TechnicalGIS

LiDAR and elevation data for United Kingdom

National open LiDAR Openly licensed LiDAR covers about 70% or more of the land area.

LiDAR provision in the United Kingdom is devolved: the Environment Agency's National LIDAR Programme covers all of England at 1 m and the Welsh Government's 2020–2023 survey provides Wales-wide 1 m terrain and surface models, both under the Open Government Licence. Scotland publishes six phases of public-sector LiDAR with partial national coverage, and Northern Ireland offers coastal and archaeological surveys only.

Best open resolution
0.25 m
Open LiDAR coverage
–
Datasets
9 · 9 open · 9 free
Region
Europe
Last reviewed

By state, province or region

LiDAR status by subnational area in United Kingdom
Area Status Summary Datasets
England National open LiDAR The Environment Agency National LIDAR Programme captured all of England in 302 blocks between 2017 and 2023, published at 1 m with point clouds under the OGL. National LIDAR Programme , Defra Survey Data Download (LIDAR composite and survey products)
Wales National open LiDAR The Welsh Government 2020–2023 LiDAR provides Wales-wide 1 m DTM and DSM mosaics under the OGL, complemented by NRW's historic composite archive at up to 0.25 m. Welsh Government LiDAR 2020–2023 (DTM and DSM) , NRW LiDAR tile catalogue archive (LIDAR Composite DTM/DSM Wales)
Scotland Partial open LiDAR Scotland's public-sector LiDAR Phases 1–6 are distributed through the Scottish Remote Sensing Portal under the OGL but do not provide full national coverage. LiDAR for Scotland Phase 1 , LiDAR for Scotland Phases 5 and 6 , Scottish Remote Sensing Portal
Northern Ireland Partial open LiDAR Open LiDAR in Northern Ireland is limited to the 2021 NI 3D Coastal Survey and Historic Environment Division archaeological surveys, published under the OGL. 2021 NI 3D Coastal Survey – Topographic LiDAR point cloud , Historic Environment Division LiDAR

Datasets 9

Free is not the same as open. Cost is what you pay to get the data; the licence says what you may do with it. How cost and licence are defined

  • National LIDAR Programme (opens in a new tab)

    Environment Agency

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • Point cloud
    • DTM
    • DSM
    Resolution
    1 m
    Point density
    –
    Vertical accuracy
    –
    Acquired
    2017–2023 (Phase 1), repeat surveys thereafter
    Coverage
    All of England (302 survey blocks, with selective repeat phases)
    Licence
    Open Government Licence v3.0
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    LAZ, GeoTIFF
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

  • Welsh Government LiDAR 2020–2023 (DTM and DSM) (opens in a new tab)

    Welsh Government

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • DTM
    • DSM
    Resolution
    1 m
    Point density
    –
    Vertical accuracy
    –
    Acquired
    2020–2023
    Coverage
    Wales, tiles and Wales-wide mosaics
    Licence
    Open Government Licence for Public Sector Information (OGL)
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    GeoTIFF, COG
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

  • 2021 NI 3D Coastal Survey – Topographic LiDAR point cloud (opens in a new tab)

    OpenDataNI (Department for Infrastructure / DAERA)

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • Point cloud
    Resolution
    –
    Point density
    –
    Vertical accuracy
    –
    Acquired
    2021
    Coverage
    Northern Ireland coastline including the intertidal zone
    Licence
    Open Government Licence v3.0
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    LAS
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

  • Historic Environment Division LiDAR (opens in a new tab)

    OpenDataNI (Department for Communities, Historic Environment Division)

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • DTM
    Resolution
    –
    Point density
    –
    Vertical accuracy
    –
    Acquired
    2008–2014
    Coverage
    Selected archaeological landscapes in Northern Ireland
    Licence
    Open Government Licence v3.0
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    ZIP
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

  • LiDAR for Scotland Phase 1 (opens in a new tab)

    Scottish Government, SEPA and Scottish Water

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • Point cloud
    • DTM
    • DSM
    Resolution
    –
    Point density
    –
    Vertical accuracy
    –
    Acquired
    2011–2012
    Coverage
    10 sites totalling 11,845 km² (not national coverage)
    Licence
    Open Government Licence v3.0
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    LAS, GeoTIFF
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

  • LiDAR for Scotland Phases 5 and 6 (opens in a new tab)

    Scottish Government (captured by Fugro for SP Energy Networks)

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • Point cloud
    • DTM
    • DSM
    Resolution
    –
    Point density
    4 pts/m²
    Vertical accuracy
    –
    Acquired
    2020–2022
    Coverage
    Corridors of the SP Energy Networks overhead power line network
    Licence
    Open Government Licence v3.0
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    LAS, GeoTIFF
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

  • Scottish Remote Sensing Portal (opens in a new tab)

    Scottish Government

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • Point cloud
    • DTM
    • DSM
    Resolution
    –
    Point density
    –
    Vertical accuracy
    –
    Acquired
    –
    Coverage
    Scotland, Phases 1–6 and other public-sector surveys
    Licence
    Open Government Licence v3.0
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    LAS, GeoTIFF
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

Elsewhere in Europe