We have made a map of the hyperscale data centre projects being planned in Scotland.
Click on the map to find out information on the capacity, stage of planning, developer. And each proposed site has a dedicated webpage with more information including maps and plans, links to planning documents, and contact details of local campaign groups. We may not be aware of all of them so if we have missed some, please let us know!
Local campaigns
If you want to know where to start with campaigning – read these tips. You can find a local group in the link below. If you have any updates to the data centre map or have a group you would like us to add, please get in touch!
List of the data centres we know of
This update is from 13 August 2026 – total, 21 sites in local authority planning portals, 2 not yet in the planning system
In Red will not be required to do an EIA, In Green, will be required to do an EIA. (for the Gyle development the Scottish Government Reporter overturned the decision of Edinburgh City Council not to require an EIA, and the Minister for Public Finance overturned the decisions of Fife and Edinburgh so Auchtertool and Hermiston will now be required to do an EIA)
| Map-View Site Name | Stage of Planning | Developer | Capacity MW | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravenscraig (West) North Lanarkshire | PAN done EIA not required Awaiting application | Apatura | 550MW – split between sites | aprs.scot/ravenscraig-dc |
| Ravenscraig (East) North Lanarkshire | PAN done EIA not required Awaiting application | Apatura | 550MW – split between sites | aprs.scot/ravenscraig-dc |
| Coldstream Borders | PAN done EIA not required Awaiting application | Apatura | 300MW | aprs.scot/coldstream-dc |
| Plains (Drumshangie) North Lanarkshire | PAN done | Apatura | 500MW | aprs.scot/drumshangie-dc |
| Auchtertool Fife | PAN done EIA not required Planning Permission in Principle submitted Scottish Government overturned EIA decision | ILI Group | 600MW | aprs.scot/auchtertool-dc |
| Larbert Falkirk | PAN done EIA required Full Planning application submitted | Apatura | 300MW | aprs.scot/apatura-larbert/ |
| Hurlford East Ayrshire | PAN done no further progress | ILI Group | 540MW | aprs.scot/hurlford-dc/ |
| Hunterston, West Kilbride North Ayrshire | PAN done and EIA scoping agreed | Eneus Energy Limited | unknown (but onsite BESS is 450MW) | aprs.scot/hunterston-data-centre/ |
| Newhouse, North Lanrigg Farm North Lanarkshire | PAN done and EIA screening submitted. | ILI Group | 400MW | aprs.scot/newhouse-dc |
| Greenock IBM site Inverclyde | EIA not required Application for planning in principle submitted. Deadline for objections 16 September 2026 | Slate Islands Development | may be 150MW (according to Pre Application FAQs) | aprs.scot/greenock-ibm-data-centre/ |
| South Gyle Edinburgh | Local authority determined EIA not required Planning Application (PPP) refused, developer appealed. SG reporter has now said an EIA will be required | Shelborn Drummond Ltd | 212.42MW | aprs.scot/gyle-dc |
| West Edinburgh (Wester Hermiston) | PAN done EIA not required Awaiting application Scottish Government overturned EIA decision | Apatura | 200MW | aprs.scot/hermiston-dc |
| West Calder (Freeport) West Lothian | PAN done no further progress | Apatura | 250MW | aprs.scot/freeport-dc |
| Bishopbriggs (Westerhill) East Dunbartonshire | PAN done EIA required Awaiting application | Apatura | 300MW | aprs.scot/bishopbriggs-dc |
| Haspielaw (near Hamilton) South Lanarkshire | PAN done EIA required Awaiting application | Apatura | unknown | aprs.scot/hamilton-dc |
| Ochiltree East Ayrshire | PAN done EIA required Awaiting application | Apatura | 200MW | aprs.scot/ochiltree-dc |
| Duns/Longformacus Scottish Borders | PAN done EIA required Awaiting application | Sunlaws Development company (Roxburghe Estate) | 225MW | aprs.scot/duns-dc |
| Dunbar East Lothian | PAN done EIA required Awaiting application | Thistle Sands Data Limited | unknown (very large – 62.5 hectares) | aprs.scot/dunbar-dc |
| Chapelhall (DV4), Lancaster Road North Lanarkshire | PAN done EIA not required Awaiting application | HFD Renewables NL (DataVita is HFD’s data centre division) | AI growth zone (500MW over 2 sites) DV4 100-125MW (no EIA required) | aprs.scot/chapelhall-ai-growth-zone/ |
| Chapelhall (DV6), South Lanridge Farm North Lanarkshire | PAN done EIA screening yet to be submitted | HFD Renewables NL (DataVita is HFD’s data centre division) | AI growth zone (500MW over 2 sites) DV6 – size unknown | aprs.scot/chapelhall-ai-growth-zone/ |
| Chapelcross Dumfries and Galloway | PAN validated 11 May EIA is required | Nuclear Decommissioning Authority & CX Power | 1000MW | aprs.scot/chapelcross-data-centre/ |
| Hyperscale Data Centres yet to reach pre-planning or planning | ||||
| Cockenzie East Lothian | not in planning or pre-planning yet | East Lothian Council with Sustainable Development Capital LLP | unknown | aprs.scot/cockenzie/ |
| Aberdeen, Blackdog | The developers “believe plans for the multi-billion pound data centre would align with these conditions” from a previous application for a town centre at the site. We believe this is unlikely. | Ashfield Land and TechRE | ‘multi-gigawatt’ starting at 600MW | aprs.scot/aberdeen-blackdog/ |
Removed from the above table as unlikely to go ahead
| Dunoon Argyll | Planning application granted for a much smaller data centre development | Argyll Data Development Ltd. and SambaNova | 100-600MW (scaling to 2000MW) | aprs.scot/argyll-dc |
| The Herald (6/8/2026) reported that the Argyll Data Centre is ‘stalled if not halted’ | ||||
| Irvine North Ayrshire | not in planning or pre-planning yet. | AI Pathfinder | 1000MW | |
| Bloomberg reported (16/7/2026) that Irvine AI Pathfinder is likely not happening due to difficulties with the parent company | ||||
Note: Changes made 13th August: Ravencraig has been split into two individual sites as the planning for each site seems to be going ahead independently. Dunoon and Irvine both now unlikely to happen so moved out of the list. Chapelcross has moved into list of ones in Planning portals.
EIA Screening
9 out of 16 which have reached the EIA screening stage have not been required to do EIAs by the local authority. Three of these decisions have now been overturned by the Scottish Government (Edinburgh Gyle, West Edinburgh/Hermiston and Auchtertool)
Stages of Planning Applications
A Planning Application Notification (PAN), with the associated community consultation, and an EIA screening need to be completed before a Planning Application can be submitted. A planning application can be a Full Planning Application or a developer can choose to submit a Planning Permission in Principle (PPP) application first.
TOTAL ENERGY DEMAND
Total: = c. 6510MW plus 2 unknown which we assume to be 360MW (average size of all the others) plus Hunterston which we are assuming is 450MW as this is the capacity of the onsite BESS.
This gives an estimated around 7306 MW currently in the planning system or in pre-application consultation. Peak winter electricity demand in Scotland is just over 4,000 MW (NESO)
In addition there are 2 sites that are being planned but have not made it to the planning system yet. One is of unknown capacity and one is 600MW scaling to ‘multigigawatt’ so this would be these would add up to a further 9000- 2360MW
These sites have applied for gate 2 grid connections that we have not otherwise seen elsewhere: Clydebridge (360MW), just outside Glasgow, Edzel (800MW) to be connected to the new Brechin substation, Inchinan (180MW), Jawcraig, Falkirk (180MW), and Easterhouse (500MW). This is from the Existing Agreements Register. Adding up to a further 2020MW which will bring the total to 11720MW
Invest Highland, a Highland Council initiative to bring investment to the region, has three sites on their website as potential hyperscale data centre investment opportunities: Dounrey (Caithness), MeyGen (Caithness) and Fearn Airfield and surrounds (Easter Ross)
Urgent: Can you help fund our work?
We are a tiny charity with just three part time staff and need funding to support our work and to employ a professional planner to help us assist communities to oppose data centres in their area.
- to keep a public database up to date of the applications coming in
- to offer bespoke advice to communities working on objecting to data centres near them
- to write example Objections for each development being planned and to submit Objections from APRS and to encourage other NGOs to Object
- to set up a map of sites being planned
- to bring together other NGOs to also object to the centres and coordinate out work in the area of planning campaigning
- to deliver training/webinars for communities and NGOs and to write guidance for objecting to data centers
- to advise on changes to NPF4 and Scottish Government policy on data centres
If you can help us, please do get in touch or donate on the button below.