National Trust for Scotland: Newhailes Market Assessment

Case study: National Trust for Scotland: Newhailes Market Assessment

Background

Newhailes is one of the National Trust for Scotland’s most characterful properties, set on an 80‑acre estate just outside Musselburgh in East Lothian. Its offer blends heritage, nature and family‑friendly activity: guided tours of the elegant 18th‑century house, a lively stable block with retail and catering, and the much‑loved Weehailes adventure playground, which has become a fixture for local families.

Over recent years, Newhailes has grown into a valued social hub for the surrounding communities – a role underscored by a Social Impact Review in 2021, which highlighted the estate’s importance as a welcoming, accessible green space.

In November 2024, NTS set out their ambition for the estate’s future. Focusing on the stable block, car park, the triangle and the historic flower garden, with the aim to broaden Newhailes’ appeal, attract more diverse audiences, convert more visitors into members and strengthen the estate’s contribution to the Trust’s wider strategy

Purpose

Scotinform carried out a detailed market assessment to explore the commercial opportunities and ambitions identified by the Trust. This included:

  • Analysing local demographic and tourism trends, looking at how the population is changing and what this means for future demand in East Lothian.
  • Assessing the competitive landscape, reviewing attractions and experiences that overlap with Newhailes’ potential income streams and evaluating wider sector performance.
  • Benchmarking against similar heritage properties, identifying best practice and opportunities that could be adapted for Newhailes.
  • Gathering visitor insight, testing the appeal of the proposed developments with current Newhailes visitors to understand what would resonate most strongly.

Methodology

To build a clear and confident picture of Newhailes’ market potential, we combined robust data analysis with direct engagement on site. Our approach brought together multiple strands of insight, including:

  • A site visit and discussions with the property team to understand day‑to‑day operations, visitor flow and the practical realities of the estate.
  • Analysis of existing NTS visitor and expenditure data to establish current performance and patterns of use.
  • Profiling of the local and regional population within 30‑ and 60‑minute drive times using Mosaic UK, identifying key audience segments and growth opportunities.
  • A review of the schools and education market to assess potential for learning and curriculum‑linked engagement.
  • Assessment of domestic and international tourism trends relevant to East Lothian and the wider region.
  • Application of propensity data to understand the likelihood of different audiences engaging with Newhailes’ offer.
  • A competitor review of regional visitor attractions to position Newhailes within the local leisure landscape.
  • Benchmarking against comparator properties to identify best practice and potential development opportunities.
  • Face‑to‑face visitor research on site to capture real‑time perceptions and behaviours.
  • Consultations with tourism and cultural stakeholders to test the scale of the opportunity and validate emerging insights.
  • Consultations with NTS volunteers, to test responses to potential developments and discuss operational implications and opportunities.

This blended approach ensured a well‑rounded, evidence‑driven assessment of Newhailes’ future potential.

Impacts

The market assessment gave Newhailes a strong evidence base to guide decision‑making and identify the most viable opportunities. By combining demographic insight, tourism trends, competitor analysis and on‑site visitor research, it clarified where commercial potential is strongest and how different audiences can be better served.

Crucially, the findings were used by the Newhailes team to support a successful funding bid for a new centenary garden, helping to demonstrate audience demand, community value and the potential to broaden appeal.

The research also strengthened Newhailes’ positioning within the wider East Lothian visitor landscape, highlighting opportunities to diversify the offer, deepen family engagement and reinforce the estate’s role as a community asset. These insights now provide a clear, actionable foundation for the next phase of development.

 

“Scotinform provided us with a robust and insightful assessment that has been instrumental in shaping the next phase of Newhailes’ development. Their ability to combine detailed data analysis with a clear understanding of the on-the-ground visitor experience gave us real confidence in the findings. “

Claire Grant, Operations Manager Edinburgh, National Trust for Scotland

Why Scotinform?

NTS chose Scotinform for our strong track record across the heritage, cultural and tourism sectors, as well as our recent experience delivering three market assessments for other historic properties within the Trust’s portfolio. The findings from those studies are already informing strategic decisions, giving NTS confidence in our approach and insight.

For Newhailes, we combined rigorous data analysis with on‑site engagement, including staff consultations, visitor research and a detailed review of the local market. This blend of quantitative and qualitative insight ensured we could interpret not only what the data showed, but what it meant for the estate in practice.

Our recommendations were clear, realistic and immediately usable. By aligning market evidence with the ambitions of the client, we provided the Newhailes team with a credible foundation for decision‑making – including the successful funding bid for the centenary garden.