National Soil Map of Scotland

National coverage of the main soil types across Scotland mapped originally at 1:250 000 scale. The map is based on the systematic survey of the soils of Scotland 1947 and 1981. This dataset is the digital (vector) version of the paper Soils of Scotland 1:250,000 maps and is a reconnaissance scale soil map. This dataset is an inventory of the soils of Scotland and is the only soil map that covers all of the country. This version includes both the original 1984 and the 2013 soil classification, some minor polygon corrections and some alterations to the symbology used for display.

The original maps were published in the 1980s as 7 separate sheets with an associated handbook. They can now be viewed on, and downloaded from, The James Hutton Institute website. (www.hutton.ac.uk/soil-maps)

The dataset should be cited as: Soil Survey of Scotland Staff (1981). Soil maps of Scotland at a scale of 1:250 000. Macaulay Institute for Soil Research, Aberdeen. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4646891.

Metadata can be found at: https://spatialdata.gov.scot/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/B7E65842-C041-4950-BF0C-3AF06C2DBAE7

This work was funded by the Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services Division of the Scottish Government.