2026 Guide: Scotland TV Programme Guide: BBC Scotland, STV & More

BBC Scotland

BBC Scotland launched as a dedicated television channel in February 2019, replacing the BBC Scotland timeslot on BBC Two and becoming a full standalone channel. It broadcasts a mix of Scottish-made content that is not available on the UK-wide BBC channels: Scottish drama (such as Guilt, The Victim, and Shetland premieres), Scottish comedy, documentaries exploring Scottish life and history, and comprehensive Scottish sports coverage including football, rugby, and shinty.

BBC Scotland is available on Freeview channel 9 in Scotland (it is not available on Freeview outside Scotland), Sky channel 108, and Virgin Media channel 108. All BBC Scotland content is also available on BBC iPlayer across the entire UK, so viewers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland can access Scottish programming through the app. The channel shares its peak-time 9pm slot with BBC Two — when BBC Scotland is showing its own content, BBC Two Scotland carries the standard BBC Two schedule.

If you are outside Scotland and want to watch BBC Scotland live, our watch TV online guide explains how to access regional channels through streaming apps.

STV (Scottish Television)

STV is Scotland's ITV franchise, broadcasting on the same Freeview channel 3 as ITV in the rest of the UK but with regional differences. STV's main distinction is its regional news service (STV News at Six is one of the most-watched programmes in Scotland), local advertising, and occasional different programming choices from the national ITV schedule.

The STV Player app provides catch-up access to STV programmes and is available on Smart TVs, mobile devices, and web browsers. STV Player carries the same ITVX content alongside STV's own regional programming. For setup help with ITV/STV streaming, see our ITVX app guide which also covers STV Player.

Regional Differences: What Scotland Gets That England Doesn't

Beyond BBC Scotland and STV-specific content, Scottish Freeview viewers receive the same channel lineup as the rest of the UK with a few regional tweaks. BBC One Scotland and BBC Two Scotland carry the national schedule for most of the day but break away for regional news, current affairs, and occasional Scottish programming in specific timeslots (typically 6:30pm-7pm for regional news and 10:25pm-11pm for late-night regional content).

Channel 4 and Channel 5 broadcast the same content nationwide with no Scottish variation. For a complete list of every channel available on Scottish Freeview, see our UK TV channels list and our Freeview channel numbers guide.

Scottish Sport on TV

BBC Scotland provides the most comprehensive free coverage of Scottish sport, including Scottish Premiership football highlights, Scottish Cup coverage, Six Nations rugby (Scotland matches), and niche Scottish sports like shinty. STV carries Scottish football when ITV has live rights to major tournaments featuring Scotland.

For premium Scottish football coverage (live Scottish Premiership matches), Sky Sports is the primary broadcaster. Our Now TV guide covers how to access Sky Sports without a full satellite subscription, and our IPTV guide covers alternative ways to watch live Scottish football.

How to Watch Scottish Channels Online

Every Scottish channel is available online through streaming apps. BBC Scotland content is on BBC iPlayer (available UK-wide). STV programmes are on STV Player (also available UK-wide). If you want to watch the live BBC Scotland channel from outside Scotland, BBC iPlayer may detect your location and restrict the live stream — but all on-demand BBC Scotland content is available regardless of your UK location.

For viewers outside the UK entirely, our UK TV abroad guide explains VPN options for accessing BBC iPlayer and STV Player from overseas. For comprehensive guides to all UK streaming platforms, see our free streaming services page.