Mavisbank House failed to win the contest

The BBC programme Restoration profiled a host of architectural treasures in decline and asked the public to vote on which one should be saved.

Mavisbank House in Edinburgh and Kinloch Castle on the Isle of Rhum were among the finalists but the winner was the Victoria Baths in Manchester.

Culture Minister Frank McAveety said it was a disgrace that the buildings featured had fallen into such disrepair.

We should really be dealing with these things hard and we shouldn't be witnessing cases as has all too frequently happened of people overtly vandalising and destroying our heritage Neil Baxter Architect

However, he said he hoped the programme would encourage more public involvement in the regeneration of Scotland's architectural treasures.

He said: "Really what we want to do is maybe build on the momentum from Restoration.

"There's a tremendous programme in terms of engaging with the public.

"Maybe if the public are engaged more in the built architecture perhaps they will be protected much more in the future."

Glasgow architect Neil Baxter said an abundance of bureaucracy and lack of power had hampered the organisations responsible for looking after Scotland's architectural treasures.

He said: "We should really be dealing with these things hard and we shouldn't be witnessing cases as has all too frequently happened of people overtly vandalising and destroying our heritage."

Restoration finalists In pictures

The minister said the Scottish Executive was involved in consultations about the future management of important architecture and the role of bodies like Historic Scotland.

He said: "We are committed to a review of the role of Historic Scotland in terms of the way in which it processes issues and that will be a very wide consultation.

"People like Neil and others who have strong views on that will be able to submit those views and I think what we really need to do is maybe find ways in which partners can work more effectively so that we get the outcome that we were aiming for last night."

"What we do want to do is reduce any red tape that is there but I think what we need to do through this consultation process is get a very clear picture of what people want."