Scottish Postcode Directory - Postcode Grid References

While Royal Mail (RM) allocate and maintain postcodes for the purposes of delivering mail, National Records of Scotland (NRS) create and maintain digital postcode geographies to support the production of high quality statistics. This dataset provides the grid reference (or centroid) for each live postcode (e.g. KY7 6DG) in Scotland. The grid reference is assigned by choosing either the building nearest to the centre of the most populous part of the postcode, or the grid reference from Gridlink®. Postcode grid references are used in point in polygon processes to allocate each postcode to a set of higher area geographies (e.g. Health Boards). Grid references are published twice a year as part of the Scottish Postcode Directory (SPD) which should be considered the definitive source for postcode geographies in Scotland.

Note the published version of the SPD does not include Royal Mail information on Delivery Point Count (DPC), Delivery Point Count Non-Residential (DPCNR) or Household Count (HC). Those interested in this information should enquire with geographycustomerservices@nrscotland.gov.uk.

 
Citation proposal
. Scottish Postcode Directory - Postcode Grid References. National Records of Scotland https://services.mspdata.eu:/geonetwork/srv/api/records/b8130dd7-014d-40ae-ac82-878f48f86938

Simple

Alternate title
Date ( Creation )
2017-04-02
Date ( Revision )
2020-04-15
Identifier
www.nrscotland.gov.uk / NRS_SPD_GridRef

  Publisher

Maintenance and update frequency
biannually Biannually
GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 ( Theme )
  • Statistical units
IPSV - Integrated Public Sector Vocabulary version 2
  • Postcodes
Access constraints
otherRestrictions Other restrictions
Other constraints
No limitations on public access
Use limitation
This dataset is being made available for your personal, non-commercial use under the terms of the INSPIRE (Scotland) End User Licence because it includes Ordnance Survey (OS) Licensed data. By viewing and or downloading this dataset you will have been deemed to have accepted the terms of this licence. You may not sub-license, distribute, sell or otherwise make available any part of this dataset to third parties (including others within your business), except where expressly authorised in writing by us (the Licensor) and OS (for example, by having a valid licence for the data used in the creation of this dataset).
Use limitation
Where re-use is permitted, the following attribution statements from us must be incorporated into the form of any other required acknowledgement needed to be used under that authorisation: © Crown copyright and database rights (insert year) (organisation covered by Crown copyright) – i.e. “© Crown copyright and database rights (insert year) National Records of Scotland”.
Use limitation
For more information, OSMA members should look at the public sector licensing guidance at www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/business-and-government/help-and-support/public-sector/guidance/ or contact osma@os.uk; while other interested parties should contact businessenquiries@os.uk.
Denominator
1250
Metadata language
eng English
Topic category
  • Location
N
S
E
W


Supplemental Information
Reference system identifier
EPSG / OSGB 1936 / British National Grid (EPSG:27700) / 7.4
Distribution format
  • WMS (1.3.0 )

  • WFS (2.0.0 )

  • ESRI Shapefile (1.0 )

OnLine resource
Postcode Grid References  

OGC View Service

OnLine resource
Postcode_Grid_References  

OGC Feature Download Service

OnLine resource
National Records of Scotland  

Geography - Scottish Postcode Directory

Hierarchy level
dataset Dataset
Statement

National Records of Scotland (NRS) delineate a notional boundary around address content of a live small user postcode utilising real world features depicted in Ordnance Survey’s MasterMap® product. Each postcode boundary is assigned a grid reference (or centroid) by NRS, choosing either the building nearest to the centre of the most populous part of the postcode, or the grid reference from Gridlink® - the brand name for the joint approach to creating postcode location products that relate unit postcodes to geographic areas (e.g. Electoral Wards, Health Boards, etc.). As postcode boundaries are subject to continuous change, the grid references may change as the content and shape of the postcode boundaries are altered.

This dataset is formally issued twice a year as part of National Records of Scotland’s Scottish Postcode Directory (SPD). In addition to postcode geographies, the SPD contains a database detailing the higher geographies that each postcode is assigned to. NRS produce two versions of the SPD, one containing Royal Mail Delivery Point information and another without. If you require delivery point information please contact customer services.

Note the published version of the SPD does not include Royal Mail information on Delivery Point Count (DPC), Delivery Point Count Non-Residential (DPCNR) or Household Count (HC). Those interested in this information should enquire with NRS Geography Customer Services

For more information on the postcode geography please see background note at www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files/geography/Products/postcode-bkgrd-info.pdf or contact NRS Geography Customer Services.

Metadata

File identifier
b8130dd7-014d-40ae-ac82-878f48f86938   XML
Metadata language
eng English
Hierarchy level
dataset Dataset
Date stamp
2020-04-14
Metadata standard name
ISO 19115:2003/19139
Metadata standard version
1.0

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