Interim trustees join heritage body amid corruption probe

Two new trustees have been appointed to Historic Environment Scotland (HES) just weeks after the organisation’s chair admitted that it is undertaking an investigation into claims of corruption and improper behaviour.

SUSAN DEIGHAN and RAY MACFARLANE have been appointed as interim members of HES’s board by Culture Secretary ANGUS ROBERTSON, who earlier this week faced a grilling from Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) as to why he had not been present at any of the “troubled” organisation’s board meetings despite invitations.

Robertson blamed his lack of attendance at meetings held by the agency that looks after and promotes more than 300 historic sites, funded by £74 million of annual government funding, on civil servants not telling him about the requests.

The row comes after Sir Mark Jones, who was appointed to head up HES’ board in September, told the Scottish government’s culture committee last month that a probe was to be conducted into claims surrounding an improper workplace culture and that the two allegations of racism made against senior staff leaders were to be taken “very seriously”.

New trustees’ experience

Deighan joins the heritage body after retiring as chief executive of culture and sport charity Glasgow Life in June 2025.

She was appointed to the role in April 2022, having held senior positions, including deputy chief executive and director of city marketing and external relations, in her 18 years with the organisation.

Awarded an MBE for services to heritages, Macfarlane began her executive career as a solicitor in private practice.

She has served as chair of the Scotland Committee of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Museums Galleries Scotland, and the Scottish Government’s Recognition Committee, which invests in collections of national importance.

The appointments will be for one year, running from 10 November 2025 to 9 November 2026.