The past in a foreign country

Abstract

Review-article on the eight-volume series edited by Anna Ritchie, Exploring Scotland's heritage (1985-7), welcomed as a 'considerable achievement by all those involved'. The series clearly demonstrates the value of the Royal Commission database to a wider public as well as to academic scholarship of Inventory type; indeed both Scottish and English Commissions are responding to a changed political situation, while maintaining the integrity of their central records. The next step should be to create a national network through which bona fide enquirers can gain access to this database. The extent to which 'ESH' increased tourist pressure on sensitive sites will need to be watched.