Scotland comprises the northern part of the island of Great Britain, off the coast of North West Europe. The total land mass is around 78,772 square kilometres (30,414 mi²). Scotland's only land border is with England, and runs for 96 kilometres (60 miles) between the River Tweed on the east coast and the Solway Firth in the west. The island of Ireland lies around 30 kilometres (20 mi) off the south west tip of Scotland, and Norway is around 400 kilometres (250 mi) to the north east. Scotland lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea.

The territorial extent of Scotland is generally that established by the 1237 Treaty of York between Scotland and England and the 1266 Treaty of Perth between Scotland and Norway. Exceptions include the Isle of Man, which is now a crown dependency outside the United Kingdom, Orkney and Shetland, which are Scottish rather than Norwegian, and Berwick-upon-Tweed, which was defined as subject to the laws of England by the 1746 Wales and Berwick Act. Rockall was annexed by the United Kingdom in 1972 and made part of Scotland, although this is disputed by the Republic of Ireland, Iceland and Denmark.

The country consists of a mainland area plus several island groups. The mainland can be divided into three areas: the Highlands in the North; the Central Belt and the Southern Uplands in the South. The Highlands are generally mountainous and are bisected by the Great Glen into the Grampian Mountains. The highest mountains in the British Isles are found here, including Ben Nevis, the highest peak at 1,344 metres (4,409ft). All mountains over 3,000 feet are known as Munros. The Central Belt of Scotland is generally flat and is where most of the population reside. The Central Belt is often divided into the West Coast, which contains the city of Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire and Lanarkshire; and the East Coast which includes the city of Edinburgh, Fife and the Lothians. The Southern Uplands is range of hills and mountains almost 125 miles (200 km) long, stretching from Stranraer in the Irish Sea to East Lothian and the North Sea.

Scotland has over 790 islands, divided into four main groups: Shetland, Orkney, and the Hebrides, divided into the Inner Hebrides and Outer Hebrides. The Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth also contain many islands. St. Kilda is the most remote of all the Scottish islands, being over 150 miles (240 km) from the mainland.