Settlements - Scotland
Settlements of Scotland are built-up areas which round to 500 people or more.
Statistics produced from this geography can be used to help understand the demographics of local communities.
National Records of Scotland (NRS), produces 2 datasets which are designed to show the boundaries of urban areas in Scotland: these datasets are Settlements and Localities.
Further details on settlements and localities, including the methodology, can be found in the Special Area Population Estimates: Settlements and Localities section of the NRS website.
Default
Identification info
- Metadata Language
- English
- Character set
- UTF8
- Dataset Reference Date (Publication)
- 2003-02-13
- Dataset Reference Date (Revision)
- 2023-07-11
- Identifier
- www.nrscotland.gov.uk / NRS_SettlementBdry
- Maintenance and update frequency
- As needed
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GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
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-
Statistical units
-
-
GEMET - Concepts, version 2.4
-
-
urban settlement
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-
IPSV Subjects List
-
-
Boundaries
-
Urban communities
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- 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
Temporal reference
Temporal extent
Temporal extent
- 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/NRS/MapServer/WMSServer? SettlementBoundaries
OGC:WFS
https://maps.gov.scot/server/services/NRS/NRS/MapServer/WFSServer? NRS:SettlementBoundaries
WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download
https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files//geography/dataset/Settlements2020boundaries.zip Settlement Boundaries 2020
WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link
https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/geography/our-products/settlements-and-localities-dataset National Records of Scotland website
Data quality info
- Quality Scope
- Dataset
- Statement
-
National Records of Scotland (NRS) create Settlement boundaries by categorising postcodes maintained in the Scottish Postcode Directory (SPD) as either high or low density. 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;
• It had more than 0.1 non-residential addresses per hectare; or
• The estimate of the population per hectare exceeds five people
The threshold densities were set as they were found to give a good approximation to the built-up areas identified in previous Censuses using traditional methods. The second condition was included such that non-residential parts (e.g. industrial estates) of built-up areas could be identified and included.
An additional rule was implemented from the 2016 version, which stated that any postcodes which fell within the previous version Settlement boundary (based on centroid point in polygon assignment) would automatically be included in the new Settlement.
The classified postcodes were then grouped into areas of neighbouring high density postcodes, or ‘Settlements’. Areas of low density postcodes completely surrounded by the high density areas (i.e. ‘holes’) were incorporated into the settlement. Population estimates for each area were then calculated, and any settlement with fewer than 500 residents was discarded. Lastly, Councils were consulted for their views on the proposed boundaries and, where possible, their suggestions were taken into account.
The Settlement boundaries have been clipped to the high water mark coastline using OS BoundaryLine product. Inland water has also been removed as listed in the Standard Area Measurements (SAM) produced by the Office for National Statistics.
The current Settlement boundaries (2020) have been created using the Scottish Postcode Directory 2020 release 2 boundaries.
NRS create Settlement boundaries in conjunction with the Localities geography, normally every two years. Settlement and Locality boundaries are co-incidental, however, large settlements can be subdivided into two or more localities.
Changes to the methodology and publication are consulted on through the Population and Migration Statistics Committee.
Metadata
- File identifier
- e457f123-09df-4d67-ac81-d7bb2e470499 XML
- Metadata Language
- English
- Resource type
- Dataset
- Metadata Date
- 2023-07-11T12:14:09
- Metadata standard name
- UK GEMINI
- Metadata standard version
-
2.3
Point of contact
- 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