Residents fear the remains of a 1,000-year-old castle in Scotland will be destroyed to make way for a data center.

Hallyards Castle, near the village of Auchtertool in Fife, sits on land that was been earmarked for the 600MW Cato data center.

According to The Herald, heritage body Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has declined to designate the castle as a protected monument because the planning process for the data center is already underway, meaning the walls of the castle could be removed.

HES said: “In such circumstances, we normally avoid intervening in the planning process or other regulatory processes by adding a new designation.”

Liam Stewart, who applied for listed status for the castle, told The Herald: “The community is deeply disappointed by Historic Environment Scotland’s decision.

“We are constantly being told by the Scottish Government that these hyperscale data centers should only go ahead with the consent of communities.

“Well, I would like to tell the Scottish Government that this community does not consent.”

The castle was apparently inhabited during the reign of King Malcolm Canmore some 1,000 years ago.

ILI Group submitted plans for the Cato data center in June. The 25-hectare development would see around £5 billion ($6.71bn) invested and would be delivered in phases over several years. Site plans suggest up to seven buildings and an on-site substation.

The company announced plans to develop data centers in Scotland late last year, naming them after the Stoic philosophers. At full build-out, ILI said the Stoics would total 1.5GW. The company is also targeting East Ayrshire (Rufus, 540MW) and North Lanarkshire (Aurelius, 400MW).

To what extent the castle ruins will be incorporated into the development remains to be seen. An ILI Group spokesperson said the company would follow recommendations from Fife Council heritage officers.

The spokesperson said: “We recognize the importance of Hallyards to local people and our intention is to ensure its history and heritage are carefully recorded and reflected as part of the proposals for the site.

“Before any construction, the site would be fully excavated and recorded by qualified archaeologists, with the findings published. The remaining stonework would then be carefully dismantled, with material reused elsewhere on the site in a publicly accessible setting, alongside interpretation of its history, meaning that Hallyards would be properly understood and presented for the first time in generations.

“This approach reflects advice from Fife Council’s heritage officers that the stonework should be meaningfully incorporated into the site. We would welcome the opportunity to continue working with the council and HES as the proposals progress.

“The full environmental impact assessment will set out these proposals in further detail.”

Communities in Scotland have voiced concerns about new data centers in recent months, with a wave of hyperscale facilities proposed across the country. Last month, the Scottish Parliament voted for a de facto, temporary moratorium on new developments until clear rules for data center building projects have been developed.