Food hygiene certificate in Scotland
Last updated: 21 October 2026
Short answer
Scotland has 32 councils that inspect food businesses. Our Level 2 food hygiene course is online, so it works anywhere in Scotland, for £12 per person. Food handlers do not have to hold a food hygiene certificate.[1] The food business must make sure its food handlers are supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene in line with their work.[2]
Which cities in Scotland have their own page?
Which council inspects food businesses in Scotland?
The council for the area where the premises are. These are the 32 councils in Scotland, with the number of food businesses each one has in the FSA's open data:[7]
| Authority | Food businesses listed |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen City | 2,222 |
| Aberdeenshire | 2,789 |
| Angus | 1,057 |
| Argyll and Bute | 1,272 |
| Clackmannanshire | 500 |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles) | 582 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 2,528 |
| Dundee City | 1,408 |
| East Ayrshire | 1,152 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 687 |
| East Lothian | 880 |
| East Renfrewshire | 648 |
| Edinburgh (City of) | 5,163 |
| Falkirk | 1,233 |
| Fife | 5,088 |
| Glasgow City | 6,670 |
| Highland | 6,044 |
| Inverclyde | 637 |
| Midlothian | 687 |
| Moray | 1,132 |
| North Ayrshire | 1,369 |
| North Lanarkshire | 2,647 |
| Orkney Islands | 464 |
| Perth and Kinross | 1,981 |
| Renfrewshire | 1,516 |
| Scottish Borders | 1,640 |
| Shetland Islands | 277 |
| South Ayrshire | 1,036 |
| South Lanarkshire | 2,465 |
| Stirling | 1,254 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 723 |
| West Lothian | 1,162 |
Which food hygiene rating applies in Scotland?
Scotland uses the Food Hygiene Information Scheme instead of 0 to 5 ratings: a business gets a Pass if it meets the legal requirements for food hygiene, or Improvement Required if it does not.[3][4] Businesses get a certificate or sticker to display, some choose not to display it, and Food Standards Scotland publishes every result online.[4]
How do you register a new food business in Scotland?
Scottish councils such as the City of Edinburgh Council and Aberdeen City Council ask new food businesses to register with the council 28 days before opening.[5][6]
What does the course cover for Scotland?
The UK version of the course covers Scotland's differences: the Food Hygiene Information Scheme, CookSafe and the 82°C legal minimum for reheating food.
£12 per person (£10 + VAT per person), with team packs from £95 + VAT for 10 learners. The certificate confirms completion of training; it is not a regulated qualification.
See all UK locations or read the UK training guide.
Sources
- Running a food business: Staff training, illness and hygiene (GOV.UK, updated 30 January 2025)
- Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter XII (Training) (legislation.gov.uk, revised version, last amended 31 December 2020)
- Food Hygiene Information Scheme: information for businesses (Food Standards Scotland, no date shown)
- About the Food Hygiene Information Scheme (Food Standards Scotland, no date shown)
- Register a food business (City of Edinburgh Council, no date shown)
- Register your food business (Aberdeen City Council, no date shown)
- Food hygiene rating scheme open data (Food Standards Agency, data file dated 21 October 2026)
Train your staff in 2–3 hours
Our Food Safety & Hygiene Level 2 course has seven short modules, a final exam and an instant certificate with QR verification.