Police Scotland
Divisions and Postings
Where you could work as a new Police Scotland constable: the 13 local policing divisions, how your three posting preferences work, the national Islands Allowance and what Police Scotland does not publish about how postings are decided.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 22 October 2026 · Scotland unless stated
Somewhere in one of Police Scotland's 13 local policing divisions. You give three posting location preferences on the eligibility part of the application and Police Scotland says it will try to accommodate them where possible, but it does not promise a posting. Pay is the same national scale everywhere; the only location payment is the Islands Allowance of £1,332.21 to £2,664.42 a year on listed islands.
Divisions and postings at a glance
- 13 local policing divisions cover Scotland, from Greater Glasgow to Highland and Islands.
- Three preferences: you list three posting locations on part 1 of the application.
- No guarantee: Police Scotland says it will try to accommodate your preference where possible.
- Same pay everywhere: one national constable scale, no city weighting, no housing allowance for new officers.
- Islands Allowance: four national rates, £1,332.21 to £2,664.42 a year, for officers permanently posted to listed islands.
- Training first: 18 weeks of initial training at regional and national centres before you deploy.
Your posting preferences go in at the very start of the application, months before an offer. Think about them properly then, rather than ticking the nearest city by habit.
The 13 local policing divisions
Police Scotland's officer numbers page says the force has "13 local policing divisions". Its community policing pages list the community areas as follows:
| # | Local policing division (as Police Scotland lists its community areas) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Argyll and West Dunbartonshire |
| 2 | Ayrshire |
| 3 | Dumfries and Galloway |
| 4 | Edinburgh |
| 5 | Fife |
| 6 | Forth Valley |
| 7 | Greater Glasgow |
| 8 | Highland and Islands |
| 9 | Lanarkshire |
| 10 | North East |
| 11 | Renfrewshire and Inverclyde |
| 12 | Tayside |
| 13 | The Lothians and Scottish Borders |
Some older guides and forum posts refer to divisions by letter. The Police Scotland pages we checked list them by name only, so we have not given letters. If you see a letter in your joining paperwork, that is the source to trust.
The divisions vary hugely in what they cover. Greater Glasgow and Edinburgh are dense city policing. Lanarkshire, Fife and Tayside mix urban and rural areas. Highland and Islands covers large rural and island areas, as does Argyll and West Dunbartonshire. That is our description of the geography, not Police Scotland's classification.
How the three posting preferences work
Part 1 of Police Scotland's application, the eligibility assessment, asks screening questions on age, driving licence, residency, right to work, tattoos, previous applications and previous police service. It also asks for three posting location preferences.
Police Scotland says it will try to accommodate your preference where possible. It does not publish:
- how postings are decided between candidates;
- whether a preference can be changed later in the process;
- whether you can refuse a posting and stay in the process;
- how many vacancies each division has.
Ask the recruitment team or at a Police Scotland recruitment event if any of these matter to you. Our application form guide walks through the rest of part 1.
Choosing your three preferences well
Police Scotland does not publish advice on choosing preferences, so these are our suggestions. The aim is to list three places you would genuinely be happy to work for at least the two years of probation.
| Question to ask yourself | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| How far could I travel at 6am or 10pm? | Response shifts run around the clock; a commute that is easy at 9am may not be at night |
| Would I move house for this job? | There is no housing allowance for new officers, so the cost of moving is yours unless removal expenses apply |
| Would island or rural life suit me? | Island postings attract the Islands Allowance and rejoiners are sought for Argyll and Highlands and Islands, but distance from family is real |
| Where is my support network? | Probation is two years of shifts; being near family or friends helps |
| What about my partner's job or children's school? | A posting is for the long term; changing division is not a published right |
| Am I applying anywhere else? | If you are weighing an English force too, compare travel and pay with our Scotland vs England pay guide |
Be honest with yourself. A preference you would not accept is worse than no preference, because you may be offered it. And if you would genuinely work anywhere, saying so on the form or to the recruitment team is reasonable.
Four example applicants
Invented applicants, to show how the published rules play out. The reasoning is ours; the facts are Police Scotland's and the PNBS's.
| Applicant | What the published facts mean for them |
|---|---|
| Lives in Glasgow with young children | Greater Glasgow as first preference makes sense, with neighbouring divisions such as Lanarkshire or Renfrewshire and Inverclyde as the other two only if those commutes work for nights. Training is first: ask about non-residential places at Jackton. |
| Graduate happy to move anywhere | Pay is the same in every division and there is no housing allowance, so living costs matter more than pay. Rural and island areas are worth considering, especially with the Islands Allowance. |
| Lives on Lewis or Orkney | Both are rate 3 islands (£1,998.31 a year). Listing your home area makes sense, but Police Scotland does not publish whether island vacancies exist at your intake. |
| Weighing Police Scotland and an English force | Scotland has no London-style weighting; England has no Islands Allowance. Compare take-home with our Scotland vs England pay guide, not just gross pay. |
If you want a particular kind of posting
| If you want... | What the published rules say | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| To work near home | You give three posting preferences; Police Scotland tries to accommodate them where possible | List your nearest acceptable areas, in order |
| City policing | Greater Glasgow and Edinburgh are separate divisions | List the city division first if it is genuinely your preference |
| Island life and extra pay | Islands Allowance of £1,332.21 to £2,664.42 a year on listed islands | Check which islands are listed and ask about vacancies |
| Rural or remote policing | Rejoiners are sought for rural and remote postings in Argyll and Highlands and Islands | Say so on your preferences; it may help you and the force |
| A guaranteed posting | Not offered: preferences are accommodated where possible | Do not list anywhere you would not accept |
| To move later | No published process for moving division | Ask the recruitment team before you apply |
None of this guarantees a posting. It helps you list preferences that you would actually accept and that make sense given what Police Scotland publishes.
The Islands Allowance
Scotland has one national location payment for officers: the Islands Allowance. Its rates are set by the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland, not locally. From 1 April 2026 (PNBS Circular 2026/04, after the inflation guarantee adjustment) there are four rates:
| Rate | Annual amount from 1 April 2026 | Islands listed | On top of the starting salary (gross) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate 1 | £2,664.42 | Shetland (Yell), Shetland (Brae), Barra, Tiree | £36,665.42 (£34,001 + £2,664.42) |
| Rate 2 | £2,264.75 | Shetland (Lerwick), North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist | £36,265.75 (£34,001 + £2,264.75) |
| Rate 3 | £1,998.31 | Orkney, Isle of Lewis, Islay, Isle of Mull | £35,999.31 (£34,001 + £1,998.31) |
| Rate 4 | £1,332.21 | Skye, Isle of Bute, Arran, Great Cumbrae | £35,333.21 (£34,001 + £1,332.21) |
The last column adds the allowance to the £34,001 starting salary to show gross pay before deductions. We have not worked out take-home pay with the allowance because the PNBS handbook page we read does not say whether the allowance is pensionable, which changes the pension deduction.
The current handbook and circulars call it the Islands Allowance. Older material sometimes uses other names such as "Distant Islands Allowance", which is not the term used now. The handbook names PNBS Circular 2023/06 as the governing circular.
The Islands Allowance in cash
Here is each rate broken down with the PNBS handbook's divisors (monthly is annual / 12; weekly is annual / 52 1/6) plus its value over a three-year posting at today's rates (our arithmetic):
| Rate | A year | A month (/12) | A week (/52 1/6) | Over a 3-year posting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate 1 | £2,664.42 | £222.04 | £51.08 | £7,993.26 |
| Rate 2 | £2,264.75 | £188.73 | £43.41 | £6,794.25 |
| Rate 3 | £1,998.31 | £166.53 | £38.31 | £5,994.93 |
| Rate 4 | £1,332.21 | £111.02 | £25.54 | £3,996.63 |
Added to three points on the constable scale, before any deductions:
| Rate | On appointment (£34,001) | Point 2 (£39,988) | Point 11 (£54,597) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate 1 (+£2,664.42) | £36,665.42 | £42,652.42 | £57,261.42 |
| Rate 2 (+£2,264.75) | £36,265.75 | £42,252.75 | £56,861.75 |
| Rate 3 (+£1,998.31) | £35,999.31 | £41,986.31 | £56,595.31 |
| Rate 4 (+£1,332.21) | £35,333.21 | £41,320.21 | £55,929.21 |
For a new constable, rate 1 adds about 7.8% to gross pay and rate 4 about 3.9%. The 2025 to 2027 deal applied its rises to pay and relevant allowances; the rates above are the 2026 figures. Take-home depends on whether the allowance is pensionable, which we could not confirm.
Short-notice island deployments
If you are sent from the mainland to an island at short notice, the handbook says Overnight Disruption Allowance applies instead of the Islands Allowance. At £82.07 each from 1 April 2026:
| Short-notice island deployment | Overnight Disruption Allowance (£82.07 each) |
|---|---|
| 1 overnight disruption | £82.07 |
| 3 overnight disruptions | £246.21 |
| 5 overnight disruptions | £410.35 |
Who gets the Islands Allowance
The PNBS handbook (section 4.10) sets out when the allowance is paid:
| Situation | What the PNBS handbook says |
|---|---|
| Permanently posted to a listed island | Islands Allowance is paid to all ranks, for the length of the posting |
| Planned temporary transfer that needs you to live on the island | Also covered by Islands Allowance |
| Suspended while posted to an island | The allowance continues during suspension |
| Sent from the mainland to an island at short notice | Not Islands Allowance: Overnight Disruption Allowance applies instead (£82.07 from 1 April 2026) |
| Island expenses | A separate handbook section (5.4), which we did not check |
The allowance follows the posting, not the person: you get it while you are permanently posted to a listed island and for planned temporary transfers that need you to live there. A short-notice deployment from the mainland is handled by a different allowance.
Rural and remote postings
Police Scotland's officer recruitment pages do not publish which divisions are hardest to fill. The one signal in its recruitment pages is on the rejoiners page, which says Police Scotland is particularly interested in rejoiners for rural and remote postings in Argyll and Highlands and Islands.
If you would welcome a rural or island posting, it may be worth saying so on your preferences. If you would find it hard, do not list it. Island postings in particular mean distance from family and from mainland services. The Islands Allowance recognises that; it does not make it easy.
Pay is the same in every division
Unlike England, where officers in London get London Weighting and some forces pay a South East allowance, Scotland has one national pay scale and no regional weighting:
| Item | Position in Scotland | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Regional or city weighting (like London Weighting) | None. There is no regional weighting allowance in the PNBS allowances circular | PNBS Circular 2026/04 |
| Housing or rent allowance for new officers | None in the PNBS handbook. Only officers who received a housing allowance before August 1994 keep it | Police Scotland transferees page; PNBS handbook |
| Removal expenses | A handbook section exists (5.3); we did not check the detail | PNBS handbook |
| Pay scale | The same national constable scale in every division | PNBS Circular 2026/01 |
So a constable in Edinburgh and a constable in Dumfries start on the same £34,001. Living costs are not the same, which is worth thinking about when you list preferences. For the full pay picture, see starting salary and pay progression and the Police Scotland pay scales guide.
Location pay: Scotland vs England and Wales
England and Wales details come from our audited pay pages and shared pay engine, not from Police Scotland.
| Location pay | Police Scotland | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| City weighting | None | London Weighting in the Met and City of London Police (pensionable) |
| Regional allowance | None | London Allowance and South East Allowance in some forces (not pensionable) |
| Island payment | Islands Allowance, four national rates | None |
| Starting point | Same national point everywhere | The Met and BTP start recruits on point 2; other forces on point 1 |
The upshot: in Scotland, where you work changes your pay only if you are posted to a listed island. For take-home comparisons rank by rank, see Police Scotland vs England pay.
Officer numbers by division
Police Scotland publishes officer numbers quarterly, broken down by division, on its officer numbers page. The latest listed when we checked was Quarter 2, 30 June 2026. We have not copied the figures here because we did not extract and check them in this pass; read them on Police Scotland's page if you want to compare the size of divisions.
Bigger divisions are not necessarily easier to get into. The published numbers do not show vacancies. Treat them as a picture of where officers work, not as a guide to where you will be posted.
If your posting means moving house
Because pay is the same everywhere and there is no housing allowance for new officers, the cost of where you live falls on you. What is and is not published:
| Cost of moving for a posting | What is published | Our suggestion |
|---|---|---|
| Housing or rent | No housing allowance for new officers (only those who had one before August 1994 keep it) | Budget for full market rent or a mortgage in the area |
| Removal costs | A removal expenses section exists in the PNBS handbook (5.3); we did not check who qualifies | Ask before you accept a posting far from home |
| Island living costs | Islands Allowance of £1,332.21 to £2,664.42 a year; island expenses are a separate handbook section (5.4) | Compare the allowance with real costs such as travel to the mainland |
| Travel to training | Training is at a regional centre and then Tulliallan or East Kilbride | Ask whether travel is covered |
Where recruitment fitness tests have been held
Before you reach a posting, you will travel for parts of the process. Police Scotland's FOI answer on recruitment fitness tests (November 2025) names these venues for police officer applicants:
| Venue named in the FOI answer | Used for |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen Beach | Police officer applicant fitness tests |
| Aberdeen Nelson Street | Police officer applicant fitness tests |
| Glenrothes | Police officer applicant fitness tests |
| Inverness | Police officer applicant fitness tests |
| Jackton | Police officer applicant fitness tests |
| Other | Police officer applicant fitness tests (venues not named) |
The answer lists venues; it does not say which one you will be sent to or whether it depends on your posting preferences. Police Scotland does not publish where the PSET or the assessment day is held, so expect to be told in your candidate account.
Postings for transferees and rejoiners
Serving officers transferring from England, Wales, PSNI or BTP apply to specific vacancies. When we checked, Police Scotland's transferee page said there were no current general transferee vacancies and pointed to a talent bank, while one Transferee Sergeant post in Orkney had been advertised with a closing date of 28 October 2026.
Rejoiners (former Police Scotland officers who completed probation) have their own route. Police Scotland's rejoiner page says it is particularly interested in rejoiners for rural and remote postings in Argyll and Highlands and Islands. See transferees and rejoiners.
Training comes before your division
You do not go straight to your division. Police Scotland's initial training is 18 weeks: 1 week at a regional training centre, 15 weeks at the Scottish Police College (Tulliallan) or the Training and Recruitment Centre (East Kilbride), then a further 2 weeks at a regional training centre. Then you deploy and spend most of your two-year probation in response policing. See Tulliallan and Jackton training and Police Scotland probation.
Moving division later
Police Scotland's recruitment pages do not publish a process or waiting time for moving division once you are in post. Specialist roles open up after probation and some may be based in a particular place, but we have no published source on internal moves, so we do not describe one.
If you are a serving officer elsewhere in the UK thinking of moving to Scotland, the transferee route is separate. See our transferees and rejoiners guide.
Questions to ask about postings
Police Scotland runs recruitment events where its recruitment specialists answer questions. Good ones to take:
- How are postings decided when more people prefer a division than it has places?
- Can I change my posting preferences after I submit the eligibility form?
- If I am offered a posting I did not expect, can I decline it and stay in the process?
- Which listed islands have vacancies for new officers at the moment?
- Are removal expenses available to new officers who move for their posting?
- Is the Islands Allowance pensionable?
- After probation, how do officers move to another division?
A posting checklist (our suggestion)
- Time each preferred area's commute at 6am and 11pm, not just at rush hour.
- Price rent or travel for each area, since there is no housing allowance.
- Talk through island or rural life with your family before listing it.
- Put your preferences in a genuine order of what you want.
Myths and facts about postings
| You may have read | What the published sources say |
|---|---|
| You can pick your division | You give three preferences; Police Scotland tries to accommodate them where possible |
| Glasgow and Edinburgh officers get a city allowance | There is no regional or city weighting in Scotland |
| Island allowances are set locally | The Islands Allowance is national, with four rates set through the PNBS |
| It is called the Distant Islands Allowance | The current handbook and circulars call it the Islands Allowance |
| New officers get a housing allowance | Only officers who received one before August 1994 keep it |
| You train in your division | Training is 1 week regional, 15 weeks at Tulliallan or East Kilbride and 2 weeks regional |
What we could not verify
- Divisional letters, if Police Scotland still uses them.
- Which listed island falls in which division: Police Scotland's allowance circular lists islands, not divisions.
- How postings are decided, whether preferences can be changed and whether you can refuse a posting.
- Whether the Islands Allowance is pensionable.
- The detail of removal expenses and island expenses (PNBS handbook sections 5.3 and 5.4).
- Officer numbers by division (published by Police Scotland, not extracted by us).
- How and when officers can move division after probation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many divisions does Police Scotland have?
13 local policing divisions. Police Scotland lists its community areas as Argyll and West Dunbartonshire; Ayrshire; Dumfries and Galloway; Edinburgh; Fife; Forth Valley; Greater Glasgow; Highland and Islands; Lanarkshire; North East; Renfrewshire and Inverclyde; Tayside; The Lothians and Scottish Borders.
Can I choose where I am posted in Police Scotland?
You give three posting location preferences on the eligibility part of the application. Police Scotland says it will try to accommodate your preference where possible, but it does not promise a particular posting.
When do I give my posting preferences?
On part 1 of the application form, the eligibility assessment, alongside the screening questions on age, licence, residency, right to work, tattoos and previous applications.
What is the Police Scotland Islands Allowance?
A national allowance for officers of all ranks permanently posted to a listed island. From 1 April 2026 there are four rates: £2,664.42, £2,264.75, £1,998.31 and £1,332.21 a year, depending on the island (PNBS Circular 2026/04).
Which islands get the highest Islands Allowance?
Rate 1, £2,664.42 a year from 1 April 2026: Shetland (Yell), Shetland (Brae), Barra, Tiree.
Is the Islands Allowance set locally?
No. It is a national allowance agreed through the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland, with four rates by island, published in PNBS Circular 2026/04. Its correct name is Islands Allowance.
Is the Islands Allowance pensionable?
The PNBS handbook page we read does not say, so we cannot confirm it either way. Ask Police Scotland or the Scottish Police Federation if it matters to your decision.
Do Police Scotland officers in Edinburgh or Glasgow get extra pay?
No. There is no regional or city weighting in Scotland like London Weighting in England. Every division uses the same national pay scale.
Does Police Scotland give a housing allowance?
Not to new officers. The PNBS handbook has no housing or rent allowance for new officers; only officers who received one before August 1994 keep it.
What are Police Scotland's divisional letters?
Police Scotland's pages that we checked list the divisions by name only, without letters. We have not stated any letters because we could not confirm them from a primary source.
Where does Police Scotland most need officers?
Police Scotland does not publish a list of hardest-to-fill divisions on its officer recruitment pages. Its rejoiner page says it is particularly interested in rejoiners for rural and remote postings in Argyll and Highlands and Islands.
How much is the Islands Allowance a month?
From 1 April 2026, £222.04 a month at rate 1 down to £111.02 at rate 4 (annual rate divided by 12, our arithmetic from PNBS Circular 2026/04).
Should I list a division I do not want, to improve my chances?
We would not. Police Scotland says it will try to accommodate your preferences where possible, which means you may be offered any of them. Only list places you would accept for at least the two years of probation.
Do I train in my division?
Partly. Initial training is 18 weeks: 1 week at a regional training centre, 15 weeks at Tulliallan or East Kilbride, then 2 weeks at a regional training centre, before you deploy.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 22 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- Police Scotland: Officer numbers : "13 local policing divisions"; officer numbers published quarterly by division (latest listed: Quarter 2, 30 June 2026) (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Your community policing team : the 13 community areas by name (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland candidate portal: Police officer application example : three posting location preferences on the eligibility assessment (accessed 22 October 2026)
- PNBS police officer handbook : Islands Allowance rules (section 4.10), removal expenses (5.3) and island expenses (5.4) sections; housing allowance position (accessed 22 October 2026)
- PNBS Circular 2026/04, Allowances (30 January 2026) : Islands Allowance rates 1 to 4 and listed islands; Overnight Disruption Allowance; no regional weighting allowance (accessed 22 October 2026)
- PNBS Circular 2026/01, Federated Ranks Pay : national constable pay scale from 1 April 2026 (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Rejoiners : particular interest in rural and remote postings in Argyll and Highlands and Islands (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Transferees : housing allowance only continues for those who received it before August 1994 (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Apply to become a police officer : 18-week initial training before deployment (accessed 22 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
More for applicants and Scottish officers
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority or the College of Policing. It does not recruit, test or assess applicants. Our practice questions are original PolicePay material, not official Police Scotland questions. Police Scotland sets and changes its own selection process, so check its recruitment pages and your candidate account before relying on anything here. Details are as checked on 22 October 2026.