System transformation in mental health is of immediate concern across countries throughout Europe and beyond. In this paper we describe a paradigm shift in Scottish policy from the control of psychiatric disorder to mental health governance and explore the means by which it has been supported and sustained. No longer characterised by outdated legislation, poor communication and a very limited policy framework, mental health policy in Scotland is held up as exemplary by the World Health Organization, the European Commission and other international actors. We identify four key factors in this structural transformation: 1) a renewed institutional mandate for mental health at the moment of devolution; 2) a commitment to consultation and communication both among mental health actors and agencies and with a wider public; 3) the use of information in performance management and, 4) the degree of reflexivity fostered by engagement in international networks. link