John Swinney's SNP Government is planning to expand its Scotland House international network to more than 40 locations as part of a major shake-up of Scotland's overseas presence.
The commitment is contained in the Scottish Government's new Programme for Government for 2026 to 2031, which says ministers will bring together existing Scottish Government and Scottish Development International offices into a single, expanded Scotland House network.
The move has prompted criticism from the Conservatives, who have accused the SNP of prioritising an international network while simultaneously promising reform and savings across Scotland's domestic public sector.
Scotland House network to exceed 40 locations
The Programme for Government states that, in order to secure the right international coverage and relationships, the Scottish Government will combine its own offices with those operated by Scottish Development International and expand the resulting Scotland House network to more than 40 locations.
The proposal forms part of the SNP Government's wider economic strategy, with ministers arguing that a stronger international presence can attract inward investment, support exports and strengthen Scotland's relationships overseas.
However, the announcement does not mean that more than 30 entirely new overseas offices are being created from scratch.
The Scottish Government currently operates nine international offices, while Scottish Development International already maintains a much wider global network. The policy is therefore partly a consolidation and rebranding of existing operations, although the commitment to more than 40 locations also implies some expansion.
Existing government network costs more than £7m
Official Scottish Government figures show that the nine existing international offices had combined budgets of approximately £7.16 million for 2025-26.
The offices are located in Brussels, Washington DC, Beijing, Dublin, London, Ottawa, Paris, Berlin and Copenhagen.
Those budgets cover the Scottish Government's international network rather than the entire proposed future Scotland House system, which will also incorporate Scottish Development International operations.
The Scottish Government has not yet published a specific overall annual cost for operating the planned network of more than 40 Scotland Houses.
Conservatives attack SNP priorities
The plans have drawn criticism from the Conservatives, who argue that Scotland already benefits from the United Kingdom's extensive diplomatic network.
Scottish Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr described the proposed network as a “network of pretend embassies” and accused the SNP Government of spending money on an international project while Scotland's NHS, schools and household finances remain under pressure.
UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch also attacked the proposal, arguing that it demonstrated what she described as John Swinney's “warped priorities”.
Those descriptions are political criticism rather than the formal status of the offices. Scotland Houses are not embassies and Scotland does not operate an independent diplomatic service.
SNP says overseas presence supports Scottish economy
The Scottish Government rejects the suggestion that its international offices are simply symbolic representations abroad.
Its international strategy says the network is intended to improve Scotland's international profile, attract investment, help Scottish companies trade overseas and develop relationships with governments and organisations in other countries.
Several Scottish Government offices are themselves based within UK embassies or high commissions and work alongside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Scottish Development International, meanwhile, focuses primarily on trade and inward investment and already operates across numerous international markets.
Expansion comes alongside major public-sector reforms
The political argument is sharpened by the timing of the announcement.
Swinney's new five-year Programme for Government also promises substantial reform of Scotland's public services, including restructuring intended to reduce duplication and make government more efficient.
The Conservatives are therefore seeking to contrast the domestic drive for savings with the decision to increase the number of locations operating under the Scotland House banner.
For the SNP Government, however, the two policies are presented as compatible: consolidating existing international operations while using a larger Scotland House network to generate trade, investment and economic opportunities for Scotland.
The key unanswered question is how much the reorganised network will ultimately cost. The Government has committed to more than 40 locations but has not yet set out a detailed location-by-location budget for the completed network.