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Invest in East Dunbartonshire

Welcome to East Dunbartonshire

Looking to invest? Choose East Dunbartonshire – where quality of life meets business opportunity in the heart of Glasgow City Region. 

It’s the perfect place to base your business – ideally located close to Scotland's largest city, with superb sites, fantastic transport links, a world-famous past and a promising future.

We're here to help – whatever stage of the business journey you're on – from sole traders to multi-nationals and everything in between. 

We’re particularly keen to encourage economic growth in partnership with medium and large businesses.

Whether you're starting out, relocating or staying local – it's a wonderful location to work, live, invest and grow.

View of the Forth and Clyde Canal in Kirkintilloch
View of the Forth and Clyde Canal in Kirkintilloch

Reasons to get Invest-ED

East Dunbartonshire is one of Scotland’s most desirable local authority areas – for businesses and residents – a place to work, live, aspire and achieve.

Reasons to get Invest-ED – the area offers:

  • A first-class location with excellent connections – just a few miles from Glasgow city centre, half an hour away from Glasgow Airport, close to the M80 and well served by public transport
  • A sustainable and resilient local economy, with quality sites available now – including undeveloped land, extensive enterprise space, brownfield sites and vibrant town centres
  • A highly skilled workforce and some of the highest levels of degree-educated residents in the country
  • New enterprise survival rates which are among the best in the region
  • Award-winning, high-achieving schools – renowned across Scotland and the UK – with excellent leaver destination figures
  • Above-average life expectancy and many of the most desirable residential neighbourhoods in Scotland.

East Dunbartonshire offers a unique blend of stunning natural and built attractions, evocative history, energising activities, fascinating culture and a range of places to shop, socialise and stay – all set against the stunning backdrop of the Campsie Fells.

A boat on the Forth and Clyde Canal with St Mary’s Church in the background
A boat on the Forth and Clyde Canal with St Mary’s Church in the background

How we can help

Invest and grow

East Dunbartonshire Council is ready to do business. As a key partner at the heart of Glasgow City Region, we’re committed to attracting and facilitating investment – creating opportunities, employment and economic development – specifically within two commercial regeneration areas:

Masterplans have been adopted for both areas within East Dunbartonshire’s Local Development Plan, which support employment land use.

As part of Glasgow City Region, and working with partners including Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International, we aim to encourage investment in key industry sectors and clusters, supporting City Region ambitions for high-productivity, high-growth investment.

We are ideally placed to attract commercial interest in line with the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy – which identifies eight high-potential sectors, the IS-8, to drive economic growth.

We are also interested in opportunities to develop links with local academic institutions, working with local businesses to help locate space for research – including spin-out projects – and helping to source and apply for any financial support which may be available from private or public sector sources.

For further information, including development plot and land ownership, email us at invest@eastdunbarton.gov.uk

Bishopbriggs town centre sign
Bishopbriggs town centre sign

Westerhill Regeneration Area

A hidden gem in the City Region – Westerhill is wonderfully placed to provide everything your business needs to succeed.

  • Multi-million pound transport infrastructure investment underway 
  • Unique sites offering all the space you need
  • Located close to Glasgow amidst some of Scotland’s most stunning scenery
  • Skilled workforce nearby
  • Excellent transport links
  • Located at the centre of one of the most desirable areas in the country.

Find out more, download the Westerhill Regeneration Area brochure or visit the Westerhill webpage.

A general view of the Westerhill area of Bishopbriggs, from above
A general view of the Westerhill area of Bishopbriggs, from above

Kirkintilloch Business Gateway

The area offers a range of investment opportunities, with a unique mix of retail, office space, undeveloped land and brownfield sites.

  • Located just a few minutes from the M80 – one of Scotland's busiest motorways
  • Within walking distance of Kirkintilloch and Lenzie, with excellent transport links
  • Skilled workforce nearby
  • High levels of broadband connectivity
  • Strong network of business support organisations.

Find out more, visit the Kirkintilloch Business Gateway Masterplan webpage.

Business Gateway East Dunbartonshire

The Council service supports start-ups and existing businesses – both within East Dunbartonshire and further afield. Fully-subsidised, free assistance is available to all firms – regardless of size – including:

  • Practical one-to-one advice from experienced advisers
  • Direct links to the Council’s discretionary support and funding initiatives
  • A comprehensive range of training webinars
  • Regular networking events
  • Referrals to public sector partner organisations providing support
  • Access to market intelligence.

Visit the business support webpage for more information. You can also check out the Business Gateway website.

East Dunbartonshire’s City Deal Place and Growth Programme

East Dunbartonshire is benefiting from a £46.77 million City Deal investment as part of the Council’s City Deal Place and Growth Programme. 

The programme is intended to support the local economy and links to the wider City Region via these projects:

  • Delivery of the Westerhill Development Road (WDR)
  • Bishopbriggs Town Centre Regeneration (Civic Space)
  • Promotion of the Westerhill Regeneration Area.

It represents an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the area, residents and businesses – existing and new.

Find out more in the City Deal section of our website.

East Dunbartonshire – an economic snapshot

  • Population: 109,000 (2022 census)
  • Number of businesses: Approximately 3,000
  • Size of businesses: 90.5% micro, 8.6% small, 0.7% medium and 0.2% large
  • People in employment: 75.5% (2024)
  • Unemployment: 2.4% in 2024 (down from 2.9% in 2022) – approximately 1% lower than the Scottish average
  • Total number of households (2022): 46,500
  • Occupations:
    • Professional: 32.7%
    • Associate professional and technical: 15.5%
    • Managers, directors and senior officials: 11%
    • Skilled trades: 8.5%
    • Elementary (e.g. manual labour): 8.2%
    • Administrative and secretarial: 7.4%
    • Caring, leisure and other services: 6.9%
    • Process, plant and machine operatives: 4.7%
    • Sales and customer service: 4%

For more information, visit the East Dunbartonshire Area Profile webpage.