Edinburgh is full of listed buildings, and plenty of them are tenements split into flats. Listing isn't a reason to walk away, but it does change how alterations work. Here's what Historic Environment Scotland (HES) says it means.
Check a street with the Flat Risk Check
What listing is
HES describes a listed building as a protected historic place it designates for its architectural or historic interest, under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997. There are around 47,000 listed buildings in Scotland, and our data holds 10,108 listed building records in Edinburgh.
Categories A, B and C
Listed buildings are put in category A, B or C to show their relative importance. HES says the categories are advisory and affect how a building is managed in the planning system. On each street page we show the category of every record, linked to its official listing.
What a listing covers
This is the bit that catches buyers out. According to HES, unless the statutory address says otherwise, a listing always includes the interior as well as the exterior, extensions and other attached structures. Structures within the "curtilage" are listed too. So the listing isn't just the front of the building.
Changing a listed flat
HES says that sometimes a specific consent, listed building consent, is needed, and that the council's planning department is the main contact when you're thinking about changes. The council explains how to apply for listed building consent. It also says the May 2024 window rule changes for conservation areas don't apply to listed buildings, so you should still apply for planning permission or listed building consent. More in our windows and alterations guide.
Listing doesn't change who owns the building: it stays the property of its owner.
How to check a listing
- Look up the street in the Flat Risk Check: each record links to its HES listing.
- Search the official records on trove.scot, HES's search platform.
- Ask your solicitor whether any past alterations had the consents they needed.
Not legal advice. This is a plain-English summary of official sources to help you know what to ask. Every property is different, so check the details with your solicitor, surveyor or the council before you rely on it.
Related
Buying a flat in Edinburgh: the checklist · Conservation areas for buyers · Windows and alterations · Browse postcode areas · Search a street
Sources (checked 2026-11-06): HES: listed buildings · Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 · Council: listed building consent. Summaries are our wording; the council's pages are authoritative.