THE CASTLE where William Wallace was taken after his capture in 1305 is to finally re-open after being identified as one of a series of crumbling historic buildings that was dangerous to the staff and public.
Scotland's heritage agency, Historic Environment Scotland said that restrictions were put in place at the start of last year, as a safety precaution while it introduced new measures to manage the impact of climate change on its heritage assets, an issue which is affecting heritage owners globally.
Dumbarton Castle is now set to reopen by early spring following the completion of high level masonry inspections, said HES, which manages significant landmarks that draw millions of tourists each year.
In December, HES was accused of breaking the law by failing to act immediately to shut down some of its crumbling historic buildings identified internally as dangerous to the staff and public.
HES had received internal professional advice that an immediate closure of a number of sites was needed so that a hands-on survey could be undertaken.
There were understood to be particular concerns over a series of buildings after checks.
The Prospect union registered its concerns as a whistleblower account revealed worries that HES was committing a criminal offence by not acting immediately to close a number of sites.
There were concerns that it took weeks for some actions to take place.
Other staff raised concerns about the depth of progress on any remedial works, due to a shortage of finances.
HES refuted the allegations insisting it has “always been guided first and foremost by the safety of our staff, visitors and contractors and to ensure they are not put at any risk”.
In April, last year, HES began a nationwide programme of inspections at around 70 of their historic properties, surveying the high areas of the monuments and checking the stonework by hand.
According to the HES website some 64 of the 336 properties managed by HES and attract millions of visitors remained “closed or partially closed” after inspections identified a risk from “unstable masonry at high level” linked to deterioration caused by factors including climate change. HES said in November that it was actually now at 44.
HES has been carrying out "tactile" inspections at 25 sites across the country since May, with a further 13 due for completion by Spring 2023.
HES said work at sites can take over a month, due to the scope of the task and the different characteristics of the buildings, many of which date back several hundred years, and were constructed according to the conventions and materials of the time.
The tactile inspection of Dumbarton Castle, which took 20 working days, was completed late last year.
Some necessary repairs and checks will now be carried out before the site reopens by March.
Once it has reopened, visitors will be able to explore the majority of the 800-year-old site including The Governor’s House, the Guard House and Portcullis Arch, the remains of the White Tower which are on top of the highest point of the site, the French Prison, Wallace Tower, the Magazine and Crane Bastion.
One minor access restriction will remain in place at the Spur Battery which will exclude access to the Spanish and Bower Batteries.
Ground level restrictions also remain in areas around the base of the Rock, however, HES says this is managed as part of routine rock risk and is not part of the High Level Masonry Programme.
Dumbarton Castle will be the latest site to reopen as part of the prioritised programme of inspections, following sites such as Doune Castle, Burleigh Castle, Dundonald Castle and St Andrews Castle which reopened after their surveys were carried out.
HES said that more than 30 sites currently have increased access since inspections began in May last year.
Craig Mearns, director of operations at HES, said: “I am delighted to announce that we will soon be reopening Dumbarton Castle to visitors. We are working as quickly as we can to reopen our historic sites, and we appreciate the public’s patience while we undertake these necessary inspections and subsequent repairs.
“Dumbarton Castle is one of Scotland’s most important strongholds and climate change is another part of its long and varied history. We look forward to welcoming visitors back to the iconic site as soon as we have carried out the final checks and implemented any additional safety measures. For more details on when tickets will be on sale, please check our website and social media channels where further information will be released soon.”
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