Creative industries
Scotland’s creative industries employ nearly 80,000 people, adding £3.7 billion to the Scottish economy each year. We’ve been expanding our training facilities to ensure the necessary skilled talent is available to join the industry every year.
£4.4 billion Value
Creative industries are worth £4.4 billion to the Scottish economy
77,000 employees
Workforce of 77,000 employed in the creative industries sector in Scotland
91% engaged in culture
91% of the Scottish population engage in cultural activity
Source: Scottish Economic Statistics, Scottish Enterprise April 2019
Creative industries snapshot
Scotland has great strength in games and software development, digital technology and film and TV.
Our digital cluster is growing with world-class companies in all areas of digital technology, from international leaders in games development and new media platforms to national broadcasters and some of the most creative digital agencies in the UK.
Scottish universities are producing high-calibre graduates educated in the latest technologies and specialising in areas where there's specific demand in the industry.
Our costs for staff and property, are significantly lower than London, New York or Los Angeles.
A supportive tech community
Our breathtaking landscape with mountains, coastline, ancient forests and unique light conditions have always made Scotland an ideal filming location.
You’ll see Scotland’s landscape used in classic films like Local Hero, The Thirty Nine Steps and in more recent international blockbusters, such as Skyfall and World War Z. Epic TV productions such as Outlander are filmed on location in Scotland too.
We also have generous tax rebates for UK productions and experienced, award-winning producers, directors, cast and crew.
We have a dynamic cluster of over a hundred games companies, responsible for games, such as Grand Theft Auto 5, Lemmings, APB Reloaded and Bloons.
Scotland's educational establishments offer courses covering all elements of games development ensuring a steady stream of new talent. Developer costs are 40% lower than London and operating costs are 30% lower than elsewhere in the UK.
The convergence of sectors, like digital media and augmented reality, means opportunities are growing fast.
Scottish companies are producing apps across multiple sectors and devices. Scotland also has a flourishing start-up community, with successful homegrown unicorn companies such as Skyscanner.
"The tech scene in Scotland is one where fellow companies will eagerly share learnings and their experience, and I love the approach of ‘the more start-ups, the better."
Gareth Williams, co-founder of Skyscanner
Right place, right people
For any tech company to stay ahead of the pack, it has to find, recruit, and retain the very best graduates.
"We find Scotland’s universities to be a brilliant source of talent. As a city, Edinburgh is a very desirable place to live - it is compact, with so much green space and a continuous schedule of events, festivals and more. Plus there is a growing community of many fellow software engineers."
Gareth Williams, co-founder of Skyscanner
Tax relief for creative companies
There are some tax-relief options for creative companies in Scotland, including:
- High-End Television Tax Relief (HTR) - a 25% rebate for scripted television projects with a minimum core expenditure of £1 million per broadcast hour.
- Film tax relief (FTR) - your company can claim FTR on a film if it is intended for theatrical release and at least 10% of the production costs will be spent in the UK. All projects will need to pass a cultural test set by the British Film Institute.
We’ll help you find your skilled workforce
We will connect you to the talent, creativity and companies you need to grow and prosper. With the support of Scottish Enterprise, Scotland's national economic development agency, we can help you establish your company quickly and smoothly overcome any obstacles.
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Financial and tax incentives
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Our people and skills
Access an exceptionally well educated, skilled and talented workforce.
If you have any questions or want to talk with one of our advisers, we're always ready to help.