Why Scotland?

Whether it’s to London, Europe, or the rest of the world, Scotland is very well-connected.Five international airports offering 150 destinations make, for example, a quick hour’s flight to London or a longer-haul one to New York simple.

Go by rail from Edinburgh or Glasgow, and London is less than five hours away. Major motorway roads head south too, whilst a freight ferry service connects with Northern Europe.

1. Our five international airports serve over 150 destinations with a variety of scheduled and chartered flights
2. Numerous domestic airports serve outlying areas such as the Shetland and Orkney Islands
3. It takes around an hour to fly to London from Scotland and our airports offer hundreds of flights each week
4. Edinburgh Airport is Scotland’s busiest, handling over 9.2 million passengers a year and is served by around 40 airlines flying to 100 destinations
5. Glasgow International Airport is Scotland’s long-haul gateway, with regular flights to the Middle East, the USA and Canada and handles 7 million passengers each year
6. Scotland offers a modern, comprehensive road network with less traffic density than other parts of the UK
7. The main motorway in Scotland, the M8, connects Glasgow and Edinburgh (approx 50 miles)
8. Edinburgh and Glasgow are Scotland’s major rail hubs serving numerous destinations throughout Scotland and England
9. You can travel from Scotland to London in around four and a half hours by rail

Invest in Scotland and you’ll be close to some huge markets. The UK is the world’s eighth largest economy and is number two for purchasing power in Europe. What’s more, not much further away is the $17 trillion European market. A modern infrastructure makes selling to, and servicing, those markets a straight-forward task. And, with a global network of offices and in-depth knowledge of Scotland, we’re here to help every step of the way.

1. Scotland’s top five export markets by country are USA, Netherlands, France, Germany and Belgium
2. Scotland’s international exports (excluding oil and gas) had an estimated value of £23.9 billion in 2011
3. The UK is Scotland’s principal trading partner accounting for two thirds of exports in 2011
4. The EU accounted for around 46% of Scotland’s international exports in 2011 – with exports to the EU valued at £11 billion
5. Scotland’s largest export industry is oil & gas with the value of Scotland’s oil and gas exports to UK and international markets, covering supply chain sales and oil and gas products, estimated to be worth over £30 billion in 2012
6. Scotland’s food and drink sector contributes 18% of our overseas exports, growing 53% sinces 2007 – 40 bottles of whisky are exported every second
7. Our exports are varied and growing – Scotland’s chemical sciences industry, for example, has total exports worth £3.7 billion
8. A commitment to innovation boosts our exports – our technology sector boasts exports of £6.5 billion
9. Scottish companies are constantly exploring new markets – our textiles industry alone exports to over 150 countries

We have offices in 27 countries, staffed by teams who can talk you through Scotland’s capabilities and the funding support that may be available to you.

Source: http://www.sdi.co.uk/invest/why-scotland/