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New qualification launched to support community heritage and environmental action
Nationally recognised certificate aims to build skills, celebrate local action and strengthen Scotland’s cultural heritage sector
A new nationally accredited qualification has been launched to support communities across Scotland to take action on protecting and celebrating their cultural heritage while tackling environmental challenges.
Keep Scotland Beautiful has introduced the Certificate in Cultural Heritage, a new training programme credit rated by Qualifications Scotland and developed as part of its Our Heritage, Our Future initiative. The qualification is designed to help individuals and community groups develop a deeper understanding of Scotland’s built, natural and cultural heritage, while building practical skills and recognising their achievements through national accreditation.
Open to communities already engaged in heritage activities—from caring for historic sites to creating guided tours and exploring the impacts of climate change—the certificate provides structured learning and formal recognition for this work. Participants must complete a mandatory unit, Sharing Heritage Stories, alongside three additional units covering topics such as caring for heritage, creating exhibitions, exploring identity and representation, preparing for volunteering, and understanding climate impacts on heritage.
The programme has already begun supporting communities across Scotland. In Alloa, members of the Clackmannanshire Economic Regeneration Trust have been undertaking training linked to heritage volunteering, while the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine is working with communities on climate action planning as part of the course. Elsewhere, participants in Strathaven are developing skills in delivering guided tours through the Rural Development Trust’s Make Your Way programme, highlighting the diverse ways communities can engage with and benefit from the qualification.
Lisa Snedden, Our Heritage, Our Future Coordinator at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said
“We are excited to be able to offer this new Qualifications Scotland credit rated training programme to explore, enhance and celebrate local community action which is being taken to tackle environmental and heritage challenges across the country.”
The Certificate in Cultural Heritage was formally approved in March 2026 and is the first qualification to be credit rated under the Qualifications Scotland name, marking a significant step forward for community-based heritage learning. By providing accessible, practical training and formal recognition, the programme aims to empower individuals and groups to play a stronger role in protecting Scotland’s heritage and responding to environmental change at a local level.
