Scottish Government

Listen

Urban rural classification 2009-2010

11/08/2010

Scotland's Chief Statistician today published the Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification 2009-2010.

This version updates the previous version (2007-2008) with the latest available settlement population figures and drive time estimates. The definitions of urban and rural areas underlying the classification are unchanged.

Key points:

• The classification is consistent with the Government's core definition of rurality which defines settlements of 3,000 people or less to be rural. It also classifies areas as remote based on a drive time of 30 minutes or more from settlements of at least 10,000 people
• Changes to settlement sizes and drive times to settlements has resulted in some changes in classification to some settlements
• The population of Kincardine (Fife) has dropped below the 3,000 population threshold and as such has been reclassified from a small town to a rural area. The population of Gretna (Dumfries and Galloway) has risen above the 3,000 threshold and has changed from a rural area to a small town
• Tranent in East Lothian has also experienced an increase in population which has now crossed the 10,000 population threshold. Tranent has now changed from being classified as a small town to an urban area
• A boundary change has meant that Culloden is now included as part of the settlement of Inverness. This means that the locality of Culloden is now classed as urban, as opposed to a small town as before