How to add a UK Highlands and Islands shipping surcharge in Shopify

Updated August 13, 2026 · SMART Shipping Rates (E-TRADE PARTNER)

Shopify native zones split the UK into countries and regions. They do not include a Highlands and Islands sub-region. SMART Shipping Rates & Rules can target UK outward postcodes with wildcards (`*`) and comma-separated codes, then return a calculated surcharge or a higher remote rate. Calculated rates need Shopify Carrier Service. Courier lists differ, so verify the pack against your carrier before you go live.

UK parcel carriers treat the Scottish Highlands and Islands as a different cost from mainland England and lowland Scotland. A flat UK rate that looks fair in Manchester can lose money on Stornoway, Lerwick, or Islay. The checkout needs a second price for those outward codes.

There is no official single Highlands list. DPD, Parcel2Go, and other couriers publish similar outward-code packs with small differences. Use the list below as a starting pack that merchants commonly paste into shipping rules, then remove or add codes to match your carrier invoice.

Why a Highlands zone matters

• It recovers the extra carrier cost instead of eating it in a national flat rate.
• It stops free-shipping promotions from applying to island and remote Highland destinations unless you intend that.
• It keeps mainland Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee) on the standard UK rate when you do not use a whole-Scotland zone.
• It gives your team a named zone they can test and update when the carrier pack changes.

What Shopify can and cannot do natively

Native Shopify UK zones are England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and British Forces. Scotland is one region. You cannot attach HS, IV, KW, and ZE to a surcharge while leaving Glasgow on Standard. SMART zones start with country, then Target by address on Postal code with matches any.

How to enter UK postcodes in SMART

In Shipping rates, enable Target by address, set Address field to Postal code, operator to matches any, and paste a comma-separated list. Use `*` as a wildcard (for example `HS*` matches HS postcodes). Use `...` for a numeric range (for example `1000...2000`). For UK outward codes that mix letters and numbers, prefer `HS*` style wildcards or an explicit comma-separated outward-code list rather than `AB31...AB38`.

Highlands and Islands outward codes

This pack follows a commonly used courier Highlands and Islands set (the kind of list DPD-style tools publish). Whole-prefix areas can use a wildcard. Mixed prefixes (AB, FK, KA, PA, PH) need specific outward codes so Glasgow, Aberdeen city, and Perth stay on mainland rates.

Aberdeenshire Highland outward codes (do not use AB*)

AB* would surcharge Aberdeen city. Paste only these outward codes: AB31, AB32, AB33, AB34, AB35, AB36, AB37, AB38, AB41, AB42, AB43, AB44, AB45, AB51, AB52, AB53, AB54, AB55, AB56. Some carriers omit AB32 or AB41–AB51. Check your invoice.

Argyll and islands (do not use PA*)

PA1–PA19 are mainland (Paisley and around). Paste: PA20, PA21, PA22, PA23, PA24, PA25, PA26, PA27, PA28, PA29, PA30, PA31, PA32, PA33, PA34, PA35, PA36, PA37, PA38, PA41, PA42, PA43, PA44, PA45, PA46, PA47, PA48, PA49, PA60, PA61, PA62, PA63, PA64, PA65, PA66, PA67, PA68, PA69, PA70, PA71, PA72, PA73, PA74, PA75, PA76, PA77, PA78, PA80.

Highland Perthshire and west (do not use PH*)

PH1–PH14 are closer to Perth and mainland. Paste: PH15, PH16, PH17, PH18, PH19, PH20, PH21, PH22, PH23, PH24, PH25, PH26, PH30, PH31, PH32, PH33, PH34, PH35, PH36, PH37, PH38, PH39, PH40, PH41, PH42, PH43, PH44, PH49, PH50.

Copy-paste zone list

Paste this into the SMART postal code field (matches any) for a starting Highlands and Islands zone. Remove spaces if your paste adds them. Then test Inverness (IV1), Stornoway (HS1), Glasgow (G1), and Edinburgh (EH1).

HS*,IV*,KW*,ZE*,KA27,KA28,FK17,FK18,FK19,FK20,FK21,AB31,AB32,AB33,AB34,AB35,AB36,AB37,AB38,AB41,AB42,AB43,AB44,AB45,AB51,AB52,AB53,AB54,AB55,AB56,PA20,PA21,PA22,PA23,PA24,PA25,PA26,PA27,PA28,PA29,PA30,PA31,PA32,PA33,PA34,PA35,PA36,PA37,PA38,PA41,PA42,PA43,PA44,PA45,PA46,PA47,PA48,PA49,PA60,PA61,PA62,PA63,PA64,PA65,PA66,PA67,PA68,PA69,PA70,PA71,PA72,PA73,PA74,PA75,PA76,PA77,PA78,PA80,PH15,PH16,PH17,PH18,PH19,PH20,PH21,PH22,PH23,PH24,PH25,PH26,PH30,PH31,PH32,PH33,PH34,PH35,PH36,PH37,PH38,PH39,PH40,PH41,PH42,PH43,PH44,PH49,PH50

Often-surcharged extras (separate zones)

These are not Scottish Highlands, but UK carriers often price them like remote or international. Keep them in their own zones so you can price them differently.

Setup steps in SMART Shipping Rates & Rules

1. Open Shipping rates and check the Carrier Service notice if zone creation is disabled.
2. Create a zone named UK mainland. Country United Kingdom. Do not enable the Highlands postal list on this zone.
3. Create a second zone named UK Highlands and Islands. Country United Kingdom. Enable Target by address, Postal code, matches any, and paste the copy-paste list above.
4. Prefer non-overlapping postal lists so mainland never includes HS* or IV*. If two zones could still match the same address, zone priority is a numeric string where a lower number wins.
5. Add a calculated rate on the Highlands zone (flat surcharge, weight tiers, or a higher remote price).
6. If free shipping or a cheap Shopify-native method still appears for those codes, hide it in Delivery customizations with Shipping ZIP/Postal Code starts with HS, IV, KW, ZE, or the mixed outward codes.
7. Test in Checkout simulator, then confirm in real checkout.

Worked example: £4.95 mainland, £12.95 Highlands

A skincare brand ships small parcels from England. Mainland UK is £4.95. Highlands and Islands should be £12.95. Free shipping over £50 should not apply to the Highlands zone.

1. UK mainland zone: calculated rate £4.95, plus a £0 rate when cart subtotal is £50 or more.
2. UK Highlands and Islands zone: calculated rate £12.95 with no free-shipping tier.
3. If an old Shopify UK rate still shows beside both, hide it in Delivery customizations.
4. Test HS1 2AA (Stornoway) for £12.95, G1 1AA (Glasgow) for £4.95, and a £60 cart to each.

Tips

• Keep a short test list: HS1 Stornoway, ZE1 Lerwick, KW15 Kirkwall, PA28 Campbeltown, IV1 Inverness, G1 Glasgow, EH1 Edinburgh, AB10 Aberdeen.
• Review the pack when your carrier changes remote pricing. This page is a starting list, not a live carrier feed.
• Use rate blending if a base UK rate and a Highlands surcharge should appear as one method.
• For other countries, see Australia remote postcodes and New Zealand rural delivery.
• Postal syntax is documented in Shipping rates and zones.

Related UK destination rules

PO Box and BFPO addresses are address-line or postal rules, not this outward-code pack. See block PO Box shipping and the general postcode rates guide.

Frequently asked questions