New allegations at Stirling Castle dating back eight years have emerged following a string of complaints about its custodians, Historic Environment Scotland, in recent months.
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New allegations at Stirling Castle dating back eight years have emerged following a string of complaints about its custodians, Historic Environment Scotland, in recent months.
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Serious allegations of discrimination and a “toxic” culture of ‘fear and intimidation’ at Stirling Castle have emerged – including a claim one disabled visitor was left feeling suicidal.
The claims are the latest in a slew of serious complaints about the castle’s custodian, Historic Environment Scotland, in recent months. The troubled heritage body is already being investigated for corruption, amid revelations about racism and “unacceptable” governance.
The Ferret has learned that a collective grievance was raised by staff working as tour guides at the castle in 2018, which accused the Scottish Government's heritage agency of “systematically undermining” its equality and diversity duties, and of “bullying” and being “openly aggressive” to staff.
The grievance claims staff were told not to speak to a vulnerable disabled man due to fears about his inappropriate behaviour, with those who failed to comply claiming they were disciplined and marked down at their annual performance reviews. Managers involved claimed they were acting appropriately to protect staff.
Only one part of the grievance, in relation to a failure to comply with disciplinary processes, was upheld. But the written decision acknowledged a "volatile and unpleasant situation”, low morale and the need for an improved working environment. It also suggested a “corporate wide review” of how to deal with vulnerable adults, noting: “we need to understand discrimination better”.
Following an appeal of the grievance, an external report was commissioned from a consultant. This report found “strong corroborating evidence supporting many of the allegations made” while acknowledging not all could be evidenced.
Karin Goodwin
The independent report, published internally in January 2019 – and seen by The Ferret – highlighted “systemic issues” in the work culture in the castle’s guiding team, which were "fundamentally at odds with Historic Environment Scotland's expected standards of behaviour".
Its findings alleged a culture of "fear and intimidation" where people were scared to speak out due to potential repercussions. Staff working there at the time said the “traumatic” experiences affected their wellbeing and called for action to be taken to stop others suffering. The Ferret has seen an email sent to the then chief executive of the organisation raising concerns in December 2018, which staff alleged was not adequately acted on.
Opposition politicians accused culture cabinet secretary Angus Robertson of being “asleep at the wheel” and called for the latest revelations to spur urgent action. A spokesperson for Historic Environment Scotland insisted it took “concerns about staff wellbeing and organisational culture extremely seriously”. They said it had accepted the findings of the 2019 report and taken a range of measures to implement change. An external review of the organisation’s culture is in progress.
Caitlin Walker, who worked as a tour guide at Stirling Castle from April 2017 to December 2018, told The Ferret that while she initially enjoyed the job, she was deeply troubled by instructions given about how to interact with a vulnerable disabled visitor. He came to the castle daily after being involved in an arts project there. It was claimed he upset one tour guide team member by swearing and had asked others personal questions.
Though Walker acknowledged his interactions with staff made some uncomfortable, she insisted the way issues were dealt with was discriminatory. Some managers, who later admitted they were not familiar with equality policies, told staff to limit interactions with the visitor to two minutes.
Later, it is claimed, tour guides were reprimanded if they did not totally ignore him. Fears were raised that other guests and “security duties” were being overlooked because guides spent too long with the disabled visitor.
Walker told The Ferret that she believed some people were “aggressive” in dealing with the disabled man, leaving him distressed and sometimes in tears. On one occasion it is alleged he told her and another staff member he “felt like killing myself”.
“He was a vulnerable person and not to speak to him felt morally repugnant,” Walker said, who continued short interactions with him at work. She claims this led her to being disciplined, surveilled by managers, and “bullied” and humiliated with “performance issues” raised on her probationary review.
Walker shared contemporaneous notes, backing her claims which an independent review later corroborated. However in interviews connected with the grievance, some of those cited rejected the allegations, claiming some people in the team were “making trouble’.
After submitting the grievance, Walker said her treatment at work deteriorated further, with some excluding her or refusing to communicate. She saw an occupational therapist who documented her distress despite noting her previously easy going nature. In total she was signed off three times due to stress before leaving in December 2018.
“Years later I realised the person being put at risk was me, not by this visitor but by my managers. Me and others were threatened and intimidated just for having a shred of decency and a vulnerable guest was treated appallingly.” - Caitlin Walker
“I was not a rule breaker,” she said. “I take my responsibilities seriously and if I work for a company I want to be an ambassador for it. While it was happening they emotionally manipulated me by saying I was putting staff at risk by speaking to this disabled visitor.
Walker remained in contact with the man after leaving the castle, helped him seek support and met his family. “Years later I realised the person being put at risk was me,” she added. “Me and others were threatened and intimidated just for having a shred of decency and a vulnerable guest was treated appallingly.”
“It was one of the worst things I’ve had to go through but I don’t regret standing up for what I know was right and it made me stronger. This was not about one guest – it was about the whole workplace culture that was toxic and needs to change.”
She claims many people in the organisation are scared to speak up for fear of losing their jobs, often because of their passion for the heritage sector. “No-one should feel silenced at work and this should not happen to anyone else again,” she said.
Three friends and colleagues who worked with Walker at the time verified her accounts with one claiming she was initially “a live wire” but became withdrawn and anxious following attempts to “break her”. The staff members, who spoke anonymously, also struggled to cope with the “toxic environment” and intimidation and they alleged that getting “silent treatment” was the norm.
The external investigation documented a "hierarchical, archaic and authoritarian” culture with staff allocated specific work areas and “shouted at” if they went elsewhere.
Permission had to be sought to use the computer, which was in a locked room. The investigation documented frequent reports of “infighting and squabbling” and claims there was a “lad culture” with sexist and “mildly sectarian” jokes normalised and female staff on the team not being taken seriously. Women told investigators that they expected to do the “less serious” children’s tours while men did the adult ones.
Rob Edwards
It also highlighted previous work culture issues pre-dating Walker’s arrival. “Unless underlying causes are identified and addressed then staff satisfaction – long an issue at the castle – is likely to continue to be an issue, and it is likely that grievances will continue to be raised on an ongoing basis,” the report found. The Ferret has seen another grievance raised by another member of the same team, from a similar date.
Some are sceptical that Historic Environment Scotland is adequately dealing with its issues. It is alleged that in June 2024 operations manager Craig Mearns pointed to tourists at Edinburgh Castle and told another senior staff member to “look at those chocolates”.
He apologised in an all staff briefing and will reportedly undergo anti-racism training now that he is returning to his post. According to Historic Environment Scotland data he is the highest paid senior manager earning £105-110k last year.
Other signals of the troubled culture include revelations that a senior leader was being investigated for sexual harassment after acting inappropriately at a corporate event at Edinburgh Castle in 2023. They allegedly danced provocatively by "twerking" and making celebrity guests, including the actor Martin Compston, uncomfortable.
In October 2025 the heritage body's chief executive, Katerina Brown, was suspended, having been signed off since May on health grounds, just nine months after taking up the post. She has since returned to work. A new board chair, Sir Mark Jones, was also appointed.
In December an Audit Scotland report deemed the body’s governance “unacceptable” highlighting “procurement issues, data breaches, unclear processes for complimentary tickets to events at its venues, and no formal register of interests for the executive leadership team”.
“It is unacceptable in any workplace for there to be a culture of fear and intimidation. It is crucial in any line of work that employees are able to speak out about their concerns without fear of reprisals.” - Neil Bibby MSP
Patrick Harvie MSP for the Scottish Greens, said the recent revelations had been “deeply disturbing” adding: “It’s horrible to read about the traumatic impact this has had on people working there, as well as on people visiting Scotland’s historic sites who have a right to be welcomed and treated with respect.”
He said it was now important that the Holyrood committee considering the “organisational dysfunction” also consider the human impact. “The new chair [of HES], and the Scottish Government, must acknowledge the toxic culture within the organisation, which has included serious allegations of racism, as well as what is being reported today,” he added. “Those issues clearly go back much further than the recent leadership instability.”
Scottish Labour culture spokesperson Neil Bibby claimed The Ferret’s reporting further underlined “the importance of a full investigation into the culture and management at HES”. “It seems clear that there remains outstanding issues to be resolved, as former members of staff are still living with the consequences,” he added.
He expressed sympathies with staff adding: “It is unacceptable in any workplace for there to be a culture of fear and intimidation. It is crucial in any line of work that employees are able to speak out about their concerns without fear of reprisals.
“Angus Robertson has been asleep at the wheel on this issue, despite having been warned about the problems engulfing HES. It is now high time that he takes responsibility and ensures that no such incidents can ever occur again.”
Alastair Brian
A spokesperson for Historic Environment Scotland said it was unable to comment on individual cases due to “legal and confidentiality reasons”. But they added: “We recognise how distressing difficult workplace experiences can be, and we take any concerns about staff wellbeing and organisational culture extremely seriously.
“HES accepted the findings of the report carried out in 2019 and introduced a series of measures to address these. Since then, work has continued to improve leadership capability, strengthen grievance handling procedures, and enhance support for staff. We also acknowledge the wider concerns raised more recently about governance and culture.”
An external, organisation-wide review is now underway. The spokesperson continued: “This review will ensure that any issues, past or present, are properly examined and that we continue to make improvements where needed. We remain committed to creating a workplace where colleagues feel safe to speak up, confident that concerns will be taken seriously, and supported through clear and fair processes.”
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