Heritage organisations step up role in tackling Scotland's biggest challenges

Scotland's historic environment is making an increasingly important contribution to national priorities including climate action, community resilience, skills development and wellbeing, according to new reports published today.

Published by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) on behalf of the sector, the latest Our Past, Our Future (OPOF) reporting package includes the Midpoint Report, Baseline Refresh, Strategic Insights Report and Delivery Plan 2026-2028. Together, the publications assess progress since Scotland's national strategy for the historic environment launched in 2023, provide new evidence of the sector's contribution to national priorities, and set out priorities for the final two years of delivery.

The reports highlight growing collaboration between heritage organisations and partners in housing, climate action, regeneration, skills and community development. They also demonstrate that Scotland’s historic environment is not only a cultural asset, there’s increasing recognition of the role it can play in supporting wider national outcomes from climate resilience and wellbeing to regeneration, place-making and economic development.

The Strategic Insights Report translates evidence gathered through the OPOF reporting programme into practical insights that can support decision-making, investment and advocacy.

• It highlights growing community stewardship of historic assets, with community ownership increasing from 84 assets in 2000 to 853 assets in 2024.

• It recognises the significant role of volunteers, with 91% of heritage volunteers surveyed in 2025 reporting improved wellbeing.

• It also demonstrates the sector's growing ability to attract investment, with every £1 invested through HES grants now generating £5.94 of additional funding from other sources.

• Meanwhile, 97% of HES grant applications now reference climate change, reflecting the increasing integration of climate action across the sector.

These findings illustrate the value of building a stronger evidence base across the historic environment sector; enabling organisations, funders and policymakers to better understand impact, identify emerging challenges, and make informed decisions for the future.

Examples highlighted include heritage-led regeneration projects helping transform town centres, community organisations taking ownership of historic buildings, climate adaptation initiatives protecting vulnerable places, programmes developing the skills needed to repair, retrofit and reuse Scotland's traditional buildings, and heritage activities that are improving wellbeing, supporting volunteering and helping people feel more connected to their communities.

The reports conclude that the greatest opportunity for the next phase of delivery lies in strengthening partnerships across the sector to harness the valuable opportunity, and to build closer links and infrastructure across housing, planning, climate action, economic development, health and community development. Continuing the delivery of the national strategy will help ensure the historic environment can make an even greater contribution to Scotland's future ambitions.

Culture Secretary Màiri McAllan said:

“I welcome the publication of the Midpoint Report for Our Past, Our Future: The National Strategy for Scotland's Historic Environment. Three years on, this is a valuable opportunity to reflect on the progress made and refocus on the actions needed to maximise the strategy's impact through to 2028.

"The progress highlighted in this report shows what can be achieved through strong partnership working across the sector.

“As we look ahead, we must build on that momentum by strengthening collaboration, empowering communities, and ensuring that Scotland's historic environment continues to deliver lasting benefits for people and places across the country, now and for future generations.”

Stephen Uphill, Chief Executive of Historic Environment Scotland, said:

"The first half of Our Past, Our Future has shown that heritage is much more than looking after historic places.

"Across Scotland, heritage is helping support climate action, regeneration, community empowerment, skills development and wellbeing. Some of the strongest progress we've seen has come where organisations have worked together around shared goals.

“The evidence shows the historic environment can make a meaningful contribution to Scotland's national ambitions.

"The next phase of the strategy is about building on that momentum, strengthening partnerships across sectors and ensuring the historic environment plays an even greater role in delivering Scotland's future ambitions."

The Our Past, Our Future Midpoint Report, Baseline Refresh, Strategic Insights Report and Delivery Plan 2026-2028 are available from the Our Past, Our Future website.

Download the reports

We're the lead body for Scotland’s historic environment, a charity dedicated to the advancement of heritage, culture, education and environmental protection. We are at the forefront of researching and understanding the historic environment and addressing the impacts of climate change on its future. Across Scotland, we investigate and record architectural and archaeological sites and landscapes and care for more than 300 properties of national importance. HES is also working with sector partners to deliver Scotland's strategy for the historic environment, Our Past, Our Future.

Historic Scotland, trove.scot, The National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP), The Engine Shed, Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle and Stòr are sub-brands of HES.

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