Annual Report 2017-18

The third Historic Environment Scotland (HES) Annual Report covers the financial year 2017-18. The document highlights the increasing value of heritage to Scotland’s economy and the significant contribution the organisation is making to a range of other agendas including education, skills and training and community development.

2017-18 was an exceptional year for Historic Environment Scotland. Building on the success of our first full year of operation in 2016-17, we have continued to develop and grown rapidly into our role as the lead public body 

As managers of the 336 Properties in Care, we have seen record-breaking visitor numbers. During 2017-18, an exceptional year for Scotland’s tourist industry, we received more than 5 million visitors (2016-17: 4.3 million) to our 76 paid attractions. 

During the reporting period, HES welcomed over 5 million visitors to its properties in care - an increase of 12% on the previous year; increased membership numbers to over 172,678 and invested £15.4 million through a grants programme helping fund repairs on hundreds of projects, and stimulate regeneration in some of Scotland’s most deprived areas.

Published in tandem with the Annual Report 2017-18 is our Annual Report on the upkeep and management of our Properties in Care (PICs) and Sustainability Report.