Planit : Career Areas : Information, Culture and Heritage

Do you love to learn about how people lived in the past and what it would have been like to live then? Or you might be curious about the reasons why the world is the way it is today, or have a wish to bring the past to life. Alternatively, you might love the. idea of looking after precious old objects or manuscripts, or being surrounded by valuable works of art. If so, then working in information, culture and heritage is the ideal career area for you!

Scotland is rich in heritage and culture and it’s an essential asset for our tourism industry. The organisation Museums Galleries Scotland supports 452 museums and galleries, including 257 accredited museums.²The organisation Historic Environment Scotland maintains over 300 buildings and landmarks in Scotland. ⁷ Likewise National Trust for Scotland maintains over 100 properties and over 300,000 artefacts. ⁸

In 2026, Fast Forward, a new public library strategy has been put in place. This aims to develop how public libraries can use their physical and digital services to ensure a strong future for the library sector. ³

What areas can I work in?

The main areas for this career area are: libraries and information science, archives, libraries and genealogy, culture and heritage, archaeology, heritage work and museums and galleries.

The biggest employers are local authorities and national conservation trusts, but there are many areas within these services that you can work in; these can include education, leisure, marketing, planning, exhibition organisation and tourism.

To see the routes to getting into each of these sectors, take a look at our Career Pathway.

What kind of companies can I work for?

There are a wide range of organisations you can work for including:

local authorities
museums and art galleries
conservation and heritage trusts
private historic houses
libraries and special collections
voluntary and charity trusts
schools, colleges and universities.

What’s the job market like?

Due to the popularity of working within culture and heritage, there is stiff competition for jobs, some of which require high qualifications. So, you will need to be determined, persistent and highly motivated to find the job you want.

Getting voluntary work experience for both archaeology and museum work before applying for a job is very useful. It’s also a good way to make contacts.

The latest Nomis figures for Scotland in December 2025 showed there was 7,300 librarians and related professionals working in Scotland. ¹

There is a lot of competition for jobs in libraries. Public libraries across Scotland have 38 million visits a year across their 461 local venues and 37 mobile units. They also offer a digital online service 24/7. ³

Facts and figures

The latest figures show that in 2024, there were 4,918 people in the UK working in development-led archaeology. 88% of those were British nationals. ⁴
The archaeology sector was valued at £337 million in 2024. Residential development was the largest market sector for archaeological services. ⁴
According to a survey carried out in 2024, there were over 3,400 people working as volunteers in Scotland’s museums and galleries. ⁵
Nine of Scotland’s 20 top tourist attractions and places to visit are museums or galleries. This includes the National Museum of Scotland, which is one of the UK’s top 10 visitor attractions and welcomes over 2.3 million visitors each year. ⁶

Want to find out more?

Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland. Their website has an excellent opportunities section where you will find learning, training and job opportunities for all disciplines in culture across Scotland.