Annual Report for 2024-25 published

Today we published our Annual Report and Accounts for 2024-25, reflecting a year of significant delivery alongside a period of organisational challenge. The organisation recently announced the appointment of Stephen Uphill as interim Chief Operating Officer, starting on 15 December.

Highlights from 2024-25

The past financial year saw major progress across HES priorities, including:

• Corporate Plan Launch: In March 2025, HES launched Heritage for All, setting out ambitions for the next three years.
• Retrofit Centre: Secured a £1 million grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council to establish the Retrofit Centre in Stirling, a national hub for traditional building retrofit supporting skills development and climate action.
• Digital Innovation: February saw the launch of trove.scot, a new digital heritage platform bringing millions of records and images together in one accessible space.
• Visitor Growth: Welcomed 4.7 million visitors to staffed sites (up from 4.5 million in 2023-24) and recorded 8.2 million visits to HES websites, demonstrating strong public engagement.
• Membership and Volunteering: Maintained a membership base of 188,000 and supported 474 volunteers, an increase from 334 the previous year.
• Skills and Training: Publication of Scotland’s first Skills Investment Plan and partnership with the Institute of Conservation to develop a Heritage Skills at Risk Register.
• Grants Impact: Invested £12.4 million through grants programmes and £65.9 million in properties in care, supporting communities and conservation across Scotland.
• Economic Contribution: HES generated £935 million for Scotland’s economy from heritage tourism , up from £887 million in 2023-24.
• Commercial Success: Achieved £72.5 million in commercial income, reflecting growth in admissions, retail, and events.
• Lock 16 Announcement: Plans confirmed for Scotland’s Centre of Excellence for Canals and Traditional Skills at Lock 16 in Falkirk, in partnership with Scottish Canals. 

Recent challenges

The Auditor General for Scotland has issued a Section 22 report highlighting weaknesses in governance and financial controls at HES The report also notes that HES operated without an Accountable Officer for an extended period, but the CEO has now returned and resumed her Accountable Officer responsibilities.

HES will work closely with Audit Scotland and the Scottish Government to ensure that  the recommendations in the Section 22 report are implemented. A review into the organisation, efficiency and culture of HES will be undertaken in the New Year, led by an experienced external reviewer. Its purpose is to identify what has gone wrong and set out the actions required to rectify the failings, ensuring that HES can provide full assurance of effectiveness and value for money.

In addition, Stephen Uphill joined HES as interim Chief Operating Officer on 15 December. He will support the Executive Leadership Team, as well as the Chief Executive Officer and work closely with the Board and Scottish Government to ensure that HES continues to deliver its strategic priorities and achieve the highest standards of governance.

Commitment to Progress

Sir Mark Jones, Chair of HES, commented:

“We acknowledge the serious governance issues and cultural problems identified in the Section 22 report, and the impact of recent leadership instability. We are committed to rebuilding trust through strong governance, clear processes, and a culture of accountability.”

About Historic Environment Scotland (HES)