Exclusive: Historic Environment Scotland left Elon Musk’s platform in 2025 without making a public announcement – and admitted it was partly due to some colleagues raising concerns about using it.
Elon Musk
A scandal-hit SNP quango has been blasted after citing “staff wellbeing” as a reason behind it coming off the social media platform X. Formerly known as Twitter, it is still one of the biggest platforms for breaking news and headlines in the world, despite Elon Musk bringing controversy to it since he bought it.
Senior staff at Historic Environment Scotland said that employees had complained to them about still using X and being “uncomfortable” with the fact it was still being used to make announcements and communicate with users. It led the public body to stop posting – but it failed to confirm this publicly.
It is instead mainly using Facebook to post images and updates of work the heritage quango undertakes. It has become one of the most controversial organisations under the control of the Scottish Government amid internal fighting and suspensions, with board members and staff whistleblowing about a “toxic” culture.
Chief executive Katerina Brown was signed off work on health grounds in May after less than a year in the role and was suspended last October. The body’s operations director, Craig Mearns had faced disciplinary measures after making a racist comment about visitors at Edinburgh Castle but was allowed to keep his job.
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A HES senior leader was also sanctioned over claims she danced provocatively by “twerking” at a corporate event at Edinburgh Castle in 2023. The senior manager was said to have made celebrity guests Martin Compston and Penny Lancaster “uncomfortable”.
According to a freedom of information request, sent to the Scottish Daily Express by a reader, the quango secretly plotted to abandon its X account after staff raised concerns. In a document setting out reasons behind the exodus, it wrote: “Over the past 12-18 months the Digital Content Team have been approached by a number of colleagues who are uncomfortable with the idea of the organisation using the platform.
Musk bought the social media site in 2022(Image: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)
“Developments in recent years seem at odds with our ‘Heritage For All’ mission, and remaining on the platform has been interpreted by some as a political act which is out of step with our position as an NDPB. We’ve been assessing our presence on X against the following criteria: Engagement and Reach, Heritage for All (including accessibility), Staff wellbeing.” In the end it left at the start of the 2025/26 financial year.
Scottish Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr told the Scottish Daily Express: “The dysfunction at HES is out of control, and Angus Robertson has been asleep at the wheel while the organisation has become thoroughly chaotic. Public bodies have a responsibility to be transparent with the public. HES receive almost £70million of taxpayers’ money, and so it should communicate via all the major channels used by the public.
“Staff wellbeing is a huge concern at HES, but I suspect the problems stem from the toxic and bullying workplace culture that whistleblowers have highlighted, rather than the quango’s use of X. The Culture Secretary should have taken action long ago to sort out this disgraceful scandal at one of our most important national bodies.”
Scottish Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr(Image: Ken Jack/Getty Images)
A spokeswoman for Historic Environment Scotland (HES) said; “HES reviewed its use of X across 2024 – 25 and found that the platform was no longer an effective or accessible way to reach our audiences. Staff wellbeing was one part of this wider assessment however several factors informed the decision to stop actively posting, including declining engagement, reduced functionality and accessibility, increased moderation challenges, and the need to focus resource where it delivers most impact.
“We have not closed our X accounts – we continue to hold the handles for security, social listening and potential use in a crisis, should that be required. Our priority is communicating in the most effective and responsible way for the public, our stakeholders, visitors, and our staff, using the channels that best support that.”
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