Locations and commercial property
Not sure where in Scotland to set up your business? Depending on your sector, business type and needs, there are lots of different locations to choose from. From our big cities to our rural locations and industrial parks, Scotland can provide a huge range of options at a lower cost. Plus, our smart cities, enterprising business parks and prime real estate offer great investment opportunities.
3 of the UK’s top 10 cities
Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen are all in the UK’s top 10 cities for international investment
16 enterprise zones
Our enterprise zones are strategically located across the country
Millions invested in long-term plans
Government funding is helping to boost our cities and rural areas.
Find the right location for your business
As Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh offers easy access to talent, a rich business infrastructure, high-quality office space and easy links between other major cities. It offers cheaper office space and staff costs than London, while being just a short flight away.
£300m is being invested in Edinburgh over 15 years to deliver economic growth, particularly in innovation.
Business facilities in Edinburgh
- Construction Scotland Innovation Centre
- The Data Lab Edinburgh
- Edinburgh BioQuarter – enterprise area for life sciences
- BioCampus – Midlothian – enterprise area for life sciences
- Leith Port – enterprise area for low carbon and renewables
- Broxburn & Livingston – food and drink manufacturing enterprise area
Read more about why J.P. Morgan, Xilinx, HSBC, Dexcom and iRes-Geo chose Edinburgh.
With its strong history of medical innovation, the incredible talent pool in the city, and the strategic inward investment through Scottish Enterprise, Edinburgh really stood out for us as a location.
John Lister, general manager EMEA, Dexcom
Like Edinburgh, Glasgow offers plenty of talented graduates and specialists, access to multiple new office developments and a thriving business ecosystem. It’s got a strong financial and fintech ecosystem, attracting major global companies as well as exciting new startups.
Glasgow is receiving £500m over 20 years to support infrastructure investment and employment.
Business facilities in Glasgow
- Creative Clyde – enterprise zone for creative industries
- Industrial Biotechnology Centre
- CENSIS - Scotland's innovation centre for sensors, imaging and IoT technologies
- Precision Medicine Scotland Innovation Centre
- Construction Scotland Innovation Centre
- Digital Health Institute
- The Data Lab Glasgow
- BioCity – North Lanarkshire – enterprise area for life sciences
Read more about why Barclays, Previse and Spire chose Glasgow.
Glasgow has become a thriving centre of UK financial technology, making it an ideal place for us. Ultimately, it’s not just about cost, it must be about talent as well, and that’s what helped me decide – it’s Glasgow.
David Brown, co-founder and chief product officer at Previse
Aberdeen is famous throughout the world for its oil and gas industry. There are lots of oil and gas companies already located here, plus companies in related services like engineering. Aberdeenshire is also seeing a growing renewables sector.
Aberdeenshire is receiving £125m over 10 years to support investment and innovation infrastructure, plus £245m to deliver improved transport, digital and housing infrastructure.
Aberdeen’s business facilities
- Oil & gas innovation centre
- The Data Lab Aberdeen
Aberdeen is a great place to be based because you have all the skills that you need here. There’s a deep understanding of the industry that really doesn’t exist in this concentrated a cluster almost anywhere else in the world.
Steven Gray, CEO of ROVOP
Set in the picturesque north, Inverness and the Highlands and Islands offer the land space, air space and natural resources to support a wide variety of sectors. Renewables, life sciences, space and aerospace companies thrive particularly well here.
£135m has been committed over 10 years to support economic growth in digital connectivity, skills, innovation and infrastructure in this area.
Business facilities in Inverness and the Highlands and Islands
- The Data Lab Inverness
- Forres Enterprise Park – enterprise area for life sciences
- Inverness campus – enterprise area for life sciences
- Enterprise area for low carbon and renewables – Nigg, Hatston (Orkney), Scrabster, Arnish (Western Isles) and Lyness (Orkney)
- Space facilities (Hebrides, Sutherland, Orkney)
Find out more about why BC Technologies, Fish Vet Group and Uist Asco chose the Highlands and Islands.
I can have video conference meetings with my team down south, which is only possible because of the high-speed connectivity. Now we can pretty much do everything we could in London – but our costs are less.
Brendon Wallace, founder and partner, BC Technologies
Conveniently located a short train journey between Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, Stirling is a great location for companies looking to do business across Scotland. It offers a mix of office and industrial space, and the nearby Stirling University – one of Scotland’s top research universities – offers facilities and talent for your business.
Stirling is receiving £45m investment towards new economic infrastructure and growth.
Business facilities in Stirling
- International Environment Centre (under development)
- Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre
- Stirling University Innovation Park
- The Sport Hive
Covering Dundee, Perthshire, Angus and Fife, Tayside is receiving £150 million in funding over 10 to 15 years to support inclusion, industry, innovation, and internationalisation. This large area of Scotland offers opportunities in agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and more.
Dundee is a particularly exciting area with a thriving games development industry. Companies in Dundee have worked on world-famous games like Grand Theft Auto 5 and Angry Birds.
Business facilities in Tayside
- Enterprise area for low carbon and renewables – Dundee Port and Dundee Claverhouse
- Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc (under development)
Find out why GlaxoSmithKline, Outplay, and Renovite chose Tayside.
Most important for a business like us is available talent, being able to go and know there is a great level of experience and expertise. There were really very few places in the world that had experience doing social network games or mobile games, both of which were being done in Dundee.
Douglas Hare, CEO of Outplay
Prestwick in Ayrshire is Scotland’s only enterprise area for aerospace, with more than 20 aerospace companies already based at Prestwick Aerospace. Over 50% of Scotland’s aerospace workforce is based in the area, and a specialist training centre and apprenticeship schemes mean there’s a constant supply of new talent.
With easy access to Glasgow and the south and cheaper costs for industrial units, Ayrshire also offers an ideal location for manufacturing and industrial activities.
Business facilities in Ayrshire
- Irvine – Enterprise are for life sciences
- Prestwick – Enterprise area for aerospace
Read more about why GlaxoSmithKline chose Ayrshire for a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant.
Scotland's Enterprise Zones and business incentives
Being in Scotland means you’ll also benefit from business clusters – you can choose to locate your business in a specialised centre of excellence for your sector.
Our 16 Enterprise Zones (Areas) offer support to help you set up and expand, including simplified planning processes, financial incentives and business-ready infrastructures.
Find out about Scotland's Enterprise Areas and business incentives on the GOV.SCOT website
Average property costs in Scotland
Commercial property costs in Scotland are significantly lower than in London, and lower than many other UK cities. Here’s how the cost of Grade A office space per square foot compares around the UK:
- Edinburgh – £35 city centre / £22.00 out of town
- Glasgow – £32.50 city centre / £17.00 out of town
- Aberdeen – £32.50
- London West End – £120.00
- London City – £68.50
- Manchester – £37.50
- Birmingham – £34.00
- Dublin – €60.00 (around £54.00)
Source: Colliers International
Looking for a range of capital investment opportunities in Scotland?
We've showcased a range of current/live investment opportunities both for green investment and for commercial real estate. So whether you are a property developer looking for your next project, or a venture capitalist looking for new and exciting opportunities in the low carbon space, we have a number of investment opportunities available.
Explore investment opportunities
How we can help
We can work with your business to understand your needs, and then help you choose a location that’s going to work for you long-term. Once you’ve decided on a location, we can help you find the right office, unit, land or other type of space. We can help you through the process or leasing, buying or building – and can even help you access any funding you might be eligible for.
Speak to our team to get started
We can answer any questions you have, or help you get the ball rolling if you’re interested in setting up here.
You might also be interested in
Setting up your business
Find guidance on setting up a business in Scotland, including information on taxes, insurance, immigration and more.
Infrastructure and connectivity
Scotland has excellent transport links to the rest of the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, as well offering a first-class digital infrastructure.
Financial and tax incentives
Funding and tax relief schemes are great ways to get new projects off the ground and attract new investors to help you grow.