Why we’re building data.gov.scot
What we want to improve and how the service supports better access to data.
Research carried out during discovery in 2024 showed that people found it difficult to discover, access and reuse data in Scotland.
Data was often spread across different websites, formats and tools.
In 2025 during alpha, we tested new ways to improve how people find data and how publishers manage it.
data.gov.scot builds on this work. It brings data together into one service and improves how it’s published, managed and accessed.
Digital blog series
Learn more about the development of data.gov.scot in our digital blog series:
23 January 2025: Statistics.gov.scot Improvement Project: Discovery - learn about the discovery phase, user research findings, and the opportunities identified to improve how people find, access and use open data in Scotland.
2 December 2025: Shaping the Future of Statistics.gov.scot: From Discovery to Alpha - explore how prototypes were developed and tested with users to shape the future service and identify priorities for a modern open data platform.
3 June 2026: What is data.gov.scot and why are we doing it? - discover the vision for Scotland's new open data platform and how it will replace statistics.gov.scot
7 July 2026: Getting ready for beta: inside data.gov.scot - take a closer look at the new service, including its platform architecture, publishing tools, data preview features and APIs.
19 August 2026: data.gov.scot public beta launches on 25 August - find out what the public beta launch means for data users and publishers, and how you can help shape the future of the service.
What we’re improving
We’re making the service clear, accessible and reliable by improving how users:
find data – by making it easier to search across organisations and topics
understand data – by providing clearer information about datasets
access data – by supporting common formats and downloads
manage data – by making it easier for publishers to publish and update data
reuse data – by helping users understand how they can use and share data
Our vision, mission and outcomes
We have developed a vision (our long-term goal) and a mission (how we’ll achieve it). These are supported by a set of outcomes that describe the improvements we want the service to deliver.
Our vision
To be the trusted home for public sector data about Scotland.
data.gov.scot makes data easy to discover, understand, access and use – by anyone, anywhere.
Our mission
To bring together Scotland’s official, spatial and Earth observation data in one trusted service.
We’ll make Scotland's public sector data easier to discover, deliver greater value for users and lead on data best practice. Through continuous improvement we’ll meet evolving user needs.
Outcomes
We’re building the service so people can find, understand and use the data they need.
Users will be able to discover data quickly, understand what it means and download it in a format that works for them.
They should feel supported when using the service and be able to give feedback.
The service will be:
clear about its purpose
trusted by users
accessible and reliable
improved over time as needs change
Data publishers will be able to add and update data easily. They’ll be supported to manage their data and share feedback to improve the service.