Historic Scotland was the authorized agency involved in listing Category A buildingsof "special architectural or historic interest"in Scotland, which comprise8% ofthe approximately 47,000 listed buildings.
Historic Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Alba Aosmhor) was an executive agency of the Scottish Office and later the Scottish Government from 1991 to 2015, responsible for safeguarding Scotland's built heritage, and promoting its understanding and enjoyment. The authority for listing rests with Historic Environment Scotland (formerly Historic Scotland), an executive agency of the Scottish Government, which inherited this role from the Scottish Development Department in 1991. Category A: "Buildings of special architectural or historic interest which are outstanding examples of a particular period, style or building type." There are about 47,400 listed buildings in Scotland. Of these, around 8 percent (some 3,800) are Category A, and 50 percent are Category B, with the rest listed at Category C. 
