Exclusive:Historic Environment Scotland: Culture quango chose not to act on 'culture of fear' review recommendation

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) employed an independent human resources (HR) expert to probe claims a senior manager had twerked in front of actor Martin Compston.

The external report told HES it should undertake an urgent culture review of the crisis-hit department after multiple staff said they were afraid to talk due to “fear of retribution”.

However, The Scotsman can now reveal the review never took place.

Not only did management fail to carry out the review, Freedom of Information (FOI) responses further show the recommendation was deleted from official internal HR reports.

READ MORE: Suspended chief executive of Historic Environment Scotland back at work

A HES source said: “Sadly it has become clear that our HR Directorate doesn’t represent the workforce. Complaint after complaint, dispute after dispute, has been buried by those at the top.

“A culture of cover-ups, fuelled by a web of spin and collusion, has engulfed this organisation.”

A response to a request made under Freedom of Information legislation makes clear the HES HR department removed the recommendation from the independent HR expert. This external expert was tasked with leading an investigation of a senior manager as part of a dispute resolution process.

Scotland on Sunday exclusively told how the senior manager was alleged to have become drunk and twerked in front of Mr Compston during a corporate event at Edinburgh Castle in 2023. Complaints were also lodged that Rod Stewart’s wife Penny Lancaster had been made to feel uncomfortable.

The “culture review” recommendation was made on December 23, 2024, after the investigator found “countless witnesses stated their reluctance to answer questions for the fear of retribution”. This report, seen by The Scotsman, adds that witnesses “felt uncomfortable and frightened to speak”.

Information obtained under FOI confirms the HES HR team removed the culture review recommendation from documentation. Responding to the FOI request, HES was able to refer to just one email mentioning the review.

Stephen Kerr MSP, who sits on Holyrood’s culture committee, said: “It’s quite extraordinary - and totally unacceptable - that the penny still hasn’t dropped for those at the top of HES.

“After weeks of revelations about the scale of malpractice at the quango, it beggars belief that the recommendation for a much-needed culture review has been quietly removed.”

HES has been rocked by allegations of misconduct among senior staff, including directors. The organisation’s chief executive, Katerina Brown, was suspended from work, but last week returned to sign off the organisation’s annual accounts.

Plans are underway to appoint an interim chief operating officer while the situation with Ms Brown is resolved.

Earlier this month The Scotsman also told how bosses at the union Prospect had written to staff to tell them to stop speaking to the media. In the letter, the union told members to instead approach HR, saying HES had “perfectly robust” processes in place.

However, a HES source said staff had little confidence in these processes. The source said: “Why then did we not take the advice of an independent expert who told the HR department that staff were frightened and feared retribution?

“The fact only one email exists in relation to the recommendation is yet another example of a cover up. The HR department does not care for the workforce. Leadership comes from the top.

“It is unacceptable that the Director of People said action would be taken, yet here we are.”

In late December 2024, the external HR investigator, in a report seen by The Scotsman, told HES he was unable to carry out a comprehensive review due to the high number of staff afraid to speak due to “fear of retribution”.

The expert says these comments were witnessed by two HR workers from HES and recommends a “culture review with all the staff in this area of HES”.

In January 2025, HES responded to the investigator to say final decisions would be taken by a HES director acting as chair of the investigation.

An email from HR to the investigator reads: “For that reason, I have removed each of your decisions and recommendations from the reports before passing over to the chair to make the decision.”

On January 28, HES director of heritage, Elizabeth McCrone, confirmed in writing the majority of the complaints against the senior manager, including the twerking incident, had been upheld or partially upheld.

She writes: “I can confirm that a number of recommendations will be taken forward following this investigation and appropriate action will be taken in line with our policies and procedures.”

Days later the employee who raised concerns appealed some of the dispute resolution outcomes and, in March, HES director of people, Lindsey Ross, confirmed in writing that a number of the appealed issues had been upgraded to “upheld”.

Ms Ross also writes: “I can confirm that a number of recommendations will be taken forward following this investigation and appropriate action will be taken in line with our policies and procedures.”

Mr Kerr said: “Angus Robertson as Culture Cabinet Secretary and the new chairman need to get a grip because it’s apparent that HES executives are still displaying breathtaking arrogance and trying to cover up wrongdoing when everyone else can see that the toxic culture in the organisation has to be weeded out.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said new HES chair Sir Mark Jones planned to “ensure HES has the trust of the public and its partners”.

“The Scottish Government will continue to support him in this endeavour to resolve the leadership and governance issues that have been raised,” the spokesman said.

A HES spokeswoman said the organisation could not comment on individual cases, but “take all concerns raised extremely seriously and have robust policies and procedures in place to ensure they are appropriately addressed”.

She said: “We are committed to maintaining a respectful, inclusive and safe working environment. Where recommendations are identified as part of the outcome of a process, these are taken forward accordingly.”