Discover how we’re measuring progress and reporting on delivery of Our Past, Our Future
Monitoring and reporting are essential for the success of our sector-wide strategy. They allow us to track progress, ensure accountability, and make informed decisions based on data and insights. By regularly assessing our efforts, we can identify gaps, address challenges, and continuously improve our approach.
We will be updating these pages regularly to keep everyone informed about progress towards achieving the strategy’s aims.
The national strategy team monitors activity across Scotland's historic environment through research, case studies, quantitative data and qualitative evidence. Progress is assessed against a range of indicators and success criteria developed for each outcome of the strategy.
The Baseline Report (2024) provided an assessment of the state of Scotland's historic environment at the start of strategy delivery and identified the indicators used to measure progress.
In 2026, the evidence base was updated through the Baseline Refresh and Strategic Insights Statements. Together, these provide an updated picture of progress, emerging trends and ongoing challenges across all three priorities of the strategy.
Read the Baseline Refresh (2026)
View the Strategic Insights Statements (2026)
The historic environment generated £6.1bn in 2024 for Scotland’s economy, £2.3bn of which is attributable to heritage tourism
Scotland’s Historic Environment Audit (SHEA) is a holistic assessment of our historic environment, providing statistics on heritage assets and their evolution over time. It brings together research and data into one place, making it easy to understand how the sector contributes to life in Scotland.
The most recent SHEA was published in September 2026.
Strategy progress is updated via an Annual Report which tracks progress and highlights activities and actions which have taken place across all priorities, summarising achievements, progress towards achieving the strategies aims and areas for future focus.
Published in 2026, the Midpoint Report reviews progress during the first three years of strategy delivery. The accompanying Delivery Plan 2026-2028 sets out the collective actions needed during the final two years of the strategy.
Annual Reports provide an update on activity delivery across the strategy’s priorities and outcomes.
Download and read the past Annual Reports
To support delivery of the strategy, the national strategy team commissions and partners on research projects. In 2025, we commissioned, and produced with Make Your Mark and Volunteer Scotland, a report into heritage volunteering in Scotland. The report examines current pressures, highlights volunteers’ dedication and underlines how heritage volunteering strengthens community pride and resilience.
Scotland will achieve net-zero emissions by 2045. Find out how the historic environment will contribute to this target.
Discover how people and communities are at the heart of Scotland's historic environment.
Understand how our historic environment can help current and future generations to live well and our local places to thrive.