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Scotland – Culture and Devolution

Culture Devolution:

UK Parliament  passed the Scotland Act 1998 to establish the Scottish Parliament, which opened in 1999. There have been a number of changes and additions to Scottish Parliament’s powers since then, including through the Scotland Act 2016 and Scotland Act 2012, which both devolved significant further powers with cross-party agreement.

The Scottish Parliament has power to make laws on a range of devolved matters, including culture. This includes Creative Scotland, the national gallery, library and museum collections and national performing companies.

Autumn 2024 Budget:

TheScottish Government is receiving £47.7 billion in 2025-26. This includes an additional £3.4 billion through the operation of the Barnett formula, with £2.8 billion resource and £610 million capital; £130 million targeted funding, with £10 million resource and £120 million capital, including for City and Growth Deals.

All devolved governments receive over 20% more funding per person than equivalent UK Government funding in the rest of the UK.

It is for the devolved governments to allocate their Barnett-based funding as they see fit in devolved areas, and additional funding will enable further investment in areas such as schools, housing, health and social care, and transport.

Culture Strategy:

A Cultural Strategy for Scotland was published in 2020, with an Action Plan updating and detailing how the strategy’s ambitions will be delivered following in 2023. The culture strategy has three ambitions:

  • Strengthening Culture: Sustaining and nurturing culture to flourish and to evolve as a diverse, positive force in society, across all of Scotland
  • Transforming through culture: Demonstrating that culture is central to Scotland’s wellbeing and cultural, social, economic and environmental prosperity.
  • Empowering through culture: Celebrating culture as part of every community; essential to our lives and wellbeing.

Inspiring Connections: Scotland’s International Culture Strategy, published in 2024, has the vision for the Scottish culture and creative sector to be globally connected and contribute to Scotland’s cultural, social, economic and environmental wellbeing through its international work. It has the following outcomes:

  • An innovative, more sustainable and economically stronger culture and creative sector.
  • An internationally connected and diverse culture and creative sector that contributes positively to people and communities.
  • An enhanced international reputation for culture and creativity including Scotland’s response to global challenges.

Current Culture Projects:

  • The Scottish Government’s Grant In Aid budget for Creative Scotland for 2024/25 will be just over £68m. Government’s aim is to increase arts and culture investment in 2025-26 by at least a further £25 million – and to invest at least £100 million more in arts and culture by 2028-29.
  • A review of Creative Scotland to ensure its operations and structure are optimal to the needs of the culture sector, is part of this year’s Programme for Government.
  • Cultarlann Inbhir Nis, a new centre to promote Gaelic language and culture in Inverness, is to receive £370,000 to develop a space for Gaelic gatherings, ceilidhs and exhibitions in the centre of the city.
  • Islay’s Gaelic Centre will receive £150,000 for a virtual experience which will pull viewers into another world as they learn about the island’s history, heritage and geography.
  • The Scottish Government has written to Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) to announce its support for their proposal to host the event in 2026.
  • The Flow Country in Caithness and Sutherland has been granted World Heritage Site Status by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee. It joins Scotland’s six existing WHS.
  • Scottish Government has accepted the recommendations of the independent group advising on how Scotland’s museums and galleries can better reflect the country’s role in empire, colonialism, and historic slavery.
  • The Scottish Government will provide £500,000 to Museums Galleries Scotland to enable organisations across the country to reduce their running costs and increase resilience.
  • Scotland’s flagship Youth Music Initiative has £9.5 million funding confirmed in 2023
  • Fourteen major festivals in Edinburgh and Glasgow will receive a share of £1.8 million Expo Fund in 2023.

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