The Historic Environment Record or HER is a record of all known archaeological and historic sites in East Lothian and Midlothian. The record is also sometimes called the Sites and Monuments Record (SMR). The HER is maintained by the East Lothian Council Archaeology Service based in Haddington.
The HER includes sites of all periods, from the earliest human activity more than 10,000 years ago, up to the present day. This covers a range of types of sites: buried archaeological remains, monuments, historic buildings, landscapes and finds, from prehistoric standing stones to World War II airfields. The HER also holds details of recent archaeological fieldwork.
The HER is comprised of a database with over 25,000 records, linked to digital mapping. This is supplemented with a wide range of reference material, including fieldwork reports, photographs, plans, aerial photographs, and historic maps. The database is updated regularly with new finds and discoveries.
The HER is a key resource used by the Archaeology Service as the basis for historic environment conservation and management advice, such as for planning proposals and environmental schemes.
The HER is also used by members of the public, consultants, history societies, students, and academics. It is a resource that is available for anyone who is interested in finding out about the archaeology and heritage of East Lothian and Midlothian.
Historic Environment Record Online
The HER is available online through the John Gray Centre website. It can be searched either through the map or by the advanced search. This search facility allows you to search the HER at the same time as Archives, Local History, and Museums records for East Lothian.
We do not currently have the facilities for members of the public to visit the HER in person, but if you contact us by phone or email we will endeavour to help you with your research and send you information.
Most public and academic enquiries are free but there will be a charge for commercial enquiries. Please see
Historic Environment Record policy
Please note that the online version of the HER does not contain the full amount of information held in the HER, and is not necessarily up to date. It will not be sufficient on its own to inform the planning process, and commercial contractors should contact the HER directly to obtain the full data for an area.