Identification info

Metadata Language

English

Character set

UTF8

Dataset Reference Date (Publication)

2003-02-13

Dataset Reference Date (Creation)

2003-02-13

Identifier

www.nrscotland.gov.uk / Settlements2001

Maintenance and update frequency

As needed

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

• Statistical units

GEMET - Concepts, version 2.4

• statistical data

• urban settlement

• census survey

IPSV Subjects List

• Boundaries

• Censuses

Limitations on Public Access

Other restrictions

Other constraints

No limitations to public access

Use constraints

Other restrictions

Other constraints

Open Government Licence

Other constraints

The following statements must be used when reproducing or using this material: Copyright National Records of Scotland, contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right (insert year).

Spatial representation type

Vector

Denominator

10000

Topic category

• Boundaries

Code

S92000003

 

Code

EPSG:4258

Code

EPSG:27700

Distribution Information

 

Data quality info

Quality Scope

Dataset

Statement

There is widespread interest in statistics for the built-up areas in Scotland as most of the population lives in a built-up environment. When the former two-tier local government structure of regions and districts came into being in May 1975, the small local authorities known as large and small burghs were lost. However, Census users stated that there was a need to know the population (and characteristics) of built-up areas.

There are 2 datasets which are designed to show the boundaries of ‘urban areas’ in Scotland: ‘Localities’ and ‘Settlements’. While “Settlements’ can go a long way in defining the towns and cities in Scotland, some are very extensive and have grouped together some very large populations. For example the settlement of ‘Greater Glasgow’ has a large population but no breakdown was given of the settlement into any constituent towns or cities such as Airdrie or Paisley. Accordingly, since 2001, the larger ‘Settlements’ have been divided into ‘Localities’ using as a basis the areas so designated in the 1991 Census report ‘Key statistics for ‘localities’ in Scotland (ISBN 0-11-495736-3)’.

For the 2001 Census the General Register Office for Scotland (as it then was) had developed a new process to identify ‘Settlements’ in Scotland. A Settlement was defined as:

‘A collection of contiguous high population density postcodes whose total population was 500 or more, bounded by low density postcodes (or water).’

A postcode was defined as high density if at least one of the following applied:

• It had more than 2.1 residential addresses per hectare; or

• It has more than 0.1 non-residential addresses per hectare

The second condition is included so that non-residential parts (eg industrial estates) of built up areas could be identified.

These density thresholds were adjusted downwards for some Council Areas (generally those with crofting communities) in order to ensure that at least 95 per cent of postcodes identified as ‘Localities’ in 1991 were selected as high density.

Having identified the individual high density postcodes it was then possible to identify groups of neighbouring high density postcodes containing in total more than 210 residential addresses. These groups were made to include any ‘holes’, ie low density postcodes entirely surrounded by high density ones. Estimates of the population in each group were made, and any group considered to have fewer than 500 residents were discarded.

The threshold densities of 2.1 and 0.1 were found to give a good approximation to the built-up areas identified in previous Censuses using more traditional methods.

These threshold densities were adjusted in two council areas (Eilean Siar and Shetland) where, because of crofting and other factors, settlement patterns vary considerably from the Scottish norm.

 

Metadata

File identifier

234afebe-71ea-4d3d-a2a1-b418d18666d3 XML

Metadata Language

English

Resource type

Dataset

Hierarchy level name

dataset

Metadata Date

2025-02-11T13:27:11.25Z

Metadata standard name

UK GEMINI

Metadata standard version

2.3