Statistical Bulletin ENV/2004/1 Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey 2003
8 Period of time since which land has lain vacant or derelict
8.1 Where the length of time for which land had lain unused was known, 21 per cent (1,380 hectares) of vacant and derelict land in urban areas and 42 per cent (1,491 hectares) of rural derelict land had been unused since before 1981 (Table 14 and Table 15). This figure varies widely between the different local authorities. Table 16 identifies vacant and derelict sites in urban areas separately, for land that has been unused since before 1985.
Table 14: Urban sites: Date when vacant or derelict 1, 2 land was first identified, by local authority area, 2003
Local Authority | Pre-1981 | 1981-1985 | 1986-1990 | 1991-1995 | 1996-2000 | 2001-2003 | Unknown 3 | Total |
Area (ha) | Cumul-ative % | Area (ha) | Cumul-ative % | Area (ha) | Cumul-ative % | Area (ha) | Cumul-ative % | Area (ha) | Cumul-ative % | Area (ha) | Cumul-ative % | Area (ha) | Area (ha) |
Aberdeen City | 5 | 13 | * | 13 | 5 | 26 | 10 | 52 | 15 | 90 | 4 | 100 | 65 | 105 |
Aberdeenshire | 2 | 12 | * | 13 | 12 | 74 | 5 | 97 | 1 | 100 | - | 100 | 26 | 46 |
Angus | 26 | 38 | 1 | 39 | 3 | 44 | 14 | 65 | 6 | 73 | 18 | 100 | 3 | 72 |
Argyll & Bute 4 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 48 | 15 | 86 | 5 | 99 | 1 | 100 | - | 100 | - | 40 |
Clackmannanshire | 14 | 23 | - | 23 | 28 | 68 | * | 69 | 7 | 80 | 12 | 100 | - | 61 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 52 | 87 | 1 | 89 | 1 | 90 | 1 | 93 | 4 | 99 | * | 100 | 18 | 78 |
Dundee City | 100 | 45 | 7 | 48 | 27 | 61 | 18 | 69 | 56 | 94 | 13 | 100 | 3 | 224 |
East Ayrshire | - | - | 14 | 16 | 37 | 59 | 18 | 79 | 8 | 87 | 11 | 100 | - | 89 |
East Dunbartonshire | - | - | 27 | 23 | 7 | 30 | 28 | 53 | 8 | 60 | 46 | 100 | - | 117 |
East Lothian | 19 | 50 | * | 51 | 1 | 54 | 2 | 58 | 15 | 97 | 1 | 100 | 28 | 67 |
East Renfrewshire | 5 | 10 | 5 | 21 | 3 | 28 | 16 | 63 | 5 | 74 | 12 | 100 | - | 46 |
Edinburgh, City of | 21 | 47 | 1 | 50 | 10 | 74 | 7 | 90 | 4 | 100 | * | 100 | 46 | 89 |
Eilean Siar | 1 | 13 | 1 | 24 | * | 26 | 3 | 89 | 1 | 100 | - | 100 | 5 | 11 |
Falkirk | 81 | 38 | 22 | 48 | 12 | 54 | 41 | 72 | 51 | 96 | 8 | 100 | 10 | 226 |
Fife | 24 | 12 | 14 | 19 | 14 | 26 | 9 | 30 | 68 | 64 | 74 | 100 | 120 | 325 |
Glasgow City | 285 | 21 | 374 | 49 | 105 | 57 | 226 | 74 | 253 | 92 | 103 | 100 | - | 1,345 |
Highland | 179 | 51 | 38 | 62 | 87 | 86 | 26 | 94 | 17 | 99 | 5 | 100 | 8 | 358 |
Inverclyde | 11 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 8 | 22 | 37 | 48 | 51 | 85 | 21 | 100 | 2 | 142 |
Midlothian | 121 | 75 | 4 | 77 | 24 | 92 | 2 | 93 | 10 | 99 | 1 | 100 | 19 | 182 |
Moray 4 | 22 | 63 | - | 63 | 2 | 68 | 6 | 85 | 4 | 96 | 2 | 100 | 4 | 39 |
North Ayrshire | 20 | 4 | 93 | 24 | 90 | 43 | 92 | 62 | 136 | 91 | 44 | 100 | 3 | 478 |
North Lanarkshire | 192 | 14 | 262 | 33 | 145 | 43 | 589 | 86 | 177 | 98 | 23 | 100 | 8 | 1,395 |
Orkney Islands | 13 | 100 | - | 100 | - | 100 | - | 100 | - | 100 | - | 100 | - | 13 |
Perth & Kinross | 9 | 15 | 27 | 62 | 5 | 70 | 7 | 82 | 11 | 100 | - | 100 | 3 | 62 |
Renfrewshire | - | - | 77 | 29 | 65 | 53 | 21 | 61 | 60 | 83 | 46 | 100 | - | 269 |
Scottish Borders 4 | 11 | 34 | 6 | 54 | 2 | 60 | 9 | 87 | 4 | 100 | - | 100 | 14 | 47 |
Shetland Islands 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | * | - | 2 | - | - | 100 | - | 2 |
South Ayrshire | - | - | 43 | 34 | 53 | 75 | 5 | 79 | 21 | 95 | 6 | 100 | 16 | 144 |
South Lanarkshire | 12 | 4 | 183 | 60 | 54 | 77 | 32 | 87 | 12 | 91 | 30 | 100 | 83 | 406 |
Stirling | - | - | 34 | 41 | * | 41 | - | 41 | 33 | 82 | 15 | 100 | 40 | 122 |
West Dunbartonshire | 40 | 18 | 23 | 29 | 31 | 43 | 39 | 60 | 52 | 84 | 36 | 100 | 2 | 222 |
West Lothian | 113 | 61 | - | 61 | 17 | 70 | 42 | 93 | 10 | 98 | 3 | 100 | 61 | 245 |
Scotland | 1,380 | 21 | 1,287 | 41 | 865 | 55 | 1,310 | 75 | 1,102 | 92 | 534 | 100 | 588 | 7,066 |
1. Figures are for total vacant and derelict land in urban areas
2. Figures may not sum due to rounding
3. Unknown values are excluded from the calculation of percentage values
4. 2002 data have been used for the following council areas: Argyll and Bute, Moray, Scottish Borders and the Shetland Islands.
Table 15: Rural sites: Date when derelict 1, 2 land was first identified, by local authority area, 2003
Local Authority | Pre-1981 | 1981-1985 | 1986-1990 | 1991-1995 | 1996-2000 | 2001-2002 | Unknown 3 | Total |
Area (ha) | Cumul-ative % | Area (ha) | Cumul-ative % | Area (ha) | Cumul-ative % | Area (ha) | Cumul-ative % | Area (ha) | Cumul-ative % | Area (ha) | Cumul-ative % | Area (ha) | Area (ha) |
Aberdeen City | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Aberdeenshire | 69 | 99 | - | 99 | - | 99 | - | 99 | * | 100 | - | 100 | 3 | 72 |
Angus | 76 | 90 | - | 90 | 2 | 92 | 1 | 93 | 6 | 100 | - | 100 | - | 84 |
Argyll & Bute 4 | 3 | 54 | - | 54 | 1 | 65 | 2 | 100 | - | 100 | - | 100 | - | 6 |
Clackmannanshire | 9 | 52 | - | 52 | - | 52 | - | 52 | - | 52 | 8 | 100 | - | 17 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 140 | 53 | - | 53 | 3 | 54 | 117 | 99 | 2 | 100 | - | 100 | 18 | 280 |
Dundee City | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
East Ayrshire | - | - | 35 | 18 | 156 | 97 | 1 | 98 | 4 | 100 | * | 100 | 45 | 241 |
East Dunbartonshire | - | - | 6 | 93 | - | 93 | * | 100 | - | 100 | - | 100 | - | 6 |
East Lothian | 18 | 36 | 6 | 48 | 2 | 53 | - | 53 | 24 | 100 | - | 100 | 5 | 55 |
East Renfrewshire | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Edinburgh, City of | - | - | - | - | - | - | 34 | 100 | - | 100 | - | 100 | - | 34 |
Eilean Siar | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Falkirk | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | * | 1 | 23 | 100 | 6 | 30 |
Fife | 17 | 4 | 16 | 8 | 305 | 80 | - | 80 | 64 | 95 | 22 | 100 | 2 | 426 |
Glasgow City | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Highland | 734 | 93 | 19 | 95 | 24 | 98 | 14 | 100 | - | 100 | - | 100 | 4 | 795 |
Inverclyde | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Midlothian | 60 | 64 | - | 64 | 14 | 80 | * | 80 | 19 | 100 | * | 100 | 13 | 107 |
Moray 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
North Ayrshire | 7 | 9 | 14 | 27 | 4 | 33 | 26 | 67 | 19 | 92 | 6 | 100 | 1 | 77 |
North Lanarkshire | 58 | 51 | 29 | 77 | - | 77 | 3 | 79 | 23 | 100 | * | 100 | - | 114 |
Orkney Islands | 5 | 97 | - | 97 | - | 97 | - | 97 | * | 100 | - | 100 | - | 5 |
Perth & Kinross | 17 | 50 | 3 | 59 | - | 59 | 13 | 96 | 1 | 100 | - | 100 | 14 | 47 |
Renfrewshire | - | - | 5 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 1 | 732 | 100 | 1 | 100 | - | 738 |
Scottish Borders 4 | 17 | 92 | - | 92 | * | 93 | 1 | 100 | - | 100 | - | 100 | - | 19 |
Shetland Islands 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
South Ayrshire | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
South Lanarkshire | 34 | 23 | 25 | 39 | 72 | 87 | 12 | 95 | * | 96 | 7 | 100 | 79 | 229 |
Stirling | 74 | 94 | - | 94 | 2 | 97 | 1 | 98 | 2 | 100 | - | 100 | 9 | 88 |
West Dunbartonshire | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
West Lothian | 152 | 50 | - | 50 | 138 | 95 | 1 | 96 | - | 96 | 12 | 100 | 7 | 311 |
Scotland | 1,491 | 42 | 158 | 46 | 724 | 66 | 226 | 73 | 897 | 98 | 80 | 100 | 206 | 3,781 |
1. Figures are for total derelict land
2. Figures may not sum due to rounding
3. Unknown values are excluded from the calculation of percentage values
4. 2002 data have been used for the following council areas: Argyll and Bute, Moray, Scottish Borders and the Shetland Islands
Table 16: Urban sites that have lain vacant or derelict since before 1985 1, by local authority area, 2003
Local Authority | Derelict Land | Vacant Land | Total Vacant and Derelict Land |
Pre-1985 | Unknown 2 | Total | Pre-1985 | Unknown 2 | Total | Pre-1985 | Unknown 2 | Total |
Area (ha) | % of urban derelict land 3 | No. of Sites | Area (ha) | Area (ha) | Area (ha) | % of urban vacant land 3 | No. of Sites | Area (ha) | Area (ha) | Area (ha) | % of total urban land 3 | No. of Sites | Area (ha) | Area (ha) |
Aberdeen City | 5 | 31 | 2 | 52 | 66 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 39 | 5 | 13 | 3 | 65 | 105 |
Aberdeenshire | 1 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 24 | 41 | 3 | 13 | 4 | 26 | 46 |
Angus | 23 | 66 | 8 | 1 | 36 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 36 | 27 | 39 | 11 | 3 | 72 |
Argyll & Bute 4 | - | - | - | - | 8 | 19 | 61 | 31 | - | 32 | 19 | 48 | 31 | - | 40 |
Clackmannanshire | 12 | 30 | 7 | - | 39 | 2 | 11 | 2 | - | 22 | 14 | 23 | 9 | - | 61 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 15 | 88 | 3 | 10 | 27 | 39 | 90 | 7 | 8 | 51 | 53 | 89 | 10 | 18 | 78 |
Dundee City | 31 | 71 | 6 | 1 | 45 | 76 | 43 | 51 | 2 | 179 | 107 | 48 | 57 | 3 | 224 |
East Ayrshire | 1 | 3 | 2 | - | 41 | 13 | 28 | 15 | - | 48 | 14 | 16 | 17 | - | 89 |
East Dunbartonshire | 21 | 44 | 5 | - | 47 | 7 | 10 | 3 | - | 70 | 27 | 23 | 8 | - | 117 |
East Lothian | 18 | 55 | 4 | 7 | 40 | 1 | 26 | 2 | 22 | 27 | 19 | 51 | 6 | 28 | 67 |
East Renfrewshire | 4 | 11 | 5 | - | 35 | 6 | 49 | 5 | - | 11 | 9 | 21 | 10 | - | 46 |
Edinburgh, City of | 12 | 57 | 7 | 21 | 43 | 10 | 44 | 5 | 24 | 47 | 22 | 50 | 12 | 46 | 89 |
Eilean Siar | 1 | 83 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 24 | 2 | 5 | 11 |
Falkirk | 44 | 51 | 12 | 5 | 91 | 59 | 46 | 39 | 5 | 134 | 103 | 48 | 51 | 10 | 226 |
Fife | 27 | 22 | 10 | 99 | 222 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 22 | 103 | 38 | 19 | 20 | 120 | 325 |
Glasgow City | 477 | 64 | 147 | - | 743 | 182 | 30 | 197 | - | 602 | 659 | 49 | 344 | - | 1,345 |
Highland | 67 | 49 | 34 | 5 | 142 | 150 | 70 | 104 | 3 | 216 | 216 | 62 | 138 | 8 | 358 |
Inverclyde | 8 | 14 | 7 | - | 62 | 14 | 18 | 12 | 1 | 80 | 22 | 16 | 19 | 2 | 142 |
Midlothian | 113 | 77 | 34 | 5 | 152 | 12 | 77 | 8 | 14 | 30 | 125 | 77 | 42 | 19 | 182 |
Moray 4 | 2 | 30 | 4 | - | 7 | 20 | 71 | 24 | 4 | 32 | 22 | 63 | 28 | 4 | 39 |
North Ayrshire | 54 | 19 | 24 | 1 | 280 | 59 | 30 | 34 | 2 | 198 | 113 | 24 | 58 | 3 | 478 |
North Lanarkshire | 306 | 33 | 72 | 8 | 926 | 148 | 32 | 56 | - | 469 | 454 | 33 | 128 | 8 | 1,395 |
Orkney Islands | 4 | 100 | 3 | - | 4 | 9 | 100 | 11 | - | 9 | 13 | 100 | 14 | - | 13 |
Perth & Kinross | 10 | 52 | 6 | 1 | 20 | 26 | 66 | 2 | 2 | 42 | 36 | 62 | 8 | 3 | 62 |
Renfrewshire | 25 | 30 | 7 | - | 83 | 52 | 28 | 20 | - | 186 | 77 | 29 | 27 | - | 269 |
Scottish Borders 4 | 10 | 72 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 7 | 39 | 13 | 7 | 25 | 17 | 54 | 20 | 14 | 47 |
Shetland Islands 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 |
South Ayrshire | 31 | 27 | 5 | 10 | 123 | 12 | 82 | 6 | 6 | 21 | 43 | 34 | 11 | 16 | 144 |
South Lanarkshire | 152 | 77 | 48 | 41 | 239 | 43 | 34 | 47 | 42 | 167 | 195 | 60 | 95 | 83 | 406 |
Stirling | 34 | 63 | 1 | 28 | 82 | - | - | - | 12 | 40 | 34 | 41 | 1 | 40 | 122 |
West Dunbartonshire | 41 | 23 | 19 | 1 | 183 | 22 | 57 | 17 | 1 | 39 | 63 | 29 | 36 | 2 | 222 |
West Lothian | 74 | 78 | 8 | 53 | 147 | 39 | 43 | 15 | 8 | 98 | 113 | 61 | 23 | 61 | 245 |
Scotland | 1,620 | 45 | 500 | 358 | 3,960 | 1,046 | 36 | 743 | 230 | 3,107 | 2,666 | 41 | 1,243 | 588 | 7,066 |
1. Figures may not sum due to rounding
2. The date when the site first became vacant or derelict is unknown
3. The percentage of urban vacant/derelict land that has been unused since before 1985, unknowns are excluded from total
4. 2002 data have been used for the following council areas: Argyll and Bute, Moray, Scottish Borders and the Shetland Islands