There were 514 settlements in Scotland in mid-2020. This is 5 fewer than in 2016, due to some settlements merging or falling below the threshold of 500 people. The population living in settlements and localities was 4,974,670. The population living outside settlements was 491,330. 91% of Scotland’s population lived in settlements and localities, which accounted for 2.3% of Scotland’s total land area. The largest settlement in Scotland was Greater Glasgow with a population of 1,028,220. Nearly 1 in 5 people living in Scotland in mid-2020 lived in Greater Glasgow. Almost all of Glasgow City’s and Dundee City’s population lived in a settlement (99.8% in both). In contrast, less than a third of Na h-Eileanan Siar’s population lived in a settlement (29.4%).

In 2024, there were approximately 650,300 people living in Glasgow, with a further 530,680 people living in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, the first and second most-populated Scottish council areas respectively. The region of Fife is also heavily populated, with approximately 374,760 people living there. The least populated areas are the islands of Scotland such as Orkney, estimated to have only 22,020 people there.

This dataset contains phenotypic characteristics of 1,420 lines of the wild barley nested association mapping population HEB-25 (Maurer et al. 2015, DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1459-7). All phenotypic values were evaluated visually according to published methods (Lancashire et al. 1991, DOI:10.1111/j.1744-7348.1991.tb04895.x). Field trials were conducted in 2014 and 2015 in Dundee, UK, and Halle, Germany, under two nitrogen (N) fertilisation treatments, N0 and N1.

Glasgow City's crime rate of *** crimes per 10,000 people was the highest of any region of Scotland in 2024/25. The rate for the whole of Scotland was *** per 10,000 people, which appears to be driven by low crime in places such as the Shetland Islands, with almost all Scottish cities reporting higher than average crime rates. In Dundee, the crime rate was *** crimes per 10,000 people, while in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, the crime rate was *** per 10,000 population. Comparisons with the rest of the UK When compared with the rest of the United Kingdom, Scotland has experienced a noticeable decline in its overall crime rate. In 2008/09 for example, Scotland's crime rate was higher than that of England and Wales, as well as Northern Ireland, the other two jurisdictions in the UK. In 2022/23, however, Scotland's crime rate was the lowest in the UK, with the crime rate in England and Wales rising noticeably during the same period. Scotland's homicide rate has also fallen, from being the highest in the UK in 2002/03, to the lowest in 2022/23. What types of crime increased in recent years? The overall number of crimes recorded by the Scottish police since the mid 2010s has remained broadly stable, with ******* offences reported in 2024/25. Specific types of crime have, however, increased in recent times. In 2024/25, for example, there were ****** sexual crimes reported by the police, compared with ***** ten years earlier. As in the rest of the UK, shoplifting has increased rapidly since the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching a peak of ****** offences in the 2024/25 reporting year.

This is a mixed methods dataset.

The project examined Scots living in England. Scots are one of the largest non-English born immigrant groups in the UK. While the attraction of Scotland to the English-born population is documented, less attention is given to why Scots continue to migrate to England (albeit in lower numbers) and how the employment and progression opportunities, especially in the South Eastern England labour market compare with opportunities in Scotland. This is important in the context of concern about Scotland's demographic regime and the significant reduction in numbers projected over the next three decades. The research literature points to the need to reassess the role of the Scots living in SE England (especially those in cities/large towns) in terms of the functions they perform. Why have their numbers declined? How has the scale of Scottish return migration from the SE varied over time relative to the changing role of Scotland in national/international economic and political processes and in relation to demographic change in Scotland?

The research uses questionnaire survey data from a sample of Scots migrants living in South East England in 2005 with 30 qualitative interviews with Scots who had returned to Scotland.

Further information can be found on the project's ESRC funding web page.

Noise maps showing areas that are relatively louder or quieter, measured in decibels (dB), for industry noise within agglomerations in 2021. The data represents the evening levels (Leve) – the annual average A-weighted long-term sound over the evening period (19:00-23:00). Qualifying agglomerations are urban areas with populations in excess of 100,000 people, i.e. Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Falkirk and Glasgow. Scottish Ministers commissioned strategic noise mapping analysis to meet the requirements of the Environmental Noise Directive (Directive 2002/49/EC), which is legally implemented in Scotland thorough the Environmental Noise (Scotland) Regulations 2006, as amended by the Environmental Noise (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2018. Noise maps are used to identify areas where noise levels are high and, by linking population data, estimate how many people are affected. This aids in the production of noise action plans to manage noise and reduce noise levels where appropriate.

Noise maps showing areas that are relatively louder or quieter, measured in decibels (dB), for industry noise within agglomerations in 2021. The data represents the day-evening-night levels (Lden) which are annual average noise levels with separate weightings for the evening and night periods. Day, evening and night periods are defined as 07.00 to 19.00, 19.00 to 23.00 and 23.00 to 07.00 respectively. Qualifying agglomerations are urban areas with populations in excess of 100,000 people, i.e. Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Falkirk and Glasgow.

Scottish Ministers commissioned strategic noise mapping analysis to meet the requirements of the Environmental Noise Directive (Directive 2002/49/EC), which is legally implemented in Scotland thorough the Environmental Noise (Scotland) Regulations 2006, as amended by the Environmental Noise (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2018.

Noise maps are used to identify areas where noise levels are high and, by linking population data, estimate how many people are affected. This aids in the production of noise action plans to manage noise and reduce noise levels where appropriate.

Noise maps showing areas that are relatively louder or quieter, measured in decibels (dB), for industry noise within agglomerations in 2021. The data represents the 16-hour daytime level (LAeq,16h) - the A-weighted equivalent continuous sound level over a 16-hour time period (07:00-23:00). Qualifying agglomerations are urban areas with populations in excess of 100,000 people, i.e. Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Falkirk and Glasgow.

Scottish Ministers commissioned strategic noise mapping analysis to meet the requirements of the Environmental Noise Directive (Directive 2002/49/EC), which is legally implemented in Scotland thorough the Environmental Noise (Scotland) Regulations 2006, as amended by the Environmental Noise (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2018.

Noise maps are used to identify areas where noise levels are high and, by linking population data, estimate how many people are affected. This aids in the production of noise action plans to manage noise and reduce noise levels where appropriate.