« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
Introduction
Rural Scotland differs from the rest of Scotland but there are also differences within rural Scotland, for example between accessible and remote areas. The purpose of this booklet is to summarise the key facts related to rural Scotland in order to provide a picture of the lives of its people. Improving the evidence base on rural Scotland will assist us in understanding the issues affecting rural Scotland.
Definition of Rural Scotland
Rural Scotland is defined as settlements with a population of less than 3,000. By analysing drive times to larger settlements we can divide rural Scotland into:
Accessible rural: those with a less than 30 minute drive time to the nearest settlement with a population of 10,000 or more;
Remote rural: those with a greater than 30 minute drive time to the nearest settlement with a population of 10,000 or more.
These definitions form part of the Scottish Executive's urban rural classification. The map opposite shows the full classification. Accessible rural areas are shown in a light blue colour and remote rural areas are shown in a light yellow colour.
In order to highlight differences between rural Scotland and the rest of Scotland, this booklet combines the first four categories into the Rest of Scotland figures. The rest of Scotland therefore includes large urban areas, other urban areas, accessible small towns and remote small towns.
Map of Rural Scotland
« Previous | Contents | Next »