Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Consultants in the Scotland
Expert ground investigation and environmental consultancy with local delivery from Glasgow to Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness and across the Highlands & Islands.
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North West & Midlands
9 George Square, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, G2 1QQ
Phone: 0191 917 2310
Email: info@northpointgeotechnical.com
Hours: Mon–Fri 08:30–17:00
Specialist Ground Engineering for Scotland
From our Glasgow office, we deliver geotechnical and geoenvironmental consulting across central Scotland, the Highlands, and beyond. Scotland’s ground conditions are highly varied-peatlands and soft alluvium in upland valleys, glacial tills and drift deposits across the Lowlands, igneous and metamorphic bedrock in the Highlands, and extensive coastal and river floodplains. Many areas also carry a legacy of coal mining and heavy industry, particularly in the Central Belt. These conditions can introduce settlement, slope stability, flooding, contamination, and ground gas risks that require site-specific investigation and design.
Northpoint’s chartered engineers deliver targeted Phase 1 Desk Studies, Phase 2 Ground Investigations, and practical foundation and temporary works design in line with BS 5930, Eurocode 7, CIRIA guidance, and SEPA/Scottish Planning requirements. From housing schemes on former colliery land in Lanarkshire, to infrastructure in the Highlands, to commercial projects along the Clyde, we provide investigations that manage risk, protect budgets, and keep projects compliant and buildable.
Typical regional risks we manage:
Coal mining legacy in the Central Belt - CMRA reports, rotary probing, grout stabilisation, and piled solutions.
Peat & compressible deposits - settlement and stability assessment, peat probing, and ground improvement options.
Brownfield contamination & ground gas - risk assessment, remediation, and gas protection design for industrial legacies.
Glacial tills & soft alluvium - foundation design, slope stability modelling, and drainage solutions.
Coastal & river flooding - SuDS infiltration testing, groundwater modelling, and resilience measures.
Explore our Services
Recent Regional Projects
A few North East & Yorkshire highlights that show our local ground risks, methods, and deliverables:
Where We Work in Scotland
Local delivery from our Glasgow office across the Central Belt, North East, Highlands & Islands and the South of Scotland. Choose an area to view relevant projects or make an enquiry.
Trusted & Accredited in Scotland
To give Glasgow, Edinburgh, Lanarkshire, and wider Scottish clients complete confidence, our Scotland team holds nationally recognised accreditations that prove our capability in safe, compliant geotechnical engineering, ground investigation, and geoenvironmental consultancy. These memberships also make procurement faster for local authorities, housing associations, and infrastructure contractors across Scotland, helping projects progress efficiently and in line with national standards.
Local Regulations & Ground Context — Scotland
Every Scottish project touches different rules and different ground. Use this quick explorer to see the likely regulators, datasets and typical subsurface conditions we design for across the Central Belt, North East, Tayside, and the Highlands & Islands.
1) Choose your sub-area
Glasgow & Clyde Valley
- Typical ground: Highly variable Made Ground, Glacial Till, soft Alluvium in river valleys; extensive Coal Measures bedrock.
- Common risks: Widespread shallow coal/ironstone workings, mine entries, major industrial contamination, compressible soils.
- Design implications: Extensive mining investigations, robust contamination assessments, piling through soft alluvium, ground gas protection.
- Key bodies: Glasgow City/surrounding Councils; SEPA; Coal Authority; Scottish Water; Transport Scotland.
Edinburgh & Lothians
- Typical ground: Glacial Till, some Made Ground; bedrock of Carboniferous sedimentary rocks and volcanic intrusions.
- Common risks: Historic shallow mining (oil shale and coal), variable rockhead, contaminated land in post-industrial areas (e.g., Leith).
- Design implications: Mining risk assessments, detailed rockhead investigation, SuDS design to SEPA regulations.
- Key bodies: City of Edinburgh/Lothian Councils; SEPA; Coal Authority; Scottish Water; Historic Environment Scotland.
North East & Grampian (Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire)
- Typical ground: Glacial Till, sands and gravels; bedrock is typically hard, crystalline rock (Dalradian metamorphics & granites).
- Common risks: High groundwater levels, localised peat deposits, coastal erosion, few mining risks compared to Central Belt.
- Design implications: Foundations often on competent shallow rock/tills, groundwater control, peat management plans.
- Key bodies: Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire Councils; SEPA; Scottish Water; NatureScot.
Dundee, Tayside & Fife
- Typical ground: Estuarine alluvium (soft silts/clays) in Tay estuary, Glacial Till; Old Red Sandstone & volcanic bedrock.
- Common risks: Highly compressible soft soils, coastal flooding/erosion, historic coal mining legacy in Fife.
- Design implications: Piling or ground improvement for soft soils, Flood Risk Assessments, mining assessments for Fife.
- Key bodies: Dundee/Fife/Angus Councils; SEPA; Coal Authority; Scottish Water; Tay Estuary Forum.
Highlands & Islands
- Typical ground: Thin soils, extensive deep peat, weathered and hard bedrock (Moine schists, Lewisian Gneiss).
- Common risks: Deep peat deposits (low bearing capacity), rock slope stability/rockfall, high rainfall affecting earthworks.
- Design implications: Specialist peat investigation (probing, shear vanes), rockfall risk assessment, careful water management.
- Key bodies: The Highland Council/island councils; SEPA; NatureScot (formerly SNH); Transport Scotland.
2) What are you building?
3) Likely approvals & datasets you’ll need
This checklist is indicative. We confirm site-specific requirements through formal enquiries, PAS 128 surveys and a Phase 1 Desk Study.
NEXT STEPS
Discuss Your Project with Our Glasgow Team
Planning development in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Lanarkshire, or wider Scotland? Our regional specialists provide targeted ground investigation and engineering solutions to keep your project safe, compliant, and on schedule.
Email: info@northpointgeotechnical.com | Tel: 0191 917 2310
Or contact us online to discuss your project requirements.