Second periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries

The Second periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries was carried out by Boundaries Scotland between 2022 and 2025, beginning on 1 September 2022. Provisional proposals were published on 15 April 2023; following consultations revised proposals were published in April 2024. Further proposals with modifications to the revised proposals were published in September 2024. Final reccomendations were published in 1st May 2025. These final proposals were formally approved in October 2025, establishing the new constituencies and regions that will be first contested at the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.

The Scotland Act 1998 as amended by the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 required the commission to review boundaries of all constituencies except Orkney, Shetland and Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (which cover, respectively, the Orkney Islands council area, the Shetland Islands council area and the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar) so that Scotland would continue to be covered by a total of 73 constituencies. The Orkney, Shetland and Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituencies were taken into account, however, in review of boundaries of the additional member regions.

The review should have taken place within 12 years of the first periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries; however, by the time of the 2021 Scottish Parliament election this had not taken place. A meeting of the Boundary Commission in 2017 indicated that an extension would be sought by the Scottish Government to have the constituencies reviewed by the time of the next proposed election.