First class Scottish data centre sites identified

Host in Scotland, a datacentre sector support initiative set up by infrastructure experts the Scottish Futures Trust, and in partnership with Scottish Enterprise and Crown Estate Scotland have today published two datacentre site selection reports, which were undertaken by datacentre specialists TechRE on their behalf, highlighting a wide range of locations across Scotland that fulfil a number of key datacentre criteria. 

The 12 sites are: 

1. Chapelcross, Annan 
2. Cockenzie Power Station, East Lothian 
3. Fort William Hydro Site / Carrs Corner 
4. i3, Irvine 
5. Machrihanish, Campbeltown 
6. Meygen Data Centre, Caithness 
7. Michelin Scotland Innovation Park, Dundee 
8. Peel Ports Hunterston, West Kilbride 
9. Pyramids Data Centre, Bathgate 
10. Queensway Park Data Centres, Glenrothes 
11. Salter’s Business Park / Edinburgh Caledonian Film Studio 
12. Zero Four, Montrose 

The reports provide the identification and review of high potential datacentre sites across the country that will support Scotland’s digital ambitions and rollout of improved connectivity.  

In developing the reports, over 100 sites across the country were reviewed and concluded with a Longlist and a Shortlist of sites to assist the datacentre market in their consideration of Scotland as a new territory in which to locate or for the expansion of the indigenous Scottish market.  

The shortlist represents sites which have a very clear, unique proposition and represent excellent site conditions which could quickly and easily lend themselves to becoming a large-scale datacentre facility. The longlist also provides strong datacentre site locations which could be utilised for data centre provision but which may, in some cases, require further remediation works or upgrades in connectivity. 

James King, who heads up Host in Scotland said “The outputs from this important commission has identified the huge opportunities that exist right across Scotland. We have long known that Scotland has a tremendous offering to the data centre sector and these two documents provide evidential support for this with a particularly strong renewable energy story. We would welcome engagement with data centre owners, operators and investors to provide further detail and support to their consideration of Scotland as a location for their new facilities.” 

Colin Palmer, Director of Marine for Crown Estate Scotland continued “We’re very pleased to have been able to support this important work, which we hope will help inform future decisions. Our ability to keep up with the global improvements in connectivity are in large part reliant on the development of new state of the art data centres, and on the development of the new subsea cables that those data centres will require, both of which Scotland is well placed to host.” 

Scottish Enterprise head of place Derek McCrindle said: “The scale, space and infrastructure on offer to companies looking for their next datacentre location is evident in this report with sites across the length and breadth of Scotland offering access to unique hubs that are well connected as well as providing opportunities in the supply chain and access to talent.  

The Datacentre Development report follows the launch of the Scottish Government’s Green Datacentre and Digital Connectivity Vision and Action Plan and will also attract investors looking for a place to host data that can provide the right solutions for the climate and the economy.”