Overview of Scotland's noise

What are noise maps?

Noise maps have been produced to show a geographical representation of noise levels across the entirety of Scotland for 2021, showing areas where people are exposed to high levels of environmental noise.

Why have they been produced?

The Environmental Noise Directive requires, on a five yearly cycle, the Scottish Government to produce strategic noise maps. The Directive was transposed into Scottish legislation under the Environmental Noise (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and amended by the Environmental Noise (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2018 following the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union.

The three main objectives we are delivering are:

• to determine the noise exposure of the population through noise mapping;
• to make information available on environmental noise to the public; and
• to establish action plans based on the mapping results, to reduce levels where necessary, and to preserve environmental noise quality where it is good.

Action planning

The noise mapping will support the consultation, preparation, and delivery of the required action plans for Agglomerations (Local Authority responsibility), all Trunk roads, rail, and wider transport policy (Transport Scotland responsibility), and airports (Airport Operators responsibility).

The action plans will be formulated as follows:

• a single Agglomeration Noise Action Plan will cover all five agglomerations (urban areas with populations in excess of 100,000) - Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Falkirk and Glasgow;
• major Airports will develop action plans based on the results of the noise mapping; and
• the Transportation Noise Action Plan will cover major roads and rail, including all trunk roads and wider transport policy, and will be produced by Transport Scotland.

The action plans are in development and will be available on the Scottish Government website, and the Transportation Noise Action Plan will be available on the Transport Scotland website.