Metal detecting in Scotland: Treasure Trove and reporting everything

Scotland does not use the Treasure Act. It has its own system, rooted in Scottish common law, and it is simpler and stricter at once. The rule is one line long: report your archaeological finds.

The rest of this guide explains what that means in a field.

Who owns what you find

In law, nobody. The Treasure Trove Scotland Code of Practice says finds “do not belong to you as the finder or to the owner of the land where they are found.” They are ownerless property, bona vacantia, and the Crown can choose to claim them.

The Crown doesn’t make money from this. Claimed finds go to museums, and finders are normally offered a Finder Reward linked to market value.

The office that acts for the Crown is the King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer (KLTR). The work is done by the Treasure Trove Unit (TTU), a team of archaeologists and finds specialists at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

What you must report

The Code says finders “have a legal duty to report all archaeological finds.” Gold and silver, yes. But also base-metal objects, single coins, pottery, glass, worked stone and textiles, from prehistory to the modern era. Claimed finds will usually be over 100 years old.

Treasure Trove Scotland’s own finders page puts it best: report “Everything! Well, most things.”

What you can leave out

• Modern, mass-produced items. The finders page lists modern ceramics, glass, modern coins and “bits of tractor”.
• Natural material. Fossils, natural stones and animal remains that people haven’t modified.
• Human remains. Not a TTU matter. Stop and contact Police Scotland with an accurate findspot.

If you’re unsure, report it. Failing to report on purpose, or trying to sell finds, leaves you open to legal action and a possible theft report to the police.

The four-week rule

The Code asks you to report finds within a reasonable timeframe, “usually expected to be within four weeks of initial recovery.” You can keep finds in your care while they’re being assessed, as long as they are reported. Keep them safe and don’t let others handle them.

A hoard changes everything. If you find two or more objects that look deliberately buried together, or what might be a grave:

1. Stop digging. Leave the finds in the ground and cover them over.
2. Record the findspot.
3. Contact the TTU or your local authority archaeologist straight away.
4. Tell the landowner.
5. Keep quiet. Don’t post anything on social media until the find is assessed and secured.

How to report

There are four routes: the TTU’s online form, an emailed form to [email protected], post (but don’t post finds without asking first), or in person at the museum, a Finds Day, a participating museum or your local authority archaeologist.

Each report needs:

• A findspot for every find. Ideally a 10-figure grid reference from a GPS, such as NJ 12345 67890. The Code says What3Words is accurate enough too.
• Photos and measurements. Clear images with a metric scale, sizes in millimetres and weights in grams if you have small scales.
• Your contact details. Finders under 16 need a parent or guardian’s consent.

Don’t clean finds. The finders page asks you not to.

Claimed or disclaimed

The TTU records each find and assesses its significance. Not its money value. The Code lists the criteria: rare or unusual types, finds that develop existing knowledge, especially high-quality examples, or a findspot or group that tells us something new.

Disclaimed. If finds don’t meet the criteria, you get a certificate saying the Crown won’t claim them, and the finds come back. They’re yours to keep. Pass the certificate on with them if you sell or give them away.

Claimed. The case goes to the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel (SAFAP), which meets three times a year. Museums apply, SAFAP recommends where the find should go and what reward to pay, and the KLTR decides.

Finder Rewards

The reward is linked to market value, estimated by the TTU from comparable sales and reviewed by SAFAP. Retail prices aren’t accepted as evidence. You can send your own market examples before the meeting, and you should: the Code says there is no appeal against the reward level.

Rewards can be cut or withheld for breaking the Code. Examples it gives include detecting on scheduled monuments and not getting the land manager’s permission.

The big difference from England: landowners get nothing by right. The Code says they “are not entitled to a percentage of Finder Rewards other than by private agreement.” It also says a land manager may reasonably ask you to agree a share in advance. Get it in writing, signed and dated. Our finds agreement template has a Scottish version of the reward clause.

Where you can detect

Permission. Most land in Scotland is owned, and you are expected to have the land manager’s permission. Access rights under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code are about passing over land responsibly. Forestry and Land Scotland says the Code was designed for people to pass over land, “rather than to permit invasive searches”.

Scheduled monuments. It is a criminal offence to use a detector on one without written consent from Historic Environment Scotland. The protected area is often much bigger than what you can see above ground. Check on PastMap or trove.scot. HES warns of fines of £50,000 or more and prison.

Forestry and Land Scotland. No hobby detecting on the national forests and land at all. Only agreed archaeological projects.

Canals. Most of Scotland’s canal network is a scheduled monument, so you need consent.

Beaches. Crown Estate Scotland manages around half of Scotland’s foreshore and doesn’t require permission to detect on it. The rest is privately or publicly owned, and you’ll need the owner’s permission. See our UK beaches guide.

Wreck. Anything from a ship, aircraft or cargo goes to the Receiver of Wreck. GOV.UK says within 28 days.

Leaving Scotland with finds

You can’t take finds south of the border to report them through the English or Welsh system. The Code says to hand them to the TTU or an intermediary before you leave. To take finds out of the UK you may need an export licence, and for Scottish finds that needs a disclaim certificate from the TTU first.

For the system in the rest of the UK, see what counts as Treasure and metal detecting in Northern Ireland.

FAQ

Do I have to report everything I find metal detecting in Scotland?

Almost. The Treasure Trove Scotland Code of Practice says finders have a legal duty to report all archaeological finds. You don't need to report modern, mass-produced items such as modern coins, or fossils, natural stones and animal remains that weren't modified by people. If in doubt, report it.

How long do I have to report a find in Scotland?

The Code asks for reports within a reasonable timeframe, usually expected to be within four weeks of initial recovery. Hoards and suspected graves are different: stop, leave them in the ground, cover them and contact the Treasure Trove Unit or your local authority archaeologist immediately.

Can I metal detect anywhere under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code?

No. Access rights let you cross land responsibly, and Forestry and Land Scotland says the Code was designed for people to pass over land, not to permit invasive searches. You need the landowner's permission to detect. Detecting on a scheduled monument is a criminal offence.

Can I keep what I find in Scotland?

Often, yes. Finds the Crown doesn't claim are disclaimed: you get a certificate and the finds back, and it's then up to you what to do with them. Keep the certificate with the finds. Claimed finds go to a museum and you are normally offered a Finder Reward.

Does the landowner get half the reward in Scotland?

No. Unlike England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Scottish landowners have no right to a share of a Finder Reward. Many ask for a share anyway, and the Code says that is a reasonable request. Put any split in a signed, dated written agreement.

Sources

Every figure in this guide comes from one of these. We checked each one on 1 November 2026.

1. Treasure Trove Scotland, Code of Practice (published 25 March 2026). treasuretrovescotland.co.uk/sites/default/assets/File/Final_Code_of_Practice_2026_full_master.pdf
2. Treasure Trove Scotland, “Information for finders”. treasuretrovescotland.co.uk/information/information-for-finders/
3. Historic Environment Scotland and SPARC, Metal Detecting in Scotland (guidance leaflet). app-hes-pubs-prod-neu-01.azurewebsites.net/api/file/42c610fb-aed8-46d0-9caa-b1e300a05508
4. Historic Environment Scotland, “Looking after scheduled monuments”. www.historicenvironment.scot/protect-and-care/owning-managing-and-visiting/working-at-and-managing-scheduled-monuments/looking-after-scheduled-monuments/
5. Crown Estate Scotland, “Metal detecting”. www.crownestatescotland.com/scotlands-property/coastal/metal-detecting
6. Forestry and Land Scotland, Metal Detecting on Scotland’s Forests and Land (2020). forestryandland.gov.scot/media/zfuh2xv3/metal-detecting-on-scotlands-forests-and-land.pdf
7. Scottish Outdoor Access Code, Part 2: Access Rights. www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot/sites/default/files/2018-09/Scottish%20Outdoor%20Access%20Code%20-%20Part%202%20Access%20Rights.pdf
8. GOV.UK, “Wreck and salvage law” (Receiver of Wreck, 28-day reporting). www.gov.uk/guidance/wreck-and-salvage-law