Our performance

We monitor our performance through reports provided by our management units and projects. These are structured around our Corporate Plan 2022-2026 - A nature-rich future for all with detail reflecting the business plan that we use to plan our work.

Quarterly performance reports

Every three months, the outcome manager evaluates the information received and reports to our Senior Leadership Team on progress and risks to delivery of our corporate and business plans.

The quarterly performance reports also include our current financial position, so that progress can be reviewed alongside spending. Corrective steps such as managing the budget may then be taken to ensure we stay on course to meet our outcomes and targets.

Quarterly information is also reported to our Board.

Annual report and accounts

Each year, we produce an annual report and accounts, which reports on our successes and performance over the previous year. Its main purpose is to give the Scottish Government an overview of our key areas of work. The report is made publicly available with the consent of the Scottish Government.

The report includes:

• an introduction to the report by the Chairman and Chief Executive
• a performance summary of our corporate priorities
• details of our performance towards the National Performance Indicators set by the Scottish Government
• details of performance delivered through our four outcomes
• financial, environmental and social summaries
• our annual accounts including Senior Leadership Team and Board member information

The annual accounts are prepared in compliance with the Accounts Direction issued by Scottish Ministers under section 10(3) of the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991. They are audited by Audit Scotland.

Our annual accounts provide:

• a breakdown of income and expenditure
• our balance sheet at the end of the financial year
• our cash flow statement
• the salaries of our Management Team and the level of remuneration awarded to Board members

See all of our Annual Reports and Accounts

• NatureScot Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22
• NatureScot Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21
• NatureScot Annual Report and Accounts 2019-20
• NatureScot Annual Report and Accounts 2018-19
• Archived NatureScot Annual Report and Accounts 1992-2018

Report and Accounts 2021/22

Our annual report and accounts 2021-22 are now published.

Scotland's nature and landscapes are some of our most valued assets.  As Scotland's nature agency we work to improve our natural environment and inspire everyone to care more about it so that all nature in Scotland - our key habitats and landscapes, all our green space and our native species - is maintained, enhanced and brings us benefits. 

We work with other public sector bodies, businesses, and volunteers to accomplish these aims and during 2021/22 made good progress towards achieving the outcomes of our 2018-22 Corporate Plan and our vision for a nature-rich future for Scotland. 

Here are a few of our key achievements this year:

• Targeted £29.8m of funding under the Agri-Environment & Climate Scheme and the Increasing Public Access Schemes. These schemes promote land management practices which protect and enhance nature and biodiversity and to support new and upgraded paths for public use.
• Our Nature Restoration Fund delivered over £4.5m and 58 projects to restore wildlife and habitats on land and sea across Scotland.
• We have successfully invested £2.6m to restore up to 4,000 ha of peatland through our Peatland ACTION programme to improve the condition of bogs across Scotland to tackle climate change.
• The ERDF Green Infrastructure Fund (GIF) provided £5.5m support to 4 major projects which opened to the public in 2021/22. GIF funding enabled an overall investment of £17.5m in these projects to improve the quality, quantity and accessibility of well-managed green infrastructure in some of Scotland’s most deprived areas.

Search our information library for other annual reports from previous years.

You may also wish to search for annual climate change duties reports, which we’ve published since 1999. These report on progress in improving our carbon and environmental management performance.