Councils must ensure there is at least one suitable burial ground within their area if no other provision exists.

Councils are required to identify and maintain spatial datasets they hold which fall under the remit of the wider EU INSPIRE Directive with the aim of improving environmental policy-making and public access to that data.

Councils must look after the designated monuments within their ownership, including preservation of the building’s character and prevention of its deterioration.

Archaeological finds recovered in Scotland are a category of ownerless property and can be claimed by the Crown on behalf of the public.

Councils must look after any monument they have agreed to take into guardianship.

Councils are responsible for checking whether proposed developments could affect any important archaeological sites.

The council keeps a Historic Environment Record (HER), which contains information about known archaeological sites, historic buildings, finds, and landscapes in the area.

Local authorities are required to prepare a Local Development Plan (LDP) for their area at least once every 10 years.