The Scottish Parliament (Constituencies and Regions) Order 2025

Made: 15th October 2025

Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2) and (3)

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 15th day of October 2025Present,The King’s Most Excellent Majesty in Council

Accordingly, His Majesty is pleased, by and with the advice of His Privy Council, to order as follows:

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1

• (1) This Order may be cited as the Scottish Parliament (Constituencies and Regions) Order 2025.

• (2) Except for article 4, this Order comes into force on the day after the day on which it is made[^f00002].

• (3) Article 4 comes into force on the dissolution of the Scottish Parliament.

• (4) In this Order “the Act” means the Scotland Act 1998.

Constituencies

2

• (1) For the purposes of paragraph 1(2)(c) of schedule 1[^f00003] of the Act, the constituencies provided for are those which—

• (a) are named in column 1 of the table in schedule 1 of this Order, and

• (b) comprise the areas described for each such constituency in the deposited data.

• (2) In paragraph (1)(b) the “deposited data” means the geographic information system data which—

• (a) was submitted to the Scottish Ministers on 30 April 2025, together with the report by Boundaries Scotland entitled “Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries” dated April 2025, and

• (b) is held as such by the Scottish Ministers on a computer system under their management and control.

• (3) The constituencies are designated as being either county constituencies or burgh constituencies according to the entry in column 2 of the table in schedule 1 of this Order opposite each constituency name.

Region

3

For the purposes of paragraph 2(2) of schedule 1 of the Act[^f00004], the regions provided for are those which—

• (a) are named in column 1 of the table in schedule 2 of this Order, and

• (b) comprise the combined area of the constituencies mentioned in column 2 of that table opposite the name of each region.

Revocation

4

The Scottish Parliament (Constituencies and Regions) Order 2020[^f00005] is revoked.

SCHEDULE 1 — Scottish Parliament Constituencies

(other than Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands Constituencies)

SCHEDULE 2 — Scottish Parliament Regions

Signed

Richard Tilbrook — Clerk of the Privy Council

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Order gives effect to the recommendations contained in the Report on the Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries by Boundaries Scotland dated April 2025. The report is available on the Boundaries Scotland website (https://boundaries.scot/) and hard copies can also be requested by telephoning 0131 244 2001 or by emailing boundaries.scot@scottishboundaries.gov.uk.

The Order defines the name, status and area of 70 of the 73 Scottish Parliament constituencies and the name and area of each Scottish Parliament region. The constituencies of Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands are not included as constituencies defined by schedule 1 of this Order because paragraph 1(2) of schedule 1 of the Scotland Act 1998 (the “1998 Act”), as amended by section18 of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 (asp 12), provides for them directly.

This Order comes into force on the day after it is made (with the exception of article 4). It does not affect the return of any member of the Parliament or the Parliament’s constitution until the Parliament is dissolved (paragraph 6(7) of schedule 1 to the 1998 Act). Article 4, which revokes the Scottish Parliament (Constituencies and Regions) Order 2020, comes into force when the Scottish Parliament is dissolved.

The 70 constituencies are named and defined by article 2(1) read together with schedule 1. The boundaries are described by reference to the geographic information system (“GIS”) data held by the Scottish Ministers which was submitted to them by Boundaries Scotland on 30 April 2025 together with the Boundaries Scotland’s report entitled “Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries” and dated April 2025. Indicative maps showing the constituencies and regions defined by this Order are included in this note. Individual indicative maps for each constituency and region and the corresponding GIS data are available on the Boundaries Scotland website (https://boundaries.scot/). Hard copy indicative maps for each constituency and region can also be requested by telephoning 0131 244 2001 or by emailing boundaries.scot@scottishboundaries.gov.uk.

Article 2 (3) read together with schedule 1 specifies whether each of the 70 constituencies named by this Order is a burgh or county constituency, which is relevant to the application of the rules governing the conduct of elections to the Scottish Parliament. Article 42 (limitation of election expenses: constituency and individual regional candidates) of the Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2015 ([S.S.I. 2015/425](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2015/425)) provides that the constituencies of Na h-Elieanan an Iar, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands are county constituencies for the purpose of that article.

The regions are named and defined by article 3 read together with schedule 2.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1998 c. 46. Schedule 1 was substituted by section 1(1) of the Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004 (c. 13). Schedule 1 has subsequently been amended by schedule 1 of the Scotland Act 2012 (c. 11), section 8 of the Scotland Act 2016 (c. 11), section 18(1) of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 (asp 12), and sections 28(3), 30, 32 and 33, and paragraph 3 of the schedule of the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 (asp 12).

[^f00002]: By virtue of paragraph 6(7) of schedule 1 of the Scotland Act 1998 the coming into force date of this Order does not affect the return of any member to the Scottish Parliament or its constitution until the Scottish Parliament is dissolved.

[^f00003]: Paragraph 1(2)(c) was substituted by paragraph 8 of schedule 1 of the Scotland Act 2012 (c. 11).

[^f00004]: Paragraph 2(2) was substituted by paragraph 9 of schedule 1 of the Scotland Act 2012 (c. 11)

[^f00005]: S.S.I. 2020/375.