About this site

About scotlands.info

An independent reference for verified facts, statistics, and data about Scotland, sourced exclusively from official government publications and authoritative research.

What is scotlands.info?

A free, publicly accessible reference site dedicated to publishing accurate, cited statistics about Scotland, covering population, geography, economy, industry, history, culture, and more.

Our purpose

scotlands.info exists to make authoritative Scotland statistics easy to find, read, and trust. Every figure on this site is drawn from an official primary source: a named publication, a specific dataset, and an identified issuing body, so that readers can verify any statistic for themselves.

The site covers Scotland's population and demographics, geography and environment, economy and trade, key industries (whisky, renewables, financial services, tourism, food and drink, technology, life sciences), history, culture, education, and transport infrastructure.

scotlands.info is not affiliated with The Scottish Government, any Scottish public body, or any other government organisation. It is an independently operated reference site.

What we cover

  • Population & demographicsTotal population, births, deaths, life expectancy, migration, ethnic composition. Source: NRS and Scotland's Census.
  • Geography & environmentLand area, coastline, Munros, lochs, national parks, islands, renewable energy capacity and generation.
  • EconomyGDP, unemployment, SME statistics, sector GVA. Source: Scottish Government National Accounts and GERS.
  • Industry spotlightsScotch Whisky, renewable energy, financial services, tourism, food and drink, technology, and life sciences.
  • History & cultureHistorical milestones, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Gaelic language, national symbols, creative cities.
  • Education & transportUniversity rankings, free tuition policy, rail network, road network, airports, and ferry routes.

Our Methodology

Every statistic is sourced from a named official publication. We do not estimate, interpolate, or fabricate any figure on this site.

Source selection

We follow a clear hierarchy when selecting sources. Official government statistical publications take precedence, primarily the National Records of Scotland, the Scottish Government's statistical publications, and Scotland's Census. Sector bodies with statutory data collection responsibilities (such as the Scotch Whisky Association and VisitScotland) are used for industry statistics. Where multiple sources address the same figure, we use the most recent official publication and note any discrepancies.

We do not use secondary media reports as primary sources. Where a news article is cited, it is because the original data has not yet been published in a full statistical release, and the citation makes the indirect sourcing explicit.

Source hierarchy

Tier 1National Records of Scotland (NRS), Scotland's Census, Scottish Government Statistical Publications, ONS
Tier 2Sector bodies with statutory data roles: SWA, VisitScotland, Transport Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Scottish Funding Council
Tier 3Authoritative sector organisations: Scotland Food & Drink, SDI, CalMac, QS Rankings, SMC Munros Database

What we never do

  • No AI-generated figuresNo statistic is produced, estimated, or extrapolated by AI or any automated system. All numbers come directly from a cited source document.
  • No silent roundingWhere a figure is an approximation or rounded, this is stated explicitly on the page (e.g. "approximately", "~", or "c.").
  • No undated statisticsEvery figure carries a reference period: either the publication year, the reference date of the dataset, or both.
  • No fabricationIf official data for a topic does not exist or is not publicly available, we do not publish a figure for it.

Approximate figures

Some statistics, particularly GVA sector shares, Scots language speakers, and certain heritage figures, are published in rounded or approximate form by their originating bodies. Where this is the case, we carry the approximation through and flag it clearly. We do not present a rounded official figure as if it were a precise measurement.

How We Update

Statistics are updated as new official publications are released. We do not maintain a fixed update schedule; we follow the publication calendars of our primary sources.

Update policy

Key data points (population estimates, GDP, unemployment, energy statistics) are updated annually or quarterly as the relevant official publications are released. Each statistic on the site carries a reference date or publication year so readers know exactly which release a figure comes from.

Historical figures (UNESCO inscriptions, railway length, university rankings) are updated when the underlying data changes: a new inscription, a revised network figure, a new rankings release.

Reporting an error

If you spot a statistic that appears to be incorrect, out of date, or sourced incorrectly, please let us know. When reporting, it helps to include the specific figure, the page it appears on, the source you believe is more accurate, and the publication date of that source.

We review and correct verified errors promptly. We will always update the citation when we update the figure.

Contact us to report an error →

Full Sources Index

The complete reference index of every publication and dataset used on scotlands.info.

View sources index →