Postcode Districts - Scotland

Postcode district boundaries are created and maintained by National Records of Scotland (NRS). Postcode districts are represented by the outward code (first part of a postcode). For example, if the individual postcode is EH12 7TB, then the district of that postcode is EH12. Postcodes that fall within the same district are dissolved to create postcode district boundaries.


NRS publish these boundaries twice a year as part of the Scottish Postcode Directory (SPD) which should be considered the definitive source for postcode geographies in Scotland.

Default

Identification info

Metadata Language
English
Character set
UTF8
Dataset Reference Date (Creation)
2016-03-01
Dataset Reference Date (Revision)
2024-08-14
Identifier
www.nrscotland.gov.uk / NRS_SPD_DistrictBdry
Publisher
  National Records of Scotland - Geography ( Geography Branch )
General Register House, 2 Princes Street , Edinburgh , Scotland , EH1 3YY , United Kingdom
Maintenance and update frequency
Biannually

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

  • Statistical units

GEMET - Concepts, version 2.4

  • statistical data

IPSV Subjects List

  • Boundaries

  • Postcodes
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
1250
Topic category
  • Boundaries
Code
S92000003
N
S
E
W


Temporal reference

Temporal extent
Begin
2024
End
2024
 
Temporal extent
 
Additional information

https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files/geography/Products/postcode-bkgrd-info.pdf

 
Code
EPSG:4258
Code
EPSG:27700

Distribution Information

Data format

Data format
Name Version

WMS

1.3.0

WFS

2.0.0

ESRI Shapefile

1.0
 

Transfer options

Resource Locator
Protocol Resource Locator Name

OGC:WMS

 		https://maps.gov.scot/server/services/NRS/SPD/MapServer/WMSServer?

PostcodeDistrict

OGC:WFS

 		https://maps.gov.scot/server/services/NRS/SPD/MapServer/WFSServer?

SPD:PostcodeDistrict

WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link

 		http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/geography/nrs-postcode-extract

National Records of Scotland website
 
 

Data quality info

Quality Scope
Dataset
Conformity
Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services
Explanation
Degree
false
Statement

National Records of Scotland (NRS) delineate notional boundaries around address content of live small user postcodes utilising real world features depicted in Ordnance Survey’s MasterMap® product. Postcodes that fall within the same district are dissolved to create postcode district boundaries. As postcode boundaries are subject to continuous change, the district grid references may change as the postcode geographies are altered. Note that postcode district boundaries are not coterminous with Local Authority boundaries.


This dataset is formally issued twice a year as part of National Records of Scotland’s Scottish Postcode Directory (SPD). In addition to postcode geographies, the SPD contains a database detailing the higher geographies that each postcode is assigned to. NRS produce two versions of the SPD, one containing Royal Mail Delivery Point information and another without. If you require delivery point information please contact customer services.


For more information on the postcode geography please see background note at https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files/geography/Products/postcode-bkgrd-info.pdf or contact NRS Geography.

 

Metadata

File identifier
3d64078a-3342-4386-99ba-0abb27e9dbaa XML
Metadata Language
English
Resource type
Dataset
Metadata Date
2024-08-14T11:04:37.359Z
Metadata standard name
UK GEMINI
Metadata standard version

2.3

Point of contact

Individual name

Geography
Organisation name

National Records of Scotland
Position name

Geography Branch
Delivery point

General Register House, 2 Princes Street
City

Edinburgh
Administrative area

Scotland
Postal code

EH1 3YY
Country

United Kingdom
Electronic mail address

geographycustomerservices@nrscotland.gov geographycustomerservices@nrscotland.gov.uk

Role
Point of contact
Point of contact
  National Records of Scotland - Geography ( Geography Branch )
General Register House, 2 Princes Street , Edinburgh , Scotland , EH1 3YY , United Kingdom
 
 
 

Overviews

N
S
E
W


Keywords

GEMET - Concepts, version 2.4
statistical data
GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
Statistical units
IPSV Subjects List
Boundaries Postcodes

Publishing Body

Access the portal

Associated resources (if any)

Not available