Assessing the Public Value of Heritage Sites Survey Results

Admission prices and monetary amounts don’t capture the full public value of Historic Environment Scotland’s properties and collections. Nor does annual footfall capture the intrinsic value that heritage brings to individuals, local communities, or wider society. Indeed, those that pay to maintain heritage through taxes may not visit the sites at all, but may still feel they derive some benefit from the contributions they make.

We worked with the University of St Andrews to estimate public willingness-to-pay (WTP) tax to maintain the broad benefits of heritage assets, including the aesthetic and symbolic value of the sites and the value of passing on sustainable assets to future generations

Nearly 2,000 Scottish residents were surveyed in two cycles. A pilot set of six sites was tested in 2015 (this publication), with a further six sites and collections added in 2016. The assets we tested spanned pre-historic to modern, castles to standing stones, physical heritage to databases of heritage records. The results of the two studies, along with other evidence, are used to support our case to receive public funding, and to inform decisions about priorities for investment within our estate.