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Historic Environment Scotland 鈥� whose function to date has largely been confined to protecting standing stones, cairns and castles 鈥� is proposing to add to its roster the Livingston Skatepark near Edinburgh, signalling an interest in heritage of an altogether newer kind.

Designed by local architect Ian Urquhart,听, as it is known, put the small Scottish town on the skateboarding map, when it opened in 1981. Visits from luminaries including American superstar听听and the听听have nurtured a still-vibrant local skate scene.

奥丑别苍听听were introduced in 1973, they ushered in what historians term skateboarding鈥檚 鈥渟econd wave鈥�. Skaters in California began to emulate surfing moves in sloped听,听听补苍诲听. The first skateparks appeared shortly thereafter, with hundreds following across the US, the UK and beyond.

The Livi was one of the last to built before the sport鈥檚 booming popularity waned in the early 1980s. Our听听notes that most have since been bulldozed, infilled or just forgotten about. Here are seven originals that demonstrate the immense wider cultural, architectural and historical value these rare structures wield.

1. The Rom, London, UK

Built in 1978 in Hornchurch, on the outskirts of London, this is the world鈥檚 largest remaining original skatepark. Local skaters restored it after a听听in 2018, but the structure remains at risk.

Its centrepiece is a smooth white bowl based on the fabled keyhole pool at听, California and the听. Other features include a听, a massive 鈥減erformance鈥� bowl, a four-part 鈥渃loverleaf鈥� bowl, a slalom/downhill run, a sinuous 鈥渟nake run鈥�, moguls (concrete versions of the eponymous ski feature) and a large open reservoir, inspired by the empty water-storage structures favoured by skaters in the early days.

Outside of the US, the UK was the biggest hotspot for skatepark building in the 1970s and now has the highest density of relics, including big parks in Harrow, Southsea and Stevenage.

2. The Kennington Bowl, London, UK

This modest 1978 bowl, tucked away in the corner of a south London park, is a rare extant example of an above-ground construction. Prefabricated concrete parts were ordered from the Radical Banking catalogue, craned on to a flat surface and bolted together.

Developed by the UK-based Great Outdoors Company, this modular system was an innovative response to rampant demand from local councils to build skateparks, during the short-lived 1970s boom.

The Kenny is currently听, its metal feet 鈥� designed to level out the structure over time 鈥� having long since seized up.

3. The Bro Bowl, Tampa, US

This small, shallow concrete bowl听. In 2013, local skaters campaigned for it to be added to the US National Register of Historic Places 鈥� a world first. That recognition did not mean protection, however. The following year, the site was redeveloped 鈥� but not before its precise curves and humps were scanned.

罢丑别听听nearby, in 2016, to mixed reactions. The fact that it lives on, though, is testament to the power of the skateboard community. 罢丑别听听campaign to save the Undercroft, much favoured by skateboarders at the South Bank Centre in central London, is another notable example.

4. Pista de Skate do Marinha, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Built on the banks of the Gua铆ba lake in 1978, this long concrete half pipe gradually deepens into a large bowl and is well suited to the early surf-inspired skating, as emulated by the legendary Zephyr Team. AKA the听听of Santa Monica, these skaters brought crouched, flowing moves to waves of concrete and asphalt.

Skateboarding has long been popular across Latin America (check the mind-blowing street moves of Argentinian pro skater听). Notable other survivors across the region include the听, near Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, the听听in Santiago de Chile, and Pista du Ga煤cho in Cuba.

5. The Snake Run, Albany, Australia

Pupils at the local high school in Albany, western Australia, campaigned for听听to be built. When it opened, in February 1976, US pro Russ Howell famously rode down it doing a handstand on his board.

Howell then visited again for the park鈥檚 40th anniversary, as documented in the 2016 film听. That same year, the park was added to the Heritage Council of Western Australia State Register of Historic Places.

Modern skateparks tend not to feature these sinuous free-form snake runs, so popular in the 1970s. Other notable examples include the听, Canada, and the Netherlands鈥櫶�.

6. Automobilen Skatepark, Falkenberg, Sweden

Tucked away by a rural junkyard is a unique pretzel-shaped concrete creation that is quite possibly听.

Renowned US pro rider听听鈥� the godfather of skateboarding 鈥� is thought to have visited it while touring Europe the year it was built, in 1978. This makes it a must for any determined skate tourist wishing to connect with the early years of the sport.

The intervening decades have seen the privately built park听; it now lies flooded for much of the year. An application to have it heritage listed in 2010 was rejected on the grounds that it was too decayed.