About Scotland Scotland

Why Scotland Scotland exists

Scotland Scotland brings together information about Scotland’s people, public services and political representation. It began as a map project and grew through feedback from family and friends, with the aim of making published data easier to explore by place.

It is an independent project, not an official government, NHS or council website. The original publishers remain the authority for their data.

Four ways to explore a place

• Demographics — population estimates, age and sex breakdowns, and population projections.
• Health — GP and NHS dental practices, care homes, NHS hospitals and health-board workforce figures.
• Education — school provision, childcare, universities and colleges.
• Representation — council administrations, MPs, constituency MSPs and regional-list MSPs.

Use the map to choose a geography and select an area, or browse the written area profiles. Each profile brings together the information available for that geography; not every topic is available at every geographic level.

Where the information comes from

Sources include National Records of Scotland, Public Health Scotland, the Care Inspectorate, the Scottish Government, NHS workforce publications, the UK and Scottish Parliaments, and published university and college directories. Council administration information comes from the independent Open Council Data UK service.

We credit the publishers, link to the original sources and show reference dates and counting notes alongside the figures. Downloadable JSON files support reuse, subject to the original publishers’ terms.

How updates and checks work

The site uses dated snapshots rather than a live feed. Our review schedule is monthly for all datasets, with a weekly check for care-home releases. A scheduled check does not mean a publisher has issued new data or that an update has been completed. Use the reference date shown beside each dataset to judge its age.

Updates are checked for coverage, duplicate records, geographic matches and totals before they are reviewed in a preview version. Publication to the live site requires a separate approval. A failed or unavailable source is not treated as a new release.

Where figures should add up, we check that they do. Where categories overlap, dates differ or rounding affects totals, we explain it. For example, a school offering both nursery and primary education contributes two age-stage provisions; those are not two separate buildings.

Reading the figures in context

Population estimates describe residents, while GP patient lists describe registrations. Population projections are scenarios, not predictions. A listed dental practice does not necessarily accept new NHS patients, and registered care-home places do not show current vacancies. Check the relevant provider for current service availability.

Political colours describe the affiliations or administrations recorded on the stated date. They are used to explain representation, not to express support for a party. Regional colours and seat tables cover the seven regional-list MSPs, not all MSPs representing that region.

Spotted something that needs checking?

First compare the figure with its linked source and reference date. Different reporting dates, boundaries and counting definitions can produce different answers. When reporting an issue, include the page address, area name, figure in question and a link to the evidence so it can be checked.