diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/2-1-0.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/2-1-0.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed32c50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/2-1-0.json
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "title": "ACCESS ESM1.6 Model Output Data Specification",
+  "description": "The metadata associated with a file containing or referencing climate model data",
+  "type": "object",
+  "required": [ "global", "variables" ],
+  "properties": {
+    "global": {
+      "$ref": "global.json"
+    },
+    "variables": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "patternProperties": {
+        "^.+$": {
+          "$ref": "variable.json"
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..83eeda5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global.json
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global.json",
+  "title": "ACCESS Global Attributes",
+  "description": "File-level metadata for ACCESS ESM1.6 data",
+  "type": "object",
+  "required": [
+    "base_configuration",
+    "contact",
+    "Conventions",
+    "date_created",
+    "data_specification",
+    "experiment_repo",
+    "experiment_uuid",
+    "frequency",
+    "license",
+    "model_version",
+    "model",
+    "realm",
+    "run_id",
+    "title"
+  ],
+  "properties": {
+    "title": {
+      "$ref": "global/title.json"
+    },
+    "Conventions": {
+      "$ref": "global/Conventions.json"
+    },
+    "base_configuration": {
+      "$ref": "global/base_configuration.json"
+    },
+    "contact": {
+      "$ref": "global/contact.json"
+    },
+    "data_specification": {
+      "$ref": "global/data_specification.json"
+    },
+    "date_created": {
+      "$ref": "global/date_created.json"
+    },
+    "date_metadata_modified": {
+      "$ref": "global/date_metadata_modified.json"
+    },
+    "date_modified": {
+      "$ref": "global/date_modified.json"
+    },
+    "experiment_repo": {
+      "$ref": "global/experiment_repo.json"
+    },
+    "experiment_uuid": {
+      "$ref": "global/experiment_uuid.json"
+    },
+    "frequency": {
+      "$ref": "global/frequency.json"
+    },
+    "grid": {
+      "$ref": "global/grid.json"
+    },
+    "license": {
+      "$ref": "global/license.json"
+    },
+    "model": {
+      "$ref": "global/model.json"
+    },
+    "model_version": {
+      "$ref": "global/model_version.json"
+    },
+    "realm": {
+      "$ref": "global/realm.json"
+    },
+    "run_id": {
+      "$ref": "global/run_id.json"
+    },
+    "variable_id": {
+      "$ref": "global/variable_id.json"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/Conventions.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/Conventions.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4b29b77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/Conventions.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/Conventions.json",
+  "title": "Conventions",
+  "description": "Convention(s) used with their versions, as a comma separated list",
+  "examples": [ "CF-1.11,ACDD-1.3" ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/base_configuration.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/base_configuration.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e307ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/base_configuration.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/base_configuration.json",
+  "title": "base_configuration",
+  "description": "Configuration modified for experiment, see configs repo: https://github.com/ACCESS-NRI/access-esm1.6-configs",
+  "examples": [ "release-preindustrial+concentrations-2.0" ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/contact.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/contact.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd3f229
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/contact.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/contact.json",
+  "title": "contact",
+  "description": "Email address or other contact details for who to contact regarding this data.",
+  "examples": [ "access.nri@anu.edu.au", "John Smith (john.smith@email.com)" ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/data_specification.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/data_specification.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..458d921
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/data_specification.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/data_specification.json",
+  "title": "data_specification",
+  "description": "Version of this data specification used to generate the data",
+  "examples": [ "ACCESS Output Data Specification v2-1-0 XX.XXXX/zenodo.XXXXX" ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/date_created.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/date_created.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..399599b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/date_created.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/date_created.json",
+  "title": "date_created",
+  "description": "Date and time the file was created. Follow ISO 8601, i.e. 'YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ'",
+  "$comment": "",
+  "examples": [ "2025-10-07T11:10:00Z" ],
+  "type": "string",
+  "pattern": "^\\d{4}-(1[012]|0[1-9])-(3[01]|[12][0-9]|0[1-9])T([01][0-9]|2[0-3]):[0-5][0-9]:[0-5][0-9]Z$"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/date_metadata_modified.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/date_metadata_modified.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..20b8255
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/date_metadata_modified.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/date_metadata_modified.json",
+  "title": "date_metadata_modified",
+  "description": "Date and time the metadata for this file was last modified. Note that this applied just to the metadata, not the data. Follow ISO 8601, i.e. 'YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ'",
+  "$comment": "",
+  "examples": [ "2025-10-07T11:10:00Z" ],
+  "type": "string",
+  "pattern": "^\\d{4}-(1[012]|0[1-9])-(3[01]|[12][0-9]|0[1-9])T([01][0-9]|2[0-3]):[0-5][0-9]:[0-5][0-9]Z$"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/date_modified.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/date_modified.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..68afc46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/date_modified.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/date_modified.json",
+  "title": "date_modified",
+  "description": "Date and time the data for this file was last modified. Note that this applied just to the data, not the metadata. Follow ISO 8601, i.e. 'YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ'",
+  "$comment": "",
+  "examples": [ "2025-10-07T11:10:00Z" ],
+  "type": "string",
+  "pattern": "^\\d{4}-(1[012]|0[1-9])-(3[01]|[12][0-9]|0[1-9])T([01][0-9]|2[0-3]):[0-5][0-9]:[0-5][0-9]Z$"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/experiment_repo.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/experiment_repo.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..91c2acb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/experiment_repo.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/experiment_repo.json",
+  "title": "experiment_repo",
+  "description": "Git repository URL that describes the experiment",
+  "examples": [
+    "https://github.com/ACCESS-Community-Hub/access-esm1.6-dev-experiments"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/experiment_uuid.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/experiment_uuid.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0ef48f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/experiment_uuid.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/experiment_uuid.json",
+  "title": "experiment_uuid",
+  "description": "The experiment UUID generated by Payu. Note: this may be the same as id.",
+  "examples": [ "698E600B-BECF-4CBA-994F-A663A22FCDDF" ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/frequency.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/frequency.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85780d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/frequency.json
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/frequency.json",
+  "title": "frequency",
+  "description": "Sampling frequency of the data",
+  "examples": [ "12hr", "1day", "1yr" ],
+  "type": "string",
+  "oneOf": [
+    {
+      "pattern": "^fx$"
+    },
+    {
+      "pattern": "^subhr$"
+    },
+    {
+      "pattern": "^\\d+min$"
+    },
+    {
+      "pattern": "^\\d+hr$"
+    },
+    {
+      "pattern": "^\\d+day$"
+    },
+    {
+      "pattern": "^\\d+mon$"
+    },
+    {
+      "pattern": "^\\d+yr$"
+    },
+    {
+      "pattern": "^\\d+dec$"
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/grid.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/grid.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c6da87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/grid.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/grid.json",
+  "title": "grid",
+  "description": "Brief description of output grid characteristics or reference to grid specification. Should be included if the grid is not defined by the dimensions in the file.",
+  "examples": [],
+  "type": "string"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/license.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/license.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..772b0b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/license.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/license.json",
+  "title": "license",
+  "description": "Information on the license for the data to ensure all users have access to the terms of use. Use SPDX license identifiers where possible. The default license for ACCESS-NRI is CC-BY-4.0, users should change as needed.",
+  "examples": [ "CC-BY-4.0" ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/model.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/model.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f76674
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/model.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/model.json",
+  "title": "model",
+  "description": "Name of the model used to create the data",
+  "examples": [ "ACCESS-ESM1.6" ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/model_version.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/model_version.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e56a33b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/model_version.json
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/model_version.json",
+  "title": "model_version",
+  "description": "Version of the model used to create the data. Please note here if the model has been modified from an official release, ideally with links to the changes.",
+  "$comment": "",
+  "examples": [
+    "2025.06.001",
+    "2025.06.001 (modified by John Smith, [link to repo/paper describing modifications])"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/realm.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/realm.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..989a8d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/realm.json
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/realm.json",
+  "title": "realm",
+  "description": "Realm where the data variable is defined",
+  "examples": [ "atmos", "landIce" ],
+  "type": "string",
+  "enum": [
+    "aerosol",
+    "atmos",
+    "atmosChem",
+    "land",
+    "landIce",
+    "none",
+    "ocean",
+    "ocnBgchem",
+    "seaIce",
+    "unknown"
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/run_id.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/run_id.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..156ef63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/run_id.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/run_id.json",
+  "title": "run_id",
+  "description": "Git hash for the commit associated with the experiment run",
+  "examples": [ "3a38fe4", "3a38fe435e156700ab649c4921e99f7c68a168bc" ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/title.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/title.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e53ddaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/title.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/title.json",
+  "title": "title",
+  "description": "Name of the dataset. Typically following the Payu naming scheme detailed here - https://payu.readthedocs.io/en/stable/usage.html#experiment-names",
+  "examples": [ "my_expt-perturb-416af8c6" ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/variable_id.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/variable_id.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf3cbaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/global/variable_id.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "global/variable_id.json",
+  "title": "variable_id",
+  "description": "A list of short variable names, separated by commas, for the data variable/s that appear in this file (e.g. tas for surface temperature but not time/latitude/longitude). These names should match the netCDF variable names.",
+  "examples": [ "tas", "huss", "uas,vas" ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/variable.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/variable.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f1de758
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/variable.json
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "variable.json",
+  "title": "Output variable",
+  "description": "A coordinate or data output variable",
+  "type": "object",
+  "properties": {
+    "cell_methods": {
+      "$ref": "variable/cell_methods.json"
+    },
+    "long_name": {
+      "$ref": "variable/long_name.json"
+    },
+    "standard_name": {
+      "$ref": "variable/standard_name.json"
+    },
+    "units": {
+      "$ref": "variable/units.json"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/variable/cell_methods.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/variable/cell_methods.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c2d8078
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/variable/cell_methods.json
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "variable/cell_methods.json",
+  "title": "cell_methods",
+  "description": "A string comprising a list of space-separated pairs, \"name:method\", which indicate that for axis \"name\" the values representing the fields have been determined by \"method\".",
+  "examples": [
+    "time: point",
+    "time: mean (interval: 1 hour)",
+    "time: maximum (interval: 1D) time: mean (interval: 1M)"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/variable/long_name.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/variable/long_name.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b07ce4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/variable/long_name.json
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "variable/long_name.json",
+  "title": "long_name",
+  "description": "A long descriptive name which may, for example, be used for labelling plots.",
+  "examples": [
+    "Near-Surface Air Temperature",
+    "latitude",
+    "Potential Evapotranspiration"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/variable/standard_name.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/variable/standard_name.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aacee36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/variable/standard_name.json
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "variable/standard_name.json",
+  "title": "standard_name",
+  "description": "Where possible use the CF standard_name of the variable, otherwise use a unique short phrase separated by underscores to describe the variable.",
+  "examples": [
+    "air_pressure_at_sea_level",
+    "latitude",
+    "water_potential_evaporation_flux"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
diff --git a/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/variable/units.json b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/variable/units.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..68f64ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/variable/units.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "variable/units.json",
+  "title": "units",
+  "description": "The units of measurement for the variable",
+  "examples": [ "K", "m-2 s-1" ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
diff --git a/tests/2-1-0/test.json b/tests/2-1-0/test.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7191d75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/2-1-0/test.json
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+{
+    "target": "../../au.org.access-nri/model/output/file-metadata/2-1-0/2-1-0.json",
+    "tests": [
+        {
+            "description": "Full ESM1.6",
+            "valid": true,
+            "data": {
+                "global": {
+                    "base_configuration": "release-preindustrial+concentrations-2.0",
+                    "contact": "data.access.nri@anu.edu.au",
+                    "Conventions": "CF-1.11",
+                    "date_created": "2025-12-03T11:22:00Z",
+                    "data_specification": "ACCESS Output Data Specification v0.1 XX.XXXX/zenodo.XXXXX",
+                    "experiment_repo": "x",
+                    "experiment_uuid": "F6B536FA-766D-4609-B767-754C9424440A",
+                    "id": "F6B536FA-766D-4609-B767-754C9424440A",
+                    "frequency": "1hr",
+                    "grid": "grid goes here",
+                    "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
+                    "model_version": "2025.06.001",
+                    "model": "ACCESS-ESM1.6",
+                    "naming_authority": "au.org.access-nri",
+                    "realm": "atmos",
+                    "run_id": "00b0e8d102733a0e36093a96b273ed2853ac2006",
+                    "title": "this is a title",
+                    "variable_id": "tas"
+                },
+                "variables": {
+                    "tas": {
+                        "units": "K",
+                        "long_name": "Near-surface Air Temperature",
+                        "standard_name": "air_temperature",
+                        "cell_methods": "time: point (interval: 1H) time: mean (interval: 1M)",
+                        "_FillValue": -2147483647
+                    },
+                    "lat": {
+                        "_FillValue": 1.0e+20,
+                        "standard_name": "latitude",
+                        "units": "degrees_north",
+                        "long_name": "latitude"
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        },
+        {
+            "description": "Empty",
+            "valid": false,
+            "data": {}
+        }
+    ]
+}