The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) was, from 1908 to 2015, responsible for recording, interpreting and collecting information about the built and historic environment.
During its operation the RCAHMS compiled a series of Inventories that recorded all buildings and monuments of note. Initially these Inventories considered assets until the year 1707, later extended to 1805. Only approximately half of Scotland was covered by this before the compilation of inventories was abandoned in 1992. Within the South West region the following Inventories were published and are available as Open Access:
While considered a non-inventory volume the publication of Eastern Dumfriesshire in 1997 was a comparable study of this portion of our region.
The Archaeological Sites & Monuments Series was a rapid survey programme undertaken by the RCAHMS between 1978 and 1989 that sought to establish a heritage baseline within areas of Scotland that had not benefited from modern survey. Within the South West region the following reports were published, these are available as Open Access:
12. Upper Eskdale, Annandale & Eskdale District, Dumfries & Galloway Region (1980)
13. Ewesdale and Lower Eskdale, Annandale & Eskdale District, Dumfries & Galloway Region (1981)
14. South Carrick, Kyle & Carrick District, Strathclyde Region (1981)
17. North Carrick, Kyle & Carrick District, Strathclyde Region (1983)
24. West Rhins, Wigton District, Dumfries & Galloway Region (1985)
25. North Kyle, Kyle & Carrick District, Strathclyde Region (1985)
26. East Rhins, Wigton District, Dumfries & Galloway Region (1987)
There was a broad range of other publications produced by RCAHMS over its 107 years. From those on Open Access, of particular note to our region are the following pdf files:
Muirkirk, Ayrshire: an industrial landscape, RCAHMS Broadsheet 1 (1995)
Explosives in the service of man. Ardeer and The Nobel Heritage (1996)
Kirkcudbright Training Area (2003)
Early Christian Carved Crosses at St Ninian’s Cave (2007)