Prisons in Scotland
Scotland has 17 establishments in our dataset: 1 privately run (Sodexo: Addiewell); 16 run by the Scottish Prison Service. By designation they are 17 SPS, and 7 hold women.
- Prisons
- 17 1 privately run
- Operational capacity
- n/a Itemised sites, 24 Aug 2026
- Market supplements
- n/a HMPPS pay bands do not apply
- Officer staffing vs target
- n/a Not published for this region
Scotland in numbers
By HMPPS functional group the establishments split as 16 no published group, 1 Open.
Counted from our dataset, 3 October 2026.
Prison by prison: key numbers
| Prison | Capacity | Full | HMPPS rating | HMIP safety | Latest HMIP report | 39h entry pay (* with supplement) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bella Centre (Community Custody Unit) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | none found | SPS scale |
| Grampian | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | none found | SPS scale |
| Polmont | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | none found | SPS scale |
| Stirling | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | none found | SPS scale |
| Addiewell | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | none found | Not HMPPS pay |
| Barlinnie | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | none found | SPS scale |
| Castle Huntly | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | none found | SPS scale |
| Dumfries | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | none found | SPS scale |
| Edinburgh | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | none found | SPS scale |
| Glenochil | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | none found | SPS scale |
| Greenock | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | none found | SPS scale |
| Inverness | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | none found | SPS scale |
| Kilmarnock | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | none found | SPS scale |
| Low Moss | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | none found | SPS scale |
| Perth | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | none found | SPS scale |
| Shotts | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | none found | SPS scale |
| Lilias Centre (Community Custody Unit) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | none found | SPS scale |
Working in Scotland
Apply via each operator's own site for private prisons (Sodexo); the Scottish Prison Service careers site (Residential Officer and Operations Officer routes). Compare commute and pay in the prison finder; guides: jobs by region, pay by region, market supplements.
All prisons in Scotland
| Prison | Town | Type | HMPPS group | Run by | Capacity | Band 3 entry, 39h | Supplement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bella Centre (Community Custody Unit) | Dundee (Hilltown) | SPS | Not published | Public (SPS) | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| HMP & YOI Grampian | Peterhead | SPS | Not published | Public (SPS) | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| HMP & YOI Polmont | Brightons, Falkirk | SPS | Not published | Public (SPS) | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| HMP & YOI Stirling | Stirling | SPS | Not published | Public (SPS) | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| HMP Addiewell | Addiewell | SPS | Not published | Private | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| HMP Barlinnie | Glasgow (Riddrie) | SPS | Not published | Public (SPS) | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| HMP Castle Huntly | Longforgan, near Dundee | SPS | Open | Public (SPS) | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| HMP Dumfries | Dumfries | SPS | Not published | Public (SPS) | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| HMP Edinburgh | Edinburgh (Stenhouse) | SPS | Not published | Public (SPS) | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| HMP Glenochil | Tullibody | SPS | Not published | Public (SPS) | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| HMP Greenock | Greenock | SPS | Not published | Public (SPS) | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| HMP Inverness | Inverness | SPS | Not published | Public (SPS) | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| HMP Kilmarnock | Kilmarnock (Hurlford) | SPS | Not published | Public (SPS) | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| HMP Low Moss | Bishopbriggs | SPS | Not published | Public (SPS) | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| HMP Perth | Perth | SPS | Not published | Public (SPS) | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| HMP Shotts | Shotts | SPS | Not published | Public (SPS) | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Lilias Centre (Community Custody Unit) | Glasgow (Maryhill) | SPS | Not published | Public (SPS) | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Other regions
- East Midlands
- East of England
- London
- North East
- North West
- Northern Ireland
- South East
- South West
- Wales
- West Midlands
- Yorkshire and the Humber
Functional groups here
Prisons in Scotland: FAQs
How many prisons are in Scotland?
17: Bella Centre (Community Custody Unit), Grampian, Polmont, Stirling, Addiewell, Barlinnie, Castle Huntly, Dumfries, Edinburgh, Glenochil, Greenock, Inverness, Kilmarnock, Low Moss, Perth, Shotts and Lilias Centre (Community Custody Unit). 1 is privately run.
What do prison officers earn in Scotland?
Not on HMPPS bands. The Scottish Prison Service recruits through two routes: from 1 April 2026 a Residential Officer starts on £37,682 (rising to £44,248 within three years) and an Operations Officer on £30,789 (rising to £34,878).
Which prisons in Scotland pay a market supplement?
None, per the HMPPS pay page checked 3 October 2026.