How fast companies in Scotland pay their suppliers
297 large companies and LLPs with a registered office in Scotland have filed a payment practices report for a period ending since May 2025. The typical one takes 32 days to pay an invoice, 1 day longer than the UK figure of 31 days.
32 daysTypical average time to pay (median)
59%Typical share of invoices paid within 30 days
20Companies averaging more than 60 days
47Construction reporters with retention clauses
Each company's latest report, for periods ending between 30 June 2025 and 30 September 2026. Location is the registered office on the Companies House register, which is not always where a company trades.
Council areas
| Council area | Companies | Typical days to pay | Typical % paid within 30 days | Averaging over 60 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renfrewshire | 13 | 40 | 43% | 2 |
| West Lothian | 8 | 40 | 31% | 0 |
| Aberdeenshire | 16 | 37.5 | 45.5% | 1 |
| Fife | 14 | 36.5 | 45.5% | 1 |
| Aberdeen | 25 | 34 | 55% | 2 |
| North Lanarkshire | 11 | 34 | 50% | 0 |
| Stirling | 5 | 34 | 64% | 0 |
| Glasgow | 68 | 33 | 64% | 3 |
| Moray | 12 | 33 | 49.5% | 1 |
| Highland | 5 | 32 | 32% | 0 |
| Falkirk | 5 | 31 | 39% | 0 |
| Edinburgh | 71 | 25 | 75% | 6 |
| Perth and Kinross | 16 | 24 | 90% | 1 |
| South Lanarkshire | 6 | 23.5 | 74% | 0 |
Council areas with at least 5 companies filing, slowest typical payer first.
The 50 slowest payers registered in Scotland
* Figures look inconsistent with the company's earlier filings, for example an average more than double its previous report, so may contain a filing error. Shown as filed.
Download all 297 companies as a CSV.
Smaller areas
Council areas with fewer than 5 companies filing. Their companies are in the regional figures above.
- AngusDon & Low Limited
- ClackmannanshireSterling Furniture Group Limited, Tillicoultry Quarries Limited
- Dumfries and GallowayBrowns Manufacturing Limited, Importo Limited, Gates (U.K.) Limited
- DundeePetrie Tucker and Partners Limited
- East AyrshireThe King's Foundation
- East DunbartonshireBeatson Institute for Cancer Research
- East LothianCharles River Laboratories Edinburgh Limited, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
- InverclydeCalmac Ferries Limited
- MidlothianDobbies Garden Centres Limited, OCS M&E Services Limited
- North AyrshireChemring Energetics UK Limited, Wescot Credit Services Limited
- Scottish BordersPlexus Corp (UK) Limited, Glenrath Farms Ltd., Farne Salmon & Trout Limited
- South AyrshireGE Caledonian Limited
- West DunbartonshireChivas Brothers Limited, Aggreko UK Limited
89 companies here reported construction contracts and 47 said they hold back retention money, typically at 5%. All retention clauses.
Source: payment practices reports published by the Department for Business and Trade on Check payment practices, Open Government Licence v3.0. Registered office from Companies House. Free to use with credit to Fair Payment and a link to this page. Notes for journalists.