About our maps
Summary
Three main types of soil maps are available on this website, as well as point data relating to specific locations where soils have been sampled and analysed for a range of properties.
- Soil maps show the distribution of soils across the land. Soil maps were originally produced by field surveyors who walked over the landscape, looking at the soils and other features such as vegetation, and drew boundaries between different soil types. Mapping methods have evolved over time, and now use techniques such as aerial photography and satellite-based Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
- Capability maps classify land based on the potential for what it could grow and how well it could grow it. These take into account soils, climate and landscape. Capability maps are available for both agriculture and forestry.
- Thematic maps show the distribution of a specific soil property such as soil organic matter content.
- Point data are data that relate to soils at a specific location. At these points, soils have been described, sampled and later analysed for a range of properties. The point data maps show where the soils were sampled and selected properties of interest.
National soil map of Scotland
Soil map - This map shows the distribution of the main soil types across the whole of Scotland. It was originally mapped at the 1: 250 000 scale.
Soil map of Scotland (partial cover)
Soil map - This map covers most of Scotland’s cultivated agricultural soils and adjacent uplands. It was originally mapped at the 1: 25 000 scale and shows more detail than the National soil map of Scotland.
World Reference Base soil map
Soil map - The World Reference Base soil map uses an international soil classification based on soil characteristics, properties and horizons (layers).
Scanned soil maps
Soil maps - Links to where you can view and download scanned copies of the original 1:250 000 and 1:63 360 Soil Survey of Scotland maps.
National scale land capability for forestry
Capability map - The national scale land capability for forestry map provides information on how well a piece of land could grow trees based on a number of factors including soil, climate and topography.
National scale land capability for agriculture
Capability map - The national scale land capability for agriculture map provides information on the types of crops that may be grown in different areas dependent on environmental and soil characteristics.
Land capability for agriculture (partial cover)
Capability map - The land capability map for agriculture (partial cover) provides information at a greater resolution than the national map on the types of crops that may be grown in different areas dependent on the environmental and soil characteristics.
Map of topsoil organic carbon concentration
Thematic map - The map shows the soil carbon concentration in the surface layer of soil.
Map of available water capacity
Thematic map - Available water capacity is the amount water a soil can provide for plants and so is a useful indicator of the ability of soils to grow crops.
Map of soil texture in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
Thematic map - Soil texture in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones provides information to help understand what management practices can be performed, and when, within Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs).
Carbon and peatland 2016 map
Thematic map - The map shows the distribution of carbon and peatland classes across the whole of Scotland. It gives a value to indicate the likely presence of carbon-rich soils, deep peat and priority peatland habitat for each individually-mapped area, at a coarse scale.
National Soil Inventory of Scotland (NSIS 1978-88)
Point data - This map shows the sampling locations of the National Soil Inventory of Scotland, classified by the soil type found at each location.
Parent material
Point data - This map shows the soil parent material found at each National Soil Inventory of Scotland sampling location. This is the material that the soil was made from.
Topsoil lead (Pb) concentration
Point data - This map shows the location of each National Soil Inventory of Scotland sampling point. The colour of the symbol relates to the lead concentration of the topsoil found at that point (in parts per million of air-dried soil).
Topsoil zinc (Zn) concentration
Point data - This map shows the location of each National Soil Inventory of Scotland sampling point. The colour of the symbol relates to the zinc concentration of the topsoil found at that point (in parts per million of air-dried soil).
Peatland Action - peat depth
Point data - This map shows the locations where peat depth has been measured as part of the Peatland Action Program.