Scotland

Occupying the northern third of Great Britain, Scotland is known for its dramatic Highlands, deep lochs, and historic cities such as Edinburgh and Glasgow. It has its own legal system, education framework, and devolved government, alongside a cultural heritage famous for bagpipes, tartan, and whisky. Scotland’s economy blends traditional industries with modern strengths in finance, technology, tourism, and renewable energy.

Scotland is a country within the UK with a fully devolved government based in Edinburgh, responsible for areas such as law, education, health, and transport. The nation is divided into 32 council areas, all operating as unitary authorities. These range from vast rural territories like the Highlands to densely populated urban councils such as Glasgow. While historic counties remain culturally significant, modern administration is shaped by the country’s mountains, islands, and extensive coastline.

Scotland's Local Government Districts

Scotland’s 32 council areas, established on 1 April 1996, are single-tier authorities managing all local services — including planning, education, housing, waste management, and community facilities. This system replaced the previous two-tier regional and district councils.

Local Authority District (LAD) is a statistical geography used by the ONS to describe areas governed by local authorities. LADs include: Non-metropolitan districts (often called district councils); Metropolitan districts; London boroughs; Unitary authorities; Council areas in Scotland; Local government districts in Northern Ireland. In total, there are around 360+ LADs across the UK.

International Territorial Levels in Scotland Region

The International Territorial Levels (ITLs) are a hierarchical system of geographic boundaries used for statistical purposes in the UK, specifically for regional data analysis and international comparisons. It has three levels: ITL1, ITL2, and ITL3, with ITL1 being the broadest level and ITL3 the most detailed.

Scotland Region is one of ITL 1 areas in the UK. It is then divided ino the following ITL 2 areas (names in bold letters) and ITL 3 areas.

  • Eastern Scotland — Clackmannanshire and Fife ⁞ Perth and Kinross, and Stirling ⁞ Angus and Dundee City
  • East Central Scotland — East Lothian and Midlothian ⁞ Falkirk ⁞ City of Edinburgh ⁞ West Lothian
  • Highlands and Islands — Highlands and Islands
  • West Central Scotland — East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire ⁞ Glasgow City ⁞ Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire, and Renfrewshire ⁞ North Lanarkshire
  • North Eastern Scotland — Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire
  • Southern Scotland — Scottish Borders ⁞ Dumfries and Galloway ⁞ North Ayrshire and East Ayrshire ⁞ South Ayrshire ⁞ South Lanarkshire
In the UK in total there are: 12 ITLs 1, 46 ITLs 2, and 182 ITLs 3. Our information about ITLs hierarchy and names is based on this ONS website: International geographies - Office for National Statistics.

Constituencies in Scotland

Scotland has 57 parliamentary constituencies, covering a diverse geography from the major cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen to remote and island communities like the Western Isles (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) and Orkney and Shetland. The Boundary Commission for Scotland reviews these regularly to ensure fair representation given the country’s varied population density and geographic challenges.

There are 650 constituencies in the United Kingdom. These constituencies are the areas each represented by one Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons.

Population of Scotland

Scotland is home to approximately 5.45 million people as of mid-2022, based on the most recent census-adjusted estimates. Spanning an area of roughly 77,900 square kilometres (about 30,000 square miles)—making it the second-largest country in the UK—this yields a population density of around 70 people per square kilometre.

Scotland Population Compared to UK Regions' Figures
Scotland Population Compared to other UK Regions

How it compares to the rest of the UK

  • Population share: With a population of 5.45 million out of the UK’s 67.6 million total, Scotland accounts for about 8.1% of the UK population.
  • Population density: At 70 people per km², Scotland is far less densely populated than the England’ average of 438 people per km².

Region detail pages