The ten biggest football grounds in Scotland

Scotland is a country with a rich football heritage and is home to many historical stadiums to go along with that. Three grounds in particular are perhaps more iconic than the rest, but each stadium on this list has its own story.

This article will embark on a journey around Scotland as we jump between the biggest grounds in the country from a capacity point of view – providing a little background into each stadium as we go. From Edinburgh to Dundee to Glasgow, there are multiple iconic cities included.

So, what are the ten biggest football grounds in Scotland? Read on to find out.

The ten biggest football grounds in Scotland

10. Dens Park

Location: Dundee

Opened: 1899

Capacity: 11,850

Kicking off this list in tenth place is Dundee FC’s Dens Park. Opened in 1899 after the club departed their previous stadium Carolina Port, the ground is located a mere 200 yards away from the home of their rivals, Dundee United FC.

The stadium has an important place within the club’s history, initially helping to drag Dundee away from potential liquidation prior to its opening. The first match hosted at the site took place on August 19, 1899, with Dundee FC welcoming Edinburgh-based St. Bernard’s to the ground. Its record attendance is a whopping 43,000 and was set during a match against Rangers in 1953.

Dundee finished sixth in the Scottish Premiership last season – their highest league position since the 2014/15 campaign.

If you have never visited Dens Park before, then we highly recommend doing so – and as soon as possible. Dundee are currently working on a relocation which will see the club move to a brand-new site at Camperdown Park in what will likely be a 12,500-seater venue.

While this massively improves the future of Dundee, particularly from a financial point of view, it does mean that we will soon lose Dens Park as a football stadium in Scotland.

9. Fir Park

Location: Motherwell

Opened: 1895

Capacity: 13,750

In ninth spot on the list is Fir Park, the home of Scottish Premiership side Motherwell. The club moved to the site in 1895, but it initially struggled to impress and was in a constant battle against low attendance during its infancy.

The stadium’s record attendance was again set against Rangers, this time during the 1951/52 campaign and is believed to be approximately 35,000.

Over the years, the ground has also been used by the now-dissolved Gretna, as well as Scotland’s national women’s team during the 2015 World Cup qualifying stages. It has also hosted multiple Scottish League Cup semi-finals.

8. Tannadice Park

Location: Dundee

Opened: 1883

Capacity: 14,223

Located just 200 yards away from Dens Park (10th on this list), Tannadice Park is the home of Dundee United FC. The ground was first used for football during the 1970s, although Dundee United have only called the site home since they were founded in 1909.

Previously known as Clepington Park, the ground was used by a wide array of teams in the 19th century. The record attendance at the ground was set in 1966, against none other than European giants FC Barcelona and currently stands at 28,000.

During its lifespan, Tannadice Park has been used for both Greyhound racing and boxing and also hosted an international match between Scotland and Turkey in 2003.

On the pitch, Dundee United gained promotion back to the Premiership in the 2023/24 season, winning the Scottish Championship ahead of Raith Rovers.

7. Rugby Park

Location: Kilmarnock

Opened: 1899

Capacity: 18,128

The second ground on this list to have opened in 1899, Rugby Park is home of Kilmarnock FC and is the seventh largest football stadium in Scotland.

Once again demonstrating the commercial power of Rangers throughout their history, the ground’s record attendance was again set against the Glaswegian outfit, this time in 1962, and is believed to be just under 36,000.

Originally used for cricket and rugby as well as football – which is the reason behind its unusual name – Rugby Park hosted its first football match in 1899 against Scottish giants Celtic. It has been renovated on four occasions since then, and most recently in 1995.

The pitch surface is artificial, but is hoped to be converted into a grass pitch before the start of the 2025/26 season. Following Livingston’s relegation to the Championship, Kilmarnock’s pitch is currently the only artificial surface in the Scottish top flight.

6. Tynecastle Park

Location: Edinburgh

Opened: 1886

Capacity: 19,852

Located in the capital of Scotland, Tynecastle Park is a UEFA Category Four stadium and is the home of Hearts. Opened in 1886, the ground currently boasts a hybrid turf pitch and has a capacity of 19,852.

Its record attendance was set in 1932, once again against Rangers, when an astonishing 53,000 spectators watched a Scottish Cup tie between the two sides. The site has been renovated a total of three times since its opening – most recently in 2017 when the club rebuilt its main stand.

Over the years, it has been used as a host for Scotland’s international matches, as well as the Scottish Cup and League Cup semi-finals.

5. Easter Road

Location: Edinburgh

Opened: 1893

Capacity: 20,421

Narrowly surpassing Tynecastle Park, Easter Road is the home of Hibernian FC and has a capacity of 20,421. Commonly referred to as ‘The Leith San Siro’, the ground has a good pedigree in Scottish football, hosting an array of Scottish Cup finals over the years.

The club played their first game at the ground in 1893, a friendly against fellow Scottish side Clyde, and also hosted their first league match later in the same year.

Easter Road’s current record attendance stands at 65,000 – a feat the stadium achieved in 1950 during a local derby against Hearts. In fact, that match still holds the record for the highest attendance at a non-Glasgow-based stadium in the history of Scottish football.

4. Pittodrie Stadium

Location: Aberdeen

Opened: 1899

Capacity: 22,199

The last of the grounds to be located outside of Glasgow, Pittodire Stadium is the home of Scottish giants Aberdeen FC. With a capacity of just over 22,000, the ground is also the third-largest club stadium in the country.

Pittodrie Stadium has notoriously been a ground which has strived for innovation, having not only been the first club worldwide to incorporate dugouts into its facilities but also one of the first grounds in the United Kingdom to make the switch to a completely all-seating setup.

Its current record attendance was set in 1954, as over 45,000 fans supporters flocked to the ground to watch a Scottish Cup tie between Aberdeen and Hearts.

3. Ibrox Stadium

Location: Glasgow

Opened: 1899

Capacity: 50,987

The second-largest club stadium in Scotland, and the first of three monumental grounds located in Glasgow, the Ibrox Stadium has a capacity of just over 50,987 and is the home of arguably the biggest club in the country in the form of Rangers.

Steeped in history, the ground was hit with tragedy in its infant years when one of the site’s wooden terraces suddenly collapsed, resulting in the club initially developing earth mounds and a main stand in its place.

The Ibrox recovered from that disaster and has gone on to become one of the most iconic stadiums in the whole of the United Kingdom. So much so that it was used as a replacement venue for Hampden Park in the 1990s, hosting an array of Scottish national team matches as well as Scottish Cup finals.

Its record attendance is a mesmerising 118,000 –  a figure which was set in 1939 during a match between Rangers and their arch-rivals Celtic.

Rangers were forced to play away from Ibrox at the start of the 2024/25 season due to the delayed redevelopment of the Copland Stand. The Gers played their August league matches at Hampden Park due to the delayed arrival of shipment materials from Asia. Club officials are hoping that the team can play their first matches of the season at Ibrox in late September.

2. Hampden Park

Location: Glasgow

Opened: 1903

Capacity: 51,866

The most recently constructed stadium on this list, Hampden Park was initially opened in 1903 and has been the official home of the Scottish national for many years, as well as being the current home of Scottish Championship side Queen’s Park FC.

Just like the Ibrox Stadium, Hampden Park is also a UEFA Category Four ground and has therefore had the privilege of hosting a variety of European matches – including a monumental six European Cup finals.

The ground’s current record attendance is unlikely to ever be repeated, coming in just shy of 150,000 people, with 149,000 supporters watching an international match between Scotland and England in 1937.

Hampden Park has also broadened its scope of hospitality beyond just football, hosting multiple Rugby Union matches, athletics events and music concerts over the years.

As already mentioned, Rangers used Hampden Park as their home venue at the start of the 2024/25 campaign due to the delayed redevelopment of the Copland Stand at Ibrox.

Over the years there has been plenty of talk of a major renovation at Hampden Park, but that doesn’t appear likely, with SFA President, Mike Mulraney, recently stating that: “All those who say Hampden is not good, it tends to be in the old days when we had 10,000 there and we got beat 1-0.

“Tell me when I have 51,000 folk bouncing and the lights flashing and we have just qualified, who thinks it’s rubbish? Because I don’t. I think it’s bloody brilliant.”

1. Celtic Park

Location: Glasgow

Opened: 1892

Capacity: 60,832

And of course, coming in at first place is Celtic Park, with its massive 60,000 capacity receiving envious looks from even some of the biggest clubs in England. Unsurprisingly, the ground is the home of Rangers’ fierce rivals Celtic and is the fourth stadium on this list to receive Category Four status from UEFA. It is also the only Scottish stadium to fall within the 10 largest football stadiums in the whole of the United Kingdom – placing in sixth.

Similar to that of of their rivals Rangers, Celtic Park also suffered a disastrous incident early on in its lifespan. In 1904, a fire destroyed the north grandstand and Celtic were forced to buy a replacement outright. Despite the turmoil, the club were able to rebuild the section of the ground within a year.

In spite of it currently being the largest football stadium in Scotland, Celtic Park’s record attendance is actually lower than that of the previous two grounds on this list. Set in 1938 during an Old Firm derby, that figure is believed to be approximately 83,000.

It does however hold the record for the most Scotland international matches hosted outside of Hampden Park, welcoming the side to the ground 20 times during its lifespan.