph shows a section of the Wall running behind a row of back gardens in Bearsden, Glasgow - just one example of how close these ancient remains are to our everyday life.

RCAHMS worked with Historic Scotland on the UNESCO nomination to produce a map of the Antonine Wall, showing its course on a modern base at a scale of 1:25,000 and including areas where it can be visited. The Map highlights elements of the archaeology of the monument, provides additional information on related museums and reading, and is the essential resource and companion for anyone interested in visiting and studying the Antonine Wall.

For more details on the Antonine Wall and how to buy the Map, go to our news page and for more information and images of the Wall in Bearsden go to our searchable online database canmore.

On this day in 1971, the Erskine Bridge first opened for traffic.

The Erskine Bridge crosses the River Clyde near the villages of Erskine to the south and Old Kilpatrick to the north, linking Renfrewshire to West Dunbartonshire. Built between 1967 and 1971 by Freeman Fox, it was opened by HRH The Princess Royal on 2nd July 1971, and currently bears approximately 26,000 crossings per day.

A box girder bridge with cable stays, it is 524m in length, the masts of the main span are 38m high, and the steelwork weighs some 11,000 tonnes and runs a length of more than 1310m. In 1996 the bridge was damaged by an oil rig which was being towed under it, and was partially closed for almost four months.

This aerial photograph from RCAHMS' extensive archive is one of a number that give unique perspectives on some of the nation's most well-known and impressive feats of civil engineering. This summer, our programme of aerial survey will continue photographing Scotland's engineering works from the air, covering everything from highland dams and viaducts, to wind farms, mussel farms and quarries.

For more images and information, go to our searchable online database canmore.

The Callanish Stones on Lewis, which predate Stonehenge, are a popular site for pilgrimage during the summer solstice.

Made up of a late Neolithic stone circle and associated lines of standing stones, they are situated on a prominent ridge and are visible for miles around. Excavations have revealed that the ring was set up between 2900 and 2600 BC. But between 1000 BC and 500 BC the stones were enveloped by peat and it was not until 1857, when Sir James Matheson removed 1.5 metres of bog, that the full extent of this awesome henge was revealed.

Callanish is the focus of an important group of stones and circles, part of the immensely rich prehistoric heritage of the Hebridean archipelago. The layout of the site, along with many others across the British Isles, is suspected to have an association with astronomical events, although the precise nature of this connection cannot be determined.

For more images and information, go to our searchable online database canmore or Historic Scotland's website.

This photograph shows a Fairey Battle aeroplane of 266 Squadron, Advanced Air Striking Force, at the very beginning of World War II. Taken from another reconnaissance aeroplane, the pilot in his flying helmet can be seen clearly, demonstrating the primitive beginnings of aerial reconnaissance at the start of the war.

The photograph is just one of millions to be found in The Aerial Reconnaissance Archives (TARA), which comprises everything from Second World War Allied and German aerial reconnaissance imagery, to RAF aerial photography around the world up to the 1990s.

One the world's most important aerial photography collections, TARA are currently in the process of relocating to a new home with RCAHMS. Over 100,000 canisters of film and boxes of prints are being transported by articulated lorry from Keele University, which has held the archive for the last 45 years. The sheer physical size of the task will see the move continue for several months.

Later this year, after a period of assimilation, TARA will be further digitised and made accessible to the general public.

The Royal lodgings at Stirling Castle, which date from the reign of James V in the 1530s, are to undergo major restoration work. This drawing by Geoffrey Hay gives an artist's impression of the King's Chamber, including the roof detail of the 'Stirling heads', a collection of hand-carved oak medallions measuring up to a metre in diameter.

Funded by Historic Scotland and the Scottish Government, the project will involve the refurbishment of six halls in the royal palace. The lodgings, which would have accommodated Mary of Guise and her daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, form part of what is thought to be the last intact Renaissance palace in the UK.

RCAHMS extensive archive includes a number of plans, drawings and photographs of Stirling Castle and the Royal palace. For more images and information go to our searchable online database canmore, and Historic Scotland's website.

130 years ago this week, the original Tay Bridge opened for traffic. Designed by Thomas Bouch and built for the North British Railway, it measured 10638 feet in length, comprised 86 spans and carried the single-track railway 77 feet above high water.

On the 28th December 1879, during a violent storm, the bridge collapsed taking with it a train carrying over 70 passengers. William Topaz McGonagle - renowned as one of the worst poets in the English language - immortalised the tragedy in his most famous poem, The Tay Bridge Disaster, which ends:

Oh! Ill-fated bridge of the silv'ry Tay
I now must conclude my lay
By telling the world fearlessly without the least dismay
That your central girders would not have given way
At least many sensible men do say
Had they been supported on each side with buttresses
At least many sensible men confesses
For the stronger we our houses build
The less chance we have of being killed.

The second Tay Railway Bridge was constructed by engineers W H and Crawford Barlow between 1882 and 1887. The structure incorporates some of the trusses of the first bridge, and the stumps of the piers of the old bridge can be seen alongside.

For more images and information on the Tay Bridges go to our searchable online database canmore.

This week in 1905, construction began on the King's Theatre, one of Edinburgh's most important arts venues. This 1930's photograph from RCAHMS archive shows an example of a performers' dressing room.

William Stewart Cruikshank erected the building from a design by architects J D Swanston and J Davidson, with the famous philanthropist Andrew Carnegie laying the foundation stone. The theatre opened in 1906 with a performance of Cinderella.

The main theatre's interior décor is very ornate with nine boxes either side of the proscenium and there are examples of Edwardian stained glass in the foyer doors. The present Upper Circle bar area was originally a Billiard Room and there were shops either side of the entrance at street level. RCAHMS holds architectural plans and drawings from the construction of the original building, along with a number of archive photographs of the theatre.

For more images and information, go to our searchable online database, canmore.

The Spa Pavilion in Strathpeffer was this week the venue for an unlikely performance, as British rock band the Kaiser Chiefs began a tour of small Highland locations as a warm up for a major concert at the weekend.

The Pavilion is a former tea dance pavilion, and this photograph from the 1970's is one of the many examples of dance halls and musical venues - both historical and contemporary - in RCAHMS extensive archive. The Highland venue has a past history of hosting rock bands, with artists like the Bay City Rollers, Freddy and the Dreamers and the Tremeloes playing there in the 1960's.

For more images and information on the Spa Pavilion, Strathpeffer and dance and music halls across Scotland, go to our searchable online database canmore

This archive photograph of the Trophy Room at Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow is one of a large number of RCAHMS images from football grounds across Scotland.

Ibrox is the home ground of Glasgow Rangers, who tonight play in their first European final for 36 years. Facing Zenit St Petersburg at the City of Manchester Stadium, the club will hope to add the UEFA Cup to the awards already on display in the Trophy Room. Opened in 1959, the room contains all of the club's Scottish League Championship pennants, along with portraits, silverware, porcelain, crystal and even a racing cycle presented to Rangers by the French club St Etienne when the sides met in the European Cup in 1975.

The original Ibrox stadium was completed in 1928 and is regarded as one of the greatest works of the architect Archibald Leitch. The tall Renaissance red brick stand on Edmiston Drive, with central entrance and end pavilions was at that time one of the largest ever built in Britain with 10,000 seats. Although the stadium has undergone significant redevelopment over the years, the Edmiston façade remains, and is now a listed building.

For more information on Ibrox Stadium and other football grounds throughout Scotland, go to our searchable online database, canmore.

This week RCAHMS have published a new architectural history of one of Edinburgh's best known landmarks.

Positioned at the westernmost entrance to Princes Street, St John's Episcopal Church enjoys the enviable picturesque backdrop of the castle and Old Town. Despite later additions, it stands today much as it was when first designed almost 200 years ago - a celebrated architectural monument and place of worship in the heart of Scotland's capital.

This richly illustrated book examines the history and architectural development of St John's Church from William Burn's design in the early 19th century to the present day. Its revived Gothic interior was unprecedented in Scotland in 1818, and it was the first of the new Gothic towers and spires that helped create the famous 19th century 'Romantic Edinburgh' cityscape.

Author Diane Watters examines the ever-shifting architectural debates which impacted on St John's innovative design, and re-evaluates its significance and legacy. In addition, she considers the broader Scottish religious and cultural impact of the new church building, and its continuing central role in the Christian life of Edinburgh's New Town.

For more information on St John's go to our searchable online database canmore, or find out about all of RCAHMS publications here.

This week marks the 70th anniversary of a remarkable vision of Britain's future going on show in Bellahouston Park in Glasgow.

The Empire Exhibition ran from May 3rd to October 24th 1938, showcasing the best of manufacturing, industry and the arts from British Empire countries around the world. 174 acres of Bellahouston Park were transformed into a city of striking modernist architecture, wide boulevards, fountains and other stunning water features, and it played host to 13 million visitors over its six-month duration. The Second World War began just nine months after the exhibition closed, changing the world forever. As a result, the exhibition proved to be the last ever public showcase of the British Empire.

This peculiar press image of children dressed in suits queuing at a vending machine is one of many from the Empire Exhibition in the RCAHMS collection. For more images and information go to our searchable online database canmore or visit The Lighthouse, Scotland's centre for architecture, design and the city, which is holding an exhibition of rare films from the 1938 event.

Tomorrow sees the public opening of Faces and Places, an exhibition produced jointly by RCAHMS and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery which highlights some of the key people who have contributed to Scotland's built heritage.

This watercolour of Blair Castle in Blair Atholl by the architect David Bryce, is one of a number of stunning images from the RCAHMS collection that feature in the exhibition.

Faces and Places will look at individuals from archaeologists and antiquarians who have studied and recorded Scotland's past; to architects, engineers, and industrialists who have helped construct the built environment we see today. Prominent figures such as Sir Basil Spence, Robert Adam and the Stevenson family will feature alongside the likes of Erskine Beveridge (a textile manufacturer turned archaeologist and amateur photographer) and Lady Sophia Dunbar (a skilled archaeological illustrator), with their contributions illustrated by a range of collection materials including paintings, sculpture, drawings, photographs, notebooks and instruments.

Faces and Places runs from 24 April to 20 July 2008 at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Queen Street, Edinburgh, and admission is free. For more information go online to RCAHMS Spring Newsletter or visit the National Galleries of Scotland website.

One of Scotland's most prestigious music venues, the Usher Hall is currently undergoing a major redevelopment.

This image of a carved figure - the work of Edinburgh sculptor Harry Gamley - represents 'Musical Inspiration', and is one of a number of figures on the building's impressive façade. Others depict 'Municipal Beneficence', 'The Soul of Music', 'The Music of the Sea' and 'The Music of the Woods'.

Funded by the famous philanthropist Andrew Usher, the concert hall was officially opened on 16th March 1914. Designed by Stockdale Harrison and Howard H Thomson of Leicester, its curved walls were a fairly new architectural departure and its U-plan was only made possible by early 20th century developments in reinforced concrete.

RCAHMS archive contains plans, drawings and photographs of some of Scotland's most celebrated buildings and architecture. For more information on the Usher Hall and the nation's built heritage, go to our searchable online database, canmore.

Melville Monument, captured here by RCAHMS photographers, stands tall at the centre of St Andrew Square Garden in Edinburgh.

For the first time in its 238-year history, the garden has been made accessible to the public after a recent redevelopment. Dating back to 1770, and designed by James Craig as a key component of Edinburgh's New Town, the garden has until now only been accessible to residents and businesses in the surrounding area. At 41 metres in height, Melville Monument remains the focal point of the square. Created by William Burn between 1821 and 1823, it is dedicated to Henry Dundas, the first Lord Melville.

RCAHMS extensive archive contains many examples of Scotland's monuments and memorials, from earliest times to the present day. To find out more about St Andrew Square, and the nation's architectural and archaeological heritage, go to our searchable online database canmore.

RCAHMS archive holds a large number of drawings and engravings which provide a vivid illustration of Scotland's architectural heritage.

A fire in Edinburgh's Old Town in December 2002 destroyed a number of significant buildings in Edinburgh's Cowgate and South Bridge, and plans have now been unveiled for the future redevelopment of the site. This engraving by J. & H.S. Storer shows a view of South Bridge from the Cowgate in 1818.

Fire remains the biggest threat to the built heritage of Scotland. RCAHMS has a statutory duty to be kept informed of buildings under threat, and completed a survey of the Cowgate area shortly after the 2002 fire was brought under control, recording what was left of the affected buildings before they had to be demolished.

RCAHMS has also been working with Historic Scotland and the Scottish Fire Services to create the Scottish Historic Buildings National Fire Database (PDF, 388KB). This has collated fire risk information on all Category-A listed buildings in Scotland, providing access to plans, drawings, photographs, access routes and water supply locations in one database. This is now available directly to fire incident crews to help improve the effectiveness of fire-fighting operations.

For further information on the National Fire Database click on the link above, and for more details on South Bridge, including archive drawings and photographs, go to our searchable online database, Canmore.

Jarlshof is the best known prehistoric archaeological site in the Shetland Islands. It lies near the southern tip of the Shetland mainland, close to the settlements of Sumburgh and Grutness.

A campaigner is currently arguing in Lerwick Sheriff Court that the Shetland Islands are not legally part of Scotland. He contends that Scotland's claim to Shetland, which dates back to 1469 when King Christian of Denmark pawned the islands to James III as part of a dowry, was only meant to be temporary.

Shetland has been populated since at least 1500 BC and is an archaeological treasure-trove. Buildings on the Jarlshof site - which is maintained by Historic Scotland - include the remains of a Bronze Age smithy, an Iron Age broch, Pictish houses, Viking long houses, a complex of wheelhouses, a mediaeval farmhouse and a 16th century laird's house.

For more information on the Shetland Islands and Jarlshof, go to RCAHMS searchable online database Canmore, and Historic Scotland's website.

Aerial photography provides fascinating perspectives on some of Scotland’s most iconic works of engineering.

This week, work has begun to repair Glasgow's Clyde Arc Bridge – dubbed the 'Squinty Bridge' by locals – after a snapped cable in January resulted in its closure. The structure, which spans 140 metres, is a tied arch design, carrying four traffic lanes between Finnieston and Pacific Quay, and was opened in 2006.

RCAHMS has the most extensive collection of aerial photography in Scotland, with departments specialising in the preservation and commissioning of aerial photography. We also photograph high-profile new buildings in the course of construction, including the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh and the Glasgow Science Centre, and will be conducting a programme of aerial survey for the site of Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games in 2014.

For more information and images of dramatic engineering throughout Scotland, go to our searchable online database, Canmore.

Scotland possesses some of the finest examples of historic school architecture in the world.

This week it was revealed that a pupil of the famous George Heriot's School in Edinburgh came second in a worldwide mental arithmetic competition. 17-year-old Rock Tsui restricted himself to just 30 minutes' sleep in two days during the marathon contest.

Established in 1628 as George Heriot's Hospital - by bequest of the royal goldsmith George Heriot to care for "puire fatherless bairnes" - the school opened in 1659. Other notable examples of the rich architectural heritage in Scottish school architecture, particularly from the 17th to late 19th century, include buildings such as Glasgow's Kelvinside Academy, Kinghorn Burgh High School, Montrose Academy and the Neilsen Institute in Paisley.

RCAHMS researchers, surveyors and photographers have carried out extensive surveys of Scottish school architecture, and the RCAHMS collection contains numerous original plans, drawings and archive photographs.

To find out more, go to our searchable database, Canmore.

RCAHMS holds aerial photography and survey material for a large number of sports grounds and stadia throughout Scotland.

Murrayfield Stadium officially opened on 21 March 1925 with a game against England. Scotland won by 14 points to 11 to claim their first ever ‘Grand Slam’, the title awarded to the side that wins all their matches in the Five Nations tournament. This Saturday sees the 114th Calcutta Cup match between the two sides.

RCAHMS has carried out aerial surveys for over 30 years, recording the rapid changes that occur to our urban, industrial and rural landscapes. For architectural and industrial subjects, the aerial view offers an unrivalled vantage point, allowing individual buildings and townscapes to be seen in their context.

For more aerial and survey photography of Murrayfield and other sports grounds in Scotland, go to our searchable database, Canmore.

A survey of monuments in military training areas was undertaken by RCAHMS in the Second World War, following damage to the Twinlaw cairns in Berwickshire which had been used for target practice by the Polish army. With key staff in the forces, Professor Vere Gordon Childe, Commissioner, travelled through Scotland in 1942-43 preparing handwritten accounts for more than 600 monuments.

This image shows Professor Childe preparing to set out on a survey. During the war and immediate post war years, special petrol coupons were secured to enable Commissioners to carry out fieldwork.

Commissioners continue to play a vital role. Since 1908, over 50 people have contributed to the work of RCAHMS as Commissioners, providing unpaid professional guidance and direction. A full list of current contributors can be found on our Commissioners page.

This is one of the images which feature in an exhibition charting the history of RCAHMS which is on display in our search room throughout 2008. Opening times and a location plan can be found on our Contact page.

This recently digitised view of the Forth Rail Bridge was photographed by the Royal Air Force on 20th October 1941. It is taken from the national collection of aerial photography for Scotland, held at RCAHMS, which contains over 1.5 million aerial photographs covering the whole of the Scottish landscape, ranging in date from the 1940s to the present day. This includes material taken by the RAF and Luftwaffe during wartime as well as photography by the Ordnance Survey dating from 1955 to 2001.

This image is from the 'M' series of 8,000 photographs taken mainly between 1940 and 1944 covering both military and civilian sites. The series includes the CAM (camouflage) oblique air photographs which were taken to assess camouflage on buildings throughout Scotland.

RCAHMS holds over 900 collection items on The Forth Rail Bridge including unique photographs of the bridge under construction, many of which can be seen on our searchable database Canmore.

RCAHMS has carried out aerial surveys for over 30 years. It has transformed our knowledge of prehistory and the Roman occupation of Scotland through the discovery of large numbers of sites only visible as cropmarks.

Our aerial survey team also record the rapid changes that occur to our urban, industrial and rural landscapes. This image, taken in November 2007, shows the location of the new Caltongate development in Edinburgh. The site of the former bus station will be turned into a hotel, conference centre, homes, shops and restaurants. The City of Edinburgh Council has recently approved major parts of this development and Scottish Ministers will shortly make the final decision.

External websites:

• City of Edinburgh Council

RCAHMS is the only national body that systematically identifies, surveys and analyses Scotland's built heritage. This is an ongoing task as perceptions of the historic environment change, knowledge and research develops, and as landscapes and townscapes are built, demolished and radically altered.

This task is carried out by a highly experienced team of staff who undertake field work throughout Scotland, visiting sites and buildings to systematically create a record of them and undertaking programmes of research to understand and analyse their context and significance to Scotland's built environment.

The survey teams use the latest technology for recording such as global positioning systems, electronic data logging and digital photography. Although traditional methods are also still essential.

This dramatic silhouetted view of RCAHMS staff using global positioning systems is one of the images which feature in an exhibition charting the history of RCAHMS which will be on display in our search room throughout 2008. Opening times and a location plan can be found on our Contact page.

September 2007 saw the official launch of RCAHMS' centenary project, Treasured Places, with an online vote to find the nation's favourite image from our unique national collection. The winning image was a survey drawing of Lady Victoria Colliery (now the Scottish Mining Museum) in Newtongrange, prepared by RCAHMS in 1999.

The Edinburgh Makar Valerie Gillies has written a poem celebrating the winning image and its links to Scotland's industrial heritage. On 28th January 2008 RCAHMS was delighted to welcome Linda Fabiani MSP to John Sinclair House where Fergus Waters, Director of the Scottish Mining Museum, was presented with the framed Treasured Places winning image and poem. Read the full poem on our Latest News page.

External websites:

• www.treasuredplaces.org.uk
• www.scottishminingmuseum.com

The arrangement of St Kilda Village along a curving street is the result of mid-19th century improvement. Laid out in the 1830s, each house had an allocated strip of cultivable land to front and rear, beyond which lay common grazing. Distinctive drystone storage structures, known as cleitan, are scattered throughout the landscape. These would have stored seabirds, crops and fishing gear. There are over 1,400 cleitan known throughout the St Kilda archipelago, but they are concentrated in the area around the village.

The population of St Kilda declined throughout the later 19th and early 20th centuries. The conditions on the island were harsh and as the inhabitants came into contact with the mainland, they relied more on imports of food, fuel and building materials. The final 36 inhabitants were evacuated to the mainland on 29 August 1930. There is now a small military base and seasonal occupation by National Trust for Scotland staff, volunteers and other visitors.

RCAHMS is currently working on a three-year partnership project with the National Trust for Scotland to map the archaeology of St Kilda in detail and to make the results available through the RCAHMS website.

Find out more about St Kilda on our searchable database Canmore, the RCAHMS Newsletter and the National Trust for Scotland website.

In the First and Second World Wars, Scapa Flow was a major strategic base for the Royal Navy. In the First World War, blockships were sunk across several of the approaches to the Flow and these defences were strengthened during the Second World War following the torpedoing of HMS Royal Oak in October 1939. In 1940-2, following a directive from Winston Churchill, four causeways, built of concrete blocks, were constructed by a workforce of up to 1720 men, 1200 of whom were Italian prisoners-of-war. The causeways subsequently became known as the Churchill Barriers.

This aerial photograph was taken by the Royal Air Force in 1942 and shows Kirk Sound with the initial construction phase of Churchill Barrier No 1. On the right of the image is the earlier line of blockships which U47 penetrated to sink HMS Royal Oak in 1939.

RCAHMS holds the national collection of aerial photography for Scotland. It contains over 1.5 million aerial photographs covering the whole of the Scottish landscape and ranges in date from the 1940s to the present day. This includes material taken by the RAF and Luftwaffe during wartime as well as photography by the Ordnance Survey dating from 1955 to 2001. Find out more on our Aerial Photography page.

The Bell Rock lighthouse, which is situated in the North Sea some twelve miles to the south-east of Arbroath, is the oldest surviving rock-built lighthouse in Britain. First lit on 1st February 1811, it was designed by Robert Stevenson and is capped by an octagonal lantern. The construction of the lighthouse proved a great challenge, as the rock on which it is built is only exposed at low tide. The lighthouse has been unmanned since October 1988, and is now served by an automatic light and foghorn.

A model of the lighthouse, carved from a solid piece of red sandstone from the Bell Rock, will be on permanent display at the Signal Tower Museum in Arbroath from summer 2008. The model was originally a present from the engineer to his daughter, and had been in the Stevenson family since 1811.

This engraving is titled 'State of the Works in August 1809' and is taken from Robert Stevenson's 'An account of the Bell Rock light-house including the details of the erection and peculiar structure of that edifice, to which is prefixed a historical view of the institution and progress of the Northern Light-houses,' published in 1824.

RCAHMS holds over 200 items on the Bell Rock Lighthouse, including over 70 original drawings which form part of the Northern Lighthouse Board Collection - find out more on our searchable database Canmore.

External websites:

• Northern Lighthouse Board
• Arbroath Signal Tower Museum
• Bell Rock Lighthouse

The results of 100 years of surveying, recording, and collecting provide a vivid and fascinating picture of human influence on the ever-changing landscape of Scotland from the earliest times to the present day. This information, which includes 4.5 million items of archive, is made widely available to the public through publications, exhibitions and access both online and in the search room. Our work underpins the understanding of Scotland's unique cultural identity and provides a world-class account of Scotland's built environment to local, national and international audiences.

In August 1908 our first Secretary Alexander Ormiston Curle began surveying and recording in Berwickshire. He records in his 'Private Journal of a Wandering Antiquary':

"I strapped on my surveyors rods to the top of my bicycle and with my canvas bag containing note books, clinometer, tape-line and map took the road to Coldingham…".

Our survey methods have developed greatly since then, but our purpose continues unabated.

As part of the Centenary celebrations, RCAHMS will be hosting a series of workshops, open days and exhibitions, as well as producing several new publications. Keep up to date with our celebrations on our Latest News page.

The tower of Drummond Castle was built c.1490 by John, 1st Lord Drummond. The 2nd Earl, a Privy Councillor to James VI and Charles I, succeeded in 1612 and is credited with transforming both the gardens and the castle. The country house was begun in 1689 and underwent considerable changes in the 18th and 19th centuries, with extensive additions and remodelling in 1878 by the Crieff architect G.T. Ewing.

Its formal gardens, considered to be among the finest in Europe, were possibly laid out by Charles Barry and Lewis Kennedy in 1832 on the site of an older garden. Phylis Astor replanted the gardens in the early 1950s.

Find out more about Drummond Castle and view further images on our searchable database Canmore.

On top of Woden Law in the Scottish Borders there is a notable group of remains comprising an Iron Age fort with multiple ramparts, earthworks, and a small enclosure.

The ramparts that enclose the summit of Woden Law belong to at least three phases of construction, and the innermost rampart surrounds the remains of a number of timber round-houses. Linear earthworks on the lower slopes of the hill probably formed parts of Iron Age field-systems, which were in use sometime during the occupation of the fort. Further evidence for prehistoric farming on the flank of the hill is provided by extensive swathes of cord rig (narrow cultivation ridges), some of which overlie the banks of the field-system.

Find out more about Woden Law and view further images on our searchable database Canmore.

September 2007 saw the official launch of RCAHMS' centenary project, Treasured Places, with an online vote to find the nation's favourite image from our unique national collection. A longlist of 100 images was initially selected, with the public enthusiastically voting in their thousands to decide their top ten.

Over the last few weeks these top ten sites have competed to be named the nation's most treasured place. The winning image is this survey drawing of Lady Victoria Colliery in Newtongrange, prepared by RCAHMS in 1999. Dating from the 19th century, Lady Victoria Colliery ceased production in 1981 and is now the home of the Scottish Mining Museum. The colliery was named in honour of the wife of the Marquis of Lothian, who also built the neighbouring village of Newtongrange to house the miners from the pit.

The top 10 images are now available to view in rank order on the Treasured Places website, and will feature in a major centenary exhibition at the Edinburgh City Art Centre in 2008. The winning image will be celebrated by a poem written by Valerie Gillies.

Aerial survey provides a unique opportunity to record traces of Scotland's past. As well as investigative flights looking for traces of archaeological sites, flying is undertaken in support of RCAHMS's archaeological and architectural projects. Low sunlight and faint coverings of snow can reveal structures barely visible on the ground, and during the summer months the differential growth patterns of arable crops (cropmarks) can reveal buried features. For architectural and industrial subjects, the aerial view offers an unrivalled vantage point, allowing individual buildings and townscapes to be seen in their context.

Aerial photography for archaeological projects concentrates on summer crop marks, hill forts, field systems, townships and changes in land use, while that for architectural projects includes hospitals, castles and country houses, churches, farms, gardens, industrial and military sites. We also photograph high profile new buildings in the course of construction, including the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh and the Glasgow Science Centre.

This view of the fort and settlement at Longcroft in the Scottish Borders shows the dramatic effect that snow can have on the visibility of an archaeological site. Find out more about Longcroft on our searchable database Canmore.

Established in 1846 by the lighthouse engineer Alan Stevenson and contractor James Smith, Covesea Skerries Lighthouse was built in response to repeated demands from 1835 onwards.

The 7-storey lighthouse was automated in 1984 and is now in use as a holiday home. The original lamp is held at Lossiemouth Fisheries Museum.

RCAHMS holds over 70 items relating to this lighthouse, including the original drawings which form part of the Northern Lighthouse Board Collection - find out more on our searchable database Canmore.

2007 marks the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the University of Stirling, widely regarded as one of Britain's finest modern campus universities. The university was first established in 1967 on the estate of the Robert Adam-designed Airthrey Castle, which has itself become an integral part of the university campus.

Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners (RMJM), a Scottish architectural practice, was responsible for the original design and layout of the university, completing that first phase in 1972. The student halls of residence in this photograph illustrate the low rise, highly functional modern style RMJM applied to the buildings in order to integrate them within the beautiful landscape surrounding the 18th century man-made Airthrey Loch.

A conference to celebrate the buildings, landscape and environment of the University of Stirling will take place in the Pathfoot Building on Saturday 24 November 2007. Alongside this event RCAHMS is presenting a photographic exhibition entitled 'Academic Architecture' which illustrates through carefully selected historic, contemporary and aerial photography, the breadth and variety of architectural styles and influences prevalent throughout Scotland's universities. The exhibition will be on display in The Crush Hall, Pathfoot Building, The University of Stirling, from Thursday 22 November to Wednesday 12 December 2007.

In 2014 Glasgow will host the Commonwealth Games. The River Clyde has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years, with major regeneration taking place north and south of the river.

This image was taken as part of RCAHMS's aerial survey programme in 2006 and clearly shows the changing landscape around the Clyde. Further information and images can be found on our searchable database Canmore.

This is just one of the stunning aerial views which RCAHMS has contributed to the publication 'Glasgow from the Air' by Carol Foreman, which can be purchased for £20 through Birlinn Limited.

The craggy silhouette of the Mither Tap o' Bennachie in Aberdeenshire is not simply a landmark on a local skyline, but is one of the most spectacular forts in the area. Every generation has left its mark on this landscape: burial mounds and stone circles erected by farming communities in the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age; Iron Age forts; Pictish symbol stones standing along the lower Don; medieval castles; and unassuming ruins of crofts and farms that were still occupied at the beginning of the 20th century.

In the Shadow of Bennachie - A Field Archaeology of Donside, Aberdeenshire is a centenary publication of RCAHMS in partnership with the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Richly illustrated with photographs, maps and drawn plans, this volume explores the field archaeology of thousands of years of human settlement in north-eastern Scotland, and examines archaeological and historical records tracing the evolution of the landscape from the era of the Picts to the present day.

To purchase a copy of this publication (price £30 + £6.20 UK postage and packing), contact RCAHMS at +44 (0)131 662 1456 or email info@rcahms.gov.uk. For a full list of RCAHMS publications visit the Publications List.

This striking image was taken as part of RCAHMS's aerial survey programme in 2003 and shows the Don leading to the familiar outline of the Mither Tap o' Bennachie. Further information and images can be found on our online database Canmore.

Although formed in 1927, it was under the creative control of Andy MacMillan and Isi Metzstein in the period between 1956 and 1987 that the firm of Gillespie, Kidd and Coia produced their most innovative and well-known buildings. A part of the modern architectural movement associated with the socially inspired, urban renewal programmes of post-war Britain, the firm completed a large number of projects including housing, schools, hospitals and colleges.

However, it is for their churches and ecclesiastical buildings that Gillespie, Kidd and Coia are most famous, having enjoyed the loyal patronage of the Roman Catholic Church for over thirty years. This image of the Gillespie, Kidd and Coia designed church Our Lady of Good Counsel in Dennistoun, Glasgow was taken by RCAHMS in 1995. Restored by Page and Park Architects in 2005, Our Lady of Good Counsel remains in use as a parish church today.

The Gillespie, Kidd and Coia archive was gifted to Glasgow School of Art, an institution with which the firm had close connections, in 2001 and will be housed in the purpose-built facilities of the Mackintosh Research Centre for Archives and Collections from 2008. A major retrospective of the practice's work, staged by The Lighthouse, Scotland's Centre for Architecture, Design and the City, in partnership with The Glasgow School of Art and RCAHMS, is to open on November 3rd 2007. The exhibition runs until 10th February 2008 and will be accompanied by the publication of a book. More information can be found on The Lighthouse website.

Basil Spence (1907-1976) was one of Britain's foremost modern architects. As well as major international commissions, he also designed many buildings in his native Scotland.

2007 marks the centenary of Sir Basil Spence's birth and to celebrate this, RCAHMS is working in partnership with the National Galleries of Scotland to host a major exhibition of his life and work. The exhibition entitled 'Back to the Future' is being held at the Dean Gallery in Edinburgh from 19th October 2007 - 10th February 2008. This image of a presentation drawing of the Wylie and Lochhead exhibition stand at the Scottish Industries Exhibition, Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, is one of many original drawings that feature in the exhibition.

The Sir Basil Spence Archive was presented to RCAHMS by the Spence family in 2003. The Archive comprises nearly 40,000 drawings, photographs, manuscripts and news cuttings. Find out more at www.basilspence.org.uk.

Basil Spence (1907-1976) was one of Britain's foremost modern architects. As well as major international commissions, he also designed many buildings in his native Scotland.

2007 marks the centenary of Sir Basil Spence's birth and to celebrate this, RCAHMS is working in partnership with the National Galleries of Scotland to host a major exhibition of his life and work. The exhibition entitled 'Back to the Future' will be held at the Dean Gallery in Edinburgh from 19th October 2007 - 10th February 2008. This image of a perspective drawing of the Canongate Housing Development, Edinburgh, is one of many original drawings that feature in the exhibition.

The Canongate Housing Development was designed by Sir Basil Spence, Glover and Ferguson, and completed in 1969. It consists of three blocks of one and two bedroom flats with two shops and a pub at street level. Throughout his career Spence was interested in blending modern styles and materials with traditional, indigenous elements and this is evident in the development's final design. Despite their clear modern style, the buildings' pitched roofs, harled walls and pend entrances help them to integrate well into this historic part of Edinburgh.

The Sir Basil Spence Archive was presented to RCAHMS by the Spence family in 2003. The Archive comprises nearly 40,000 drawings, photographs, manuscripts and news cuttings. Find out more at www.basilspence.org.uk.

Todhead Lighthouse in Aberdeenshire was built in 1897 to a design by the engineer D A Stevenson. It was first lit in 1897, electrified in 1973 and became automated in 1986.

RCAHMS surveyed this lighthouse in June 2007 after being notified by the Northern Lighthouse Board that the lighthouse and adjacent buildings are to be sold. The equipment is significantly as fitted in 1897, but the optic system, including the clockwork mechanism and lens, is to be removed prior to the sale and re-assembled in a suitable location, perhaps a museum.

RCAHMS holds further images and information on Todhead Lighthouse, as well as 18 drawings which are part of the Northern Lighthouse Board Collection - find out more on our searchable database Canmore.

As part of our industrial survey programme, RCAHMS recently recorded the Lochaline silica sand mine in Lochaber. Operated by Tarmac Ltd., the mine is the only underground silica sand mine in Britain and is viable due to the exceptionally high quality of the deposit.

The mine employs 12 people and currently produces around 100,000 tonnes of silica sand, approximately one fifth of all Scottish production. Silica sand is used for various industrial applications but primarily for the glass-making industry.

Further images and information about the mine can be found on our searchable database Canmore.

Hi-Spy photography is one of several methods used by RCAHMS to record Scotland's sites and monuments. The Hi-Spy comprises a camera mounted on the end of a mast which can be extended upwards to a maximum height of some 15m. The camera is operated remotely from the ground. In some instances, Hi-Spy photography is the only way to photograph an entire monument and is particularly useful to illustrate souterrains, cairns, stone circles, and excavated sites, as well as sculptured features high on exterior walls of monuments.

This view shows a recumbent stone circle at Easter Aquhorthies in Aberdeenshire, photographed in 2002. Further images and information about Easter Aquhorthies can be found on our searchable database Canmore.

RCAHMS is participating in Scottish Archaeology Month 2007. For further details about the events taking place in your area visit the official website: http://www.scottisharchaeology.org.uk/projects/sam/.

St Andrew's House in Edinburgh is one of the main administrative bases for The Scottish Government. It was designed by the architect Thomas Smith Tait, drawing freely on modern Beaux-Arts, American, and Dutch sources, and opened in 1939. The Royal opening was postponed until 1940 owing to the outbreak of war.

A variety of architects, artists and sculptors worked on the decoration of the building: stonework detailing by Esmé Gordon; allegorical sculpted figures by Sir William Reid Dick; the Royal Coat of Arms by Alexander Carrick; bronze doors with themes from the life of St Andrew by Walter Gilbert; and ironwork by Thomas Hadden.

Subsidiary entrance sculptures of a unicorn and lion, which support the Royal Coat of Arms, were designed by Phyllis Bone. She was renowned for her sculptures of animals, and also worked on the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle. This image shows John Marshall (1888-1952) sculpting the unicorn.

RCAHMS holds over 200 archive items on St Andrew's House, many of which can be seen on our searchable database Canmore. Further information about St Andrew's House and Thomas Smith Tait can be found on the Dictionary of Scottish Architects website.

The crofting township of Arnol is famous for its 'black houses'. Over 40 of these traditional dwellings remain in existence today, with one, No 45, open to the public as a museum. Black houses were the traditional homes of the islanders, and were built of stone and thatch.

Arnol is situated on the West coast of Lewis. In 1844 Sir James Matheson (1796-1878) bought Lewis, and under his direction the land was surveyed and lotted out to tenants between 1849 and 1851. This is when most of the crofts on the island came into being. The houses which had to be built on the lotted land were often built as part of the dykes that divided the arable land from the common pasture.

Lewis and Harris are both parts of the same island, collectively known as 'the Long Island', which is the most northerly in the Outer Hebrides. Together they are about 95km in length and around 32km at the widest point. Most of Lewis is quite low-lying, whereas Harris is mountainous.

Cumbernauld New Town is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Cumbernauld Town Centre was built between 1963 and 1972 as the world's first multi-level town centre. It was designed by Cumbernauld Development Corporation to house local amenities in one large complex, including shops, offices, community facilities and administrative buildings with underground parking and pedestrian access via a series of ramps and walkways.

This image shows M. Evans' presentation drawing of Phase 1 of the Town Centre, based on designs by the architect Geoffrey Copcutt. On the right, a concrete water tank on a column base is raised high above the area known as the south terrace or 'civic podium'. This area on top of the Town Centre complex had benches and provided views over the surrounding area from an elevated position.

The 'civic podium' was intended by its architects to be used as a gathering place for community events and announcements, very much in the manner of a town square. The Town Centre was renovated and significantly altered from 1983 to 1985, and this area has since been demolished.

Find out more on the Cumbernauld 50th Anniversary website. Diane Watters of RCAHMS and Miles Glendinning (formerly of RCAHMS) will be giving a lecture on Cumbernauld at Cumbernauld Technical College on 12th September 2007 at 7pm. For more information contact the archivist at North Lanarkshire Council.