Removal Costs
in Scotland
A local Scottish move costs £260–£680 for a typical 2-3 bedroom home. Moving to England runs £550–£2,000. Prices below for 20 cities and 34 routes.
£260–£680
2-3 bed, under 50 miles
£550–£2,000
Depends on distance and size
Edinburgh ↔ Glasgow
47 miles, £370–£620
Price your Scottish move
Our moving cost calculator works from your property size, access and exact route - about 60 seconds, no signup.
Get a free estimateAverage removal costs by Scottish city
Local prices cover moves inside the same town or city for a 2-3 bedroom property. Long distance covers moves over roughly 50 miles, including cross-border runs to England.
| City | Local move | Long distance |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | £310 – £580 | £580 – £1,250 |
| Ayr | £260 – £500 | £520 – £1,150 |
| Coatbridge | £260 – £500 | £520 – £1,150 |
| Cumbernauld | £260 – £500 | £520 – £1,150 |
| Dundee | £310 – £580 | £580 – £1,250 |
| Dunfermline | £310 – £580 | £580 – £1,250 |
| East Kilbride | £260 – £500 | £520 – £1,150 |
| Edinburgh | £370 – £680 | £700 – £1,500 |
| Falkirk | £260 – £500 | £520 – £1,150 |
| Glasgow | £320 – £600 | £700 – £1,500 |
| Greenock | £260 – £500 | £520 – £1,150 |
| Hamilton | £260 – £500 | £520 – £1,150 |
| Inverness | £310 – £580 | £580 – £1,250 |
| Kilmarnock | £260 – £500 | £520 – £1,150 |
| Kirkcaldy | £260 – £500 | £520 – £1,150 |
| Livingston | £310 – £580 | £580 – £1,250 |
| Motherwell | £260 – £500 | £520 – £1,150 |
| Paisley | £260 – £500 | £520 – £1,150 |
| Perth | £310 – £580 | £580 – £1,250 |
| Stirling | £310 – £580 | £580 – £1,250 |
Moving within Scotland
Most Scottish moves stay inside the central belt, where short distances keep prices down. Anything heading north of Perth starts to price on driving hours rather than mileage alone.
Livingston → Edinburgh
16 miles · £270–£460
Edinburgh → Livingston
16 miles · £270–£460
Dunfermline → Edinburgh
18 miles · £270–£470
Edinburgh → Dunfermline
18 miles · £270–£470
Dundee → Perth
22 miles · £290–£490
Perth → Dundee
22 miles · £290–£490
Falkirk → Edinburgh
25 miles · £300–£510
Edinburgh → Falkirk
25 miles · £300–£510
Stirling → Edinburgh
38 miles · £330–£580
Edinburgh → Stirling
38 miles · £330–£580
Glasgow → Edinburgh
47 miles · £370–£620
Edinburgh → Glasgow
47 miles · £370–£620
Dundee → Edinburgh
60 miles · £400–£690
Edinburgh → Dundee
60 miles · £400–£690
Ayr → Edinburgh
81 miles · £460–£800
Edinburgh → Ayr
81 miles · £460–£800
Aberdeen → Edinburgh
130 miles · £610–£1,060
Edinburgh → Aberdeen
130 miles · £610–£1,060
Aberdeen → Glasgow
145 miles · £660–£1,130
Glasgow → Aberdeen
145 miles · £660–£1,130
Inverness → Edinburgh
156 miles · £690–£1,190
Edinburgh → Inverness
156 miles · £690–£1,190
Moving between Scotland and England
Cross-border moves are long enough that most firms price them as a dedicated van and crew for the day, or offer a cheaper shared load if your dates are flexible.
Edinburgh → Newcastle upon Tyne
105 miles · £550–£950
Newcastle upon Tyne → Edinburgh
105 miles · £550–£950
Glasgow → Manchester
215 miles · £900–£1,500
Manchester → Glasgow
215 miles · £900–£1,500
Edinburgh → Manchester
218 miles · £900–£1,500
Manchester → Edinburgh
218 miles · £900–£1,500
Belfast → Glasgow
280 miles · £1,000–£1,800
Glasgow → Belfast
280 miles · £1,000–£1,800
Edinburgh → London
393 miles · £1,200–£2,000
London → Edinburgh
393 miles · £1,200–£2,000
Glasgow → London
401 miles · £1,200–£2,000
London → Glasgow
401 miles · £1,200–£2,000
What makes a Scottish move different
Your moving date is fixed earlier. In Scotland the date of entry is agreed in the missives and becomes legally binding once they are concluded - often six to eight weeks before you move. South of the border, a completion date is not binding until exchange, which can be days beforehand. The practical effect is that Scottish movers can book a removal firm early with real confidence, and rarely pay the rebooking fees that catch out buyers in England.
You pay LBTT, not stamp duty. Scotland replaced Stamp Duty Land Tax with Land and Buildings Transaction Tax. Nothing is due below £145,000 (£175,000 for first-time buyers), then 2% to £250,000, 5% to £325,000, 10% to £750,000 and 12% above. An additional property adds the 8% Additional Dwelling Supplement on the whole price. Our stamp duty calculator handles LBTT if you switch the region to Scotland.
The Home Report does the survey work. Scottish sellers must provide a Home Report - a single survey, energy report and property questionnaire - before listing. Buyers usually rely on it rather than commissioning their own survey, so the £400–£700 survey fee that appears in most English moving budgets often does not apply.
Low emission zones affect the van, not just your car. Glasgow and Edinburgh both operate LEZs covering the city centre. Most professional removal fleets are compliant, but it is worth confirming when you book - an older van being swapped at short notice can mean a smaller vehicle and a second trip.
Tenement stairs are the single biggest price factor in the cities. A third-floor Edinburgh or Glasgow tenement with no lift, a shared close and no parking outside can add 15-25% to a quote compared with the same amount of furniture in a suburban house. Tell the company the floor and the parking situation up front; it is the detail most likely to change the price on the day.
Highlands and Islands price on time, not distance. Beyond Inverness the roads are slow and the return leg is unproductive, so quotes reflect crew hours and sometimes an overnight stay. Island moves add ferry fares for van and crew, and sailing times often push the job across two days.
Scotland removals: common questions
How much do removals cost in Scotland?+
A local move within a Scottish town or city typically costs £260–£680 for a 2-3 bedroom property. Central-belt moves such as Edinburgh to Glasgow run around £370–£620, while a move from Scotland to England is usually £550–£2,000 depending on distance and property size.
Is it more expensive to move in Scotland than England?+
For a like-for-like local move, no - Scottish city removal rates sit slightly below the UK average, and well below London. Where Scotland costs more is distance: most long-distance moves involve a 200-400 mile run to England, and moves to the Highlands and Islands carry a surcharge for the extra driving time and, for the islands, ferry fares.
How does the Scottish house buying process affect my moving date?+
In Scotland the date of entry is agreed and becomes legally binding when missives are concluded, usually several weeks before you move. In England and Wales the completion date is not binding until exchange, which is often only days before. In practice this means Scottish movers can book a removal company with far more confidence, and there is less risk of paying to rearrange a booking at short notice.
Do I pay stamp duty when moving house in Scotland?+
No - Scotland has Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) instead of Stamp Duty Land Tax. There is nothing to pay below £145,000 (£175,000 if you are a first-time buyer), then 2% to £250,000, 5% to £325,000, 10% to £750,000 and 12% above that. Buying an additional property adds the 8% Additional Dwelling Supplement on the whole price.
Do removal companies charge extra for the Highlands and Islands?+
Usually yes. Anything north of Inverness or off the mainland involves long unproductive driving hours and often an overnight stay for the crew, so expect a surcharge on top of the mileage. Island moves add ferry fares for the van and crew, and sailing timetables mean the job may need to run across two days.