Recommendation 1

Scotland benefits from having a distinctive brand identity which is an advantage on the international stage. For many, “traditional” attributes of the Scottish brand such as tartan, golf and its history are still resonant. These remain important hooks for creating interest in or drawing international visitors to Scotland. However, the challenge today is to ensure that Scotland’s current international profile reflects modern Scotland and its strengths—for example, its scientific research, or space and renewable energy sectors, in which it is world leading. We heard that traditional Scottish celebration dates such as Burns Night and St Andrew’s Day are obvious starting points to profile Scotland’s strengths which could be employed more consistently across the UK’s global network.