A COUNCILLOR has criticised the decision to close so many of Fife's historic attractions at the same time as "short-sighted".

And David Barratt said Historic Environment Scotland (HES) – who are carrying out "essential" inspections on buildings they suspect are crumbling even more due to climate change – have given no indication when sites such as Culross Abbey, Dunfermline Palace and Aberdour Castle will re-open.

He said: "They've closed Inchcolm Abbey so no-one can go there and St Bridget's Kirk in Dalgety Bay could potentially be shut for a couple of years.

"I don't know if it will ever open again.

"Aberdour Castle and Culross Abbey are closed too – a number of our really important built heritage sites in the area aren't open to the public.

"It's not clear to me why they've done it, it seems really short-sighted and there's been no clear or publicly-communicated strategy about what the long-term goal is."

Last month, as the Press reported, Fife Council announced a three-year deal with Visit Scotland – they'll pay them £80,000 in the first year – aimed at enticing tourists back to the Kingdom after the pandemic.

History and heritage was highlighted as one of the main themes but Cllr Barratt said many of our most important attractions are closed.

The HES website says there is currently no visitor access to Aberdour Castle and Gardens, Inchcolm Abbey, St Bridget's Kirk in Dalgety Bay and Culross Abbey.

Dunfermline Palace and Refectory are currently closed but the Abbey nave and shop are open.

Elsewhere in Fife, there is no visitor access to Ravenscraig Castle in Kirkcaldy, St Andrews Castle, Blackfriars Chapel in St Andrews and St Andrews Cathedral.

A spokesperson for HES told the Press: “Some sites in Fife are currently closed as a precaution for essential high-level masonry inspections.

"These sites are Aberdour Castle, Inchcolm Abbey, St Bridget’s Kirk and Culross Abbey, and all are in the first two priority batches for surveying.

"Within each batch, the properties are being prioritised based on a range of factors, including health and safety, economic impact and pre-inspection survey results.

“Access has been restricted currently at these sites to protect staff and visitors, though every effort has been made to enable visitor access to grounds where this can be facilitated safely.

“In relation to Dunfermline Abbey and Palace, we are currently looking into options for the Palace and the nave remains open at the Abbey.

"We are also working with boat operators to enable access at Inchcolm for visitors to the island, although restrictions remain in place at the Abbey.

"Despite some concerns about whether St Bridget’s Kirk will be able to re-open, we can assure the public that we will look to reinstate access as soon as it is safe to do so once we have conducted the relevant inspections.”

HES cares for 336 buildings and sites across the country and are implementing a new approach to inspections in response to the effects of climate change.

Condition surveys on more than 200 properties will assess the deterioration and it is "anticipated remedial works could require significant investment over multiple years".

Surveys began in spring last year and "potentially dangerous fabric at high level" led to access being restricted at 20 sites, followed by another 11 in November 2021 and a further 39 in January.

Dr David Mitchell, director of conservation at HES, said: “While our changing climate is not the sole reason for deterioration, it has certainly accelerated it and brought the issue to a head.

"Historic properties are inherently fragile by their nature, often ruinous and standing at exposed locations.

"We face a constant battle against time and the elements."

He added: "It is inevitable our approach to protecting historic buildings will have to change – we need to reimagine how we manage these historic and much-loved places.

"A range of solutions is needed, including repairs, investment and new and innovative interventions."