Almost 80,000 homes and businesses across Scotland are now benefiting from this roll-out programme, welcomed by the Scottish Government.

Communities from Banff in Aberdeenshire to Lockerbie in Dumfries and Galloway are the latest to benefit from upgrades as part of BT’s next generation broadband service delivered over copper lines.

Also included are seven locations in the north of Scotland - Alness, Dingwall, Invergordon, Tain, Thurso, Lerwick and Kirkwall - which have been upgraded as part of a wider £8m investment programme to improve links in the Highlands and Islands.

The BT investment will make available download speeds of up to 20 megabits per second (Mbps) – more than double the fastest speed previously available from BT.

It takes the number of homes and businesses across the country able to access the faster broadband to around 78 per cent.

Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, said: “Broadband, just like roads and railways, is a vital part of Scotland’s infrastructure.  

“I very much welcome this latest announcement from BT. It is essential that households and businesses everywhere in Scotland have access to high-speed connectivity to enable our economy to thrive.” 

BT Scotland is also seeking to work in partnership with the Scottish Government and its agencies to extend fibre broadband to the remaining parts of the country that are harder to reach.

The locations are:

Exchange

Area

Banff

Aberdeenshire

Laurencekirk

Aberdeenshire

Mintlaw

Aberdeenshire

Brechin

Angus

Rhu New

Argyll and Bute

South Queensferry

City of Edinburgh

Alva

Clackmannanshire

Tillicoultry

Clackmannanshire

Lockerbie

Dumfries and Galloway

Newbridge

Dumfries and Galloway

Lennoxtown

East Dunbartonshire

Kinghorn

Fife

Alness

Highland

Dingwall

Highland

Invergordon

Highland

Tain

Highland

Thurso

Highland

Kilbirnie

North Ayrshire

Kirkwall

Orkney Islands

Duns

Scottish Borders

Hawick

Scottish Borders

Jedburgh

Scottish Borders

Lerwick

Shetland Islands

Dumbarton

West Dunbartonshire