# Soil Finder — Scottish Soils (was "SIFSS")

> Scottish Soils (was "SIFSS") (iPhone/iPad app by The James Hutton Institute.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soil-finder/id581872368 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [The James Hutton Institute](https://appshunter.io/developer/581872511)
- Category: Education, Reference
- Price: Free
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.6 · 122 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2012-12-08
- Data updated: 2026-08-17
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soil-finder/id581872368/reviews.md

## What is Soil Finder?

Soil Finder - Scotland (formerly SIFSS, Soil Indicators for Scottish Soils) is an app that allows you to find out what soil type is in your area, to explore the characteristics of around 600 different Scottish soils, to discover the differences in soil characteristics between cultivated and uncultivated soils and to examine a range of key indicators of soil quality.

You can also use the app to view all of our published soil mapping, plus a selection of our thematic maps, including the Land Capability for Agriculture.

SIFSS is the only app that gives you access to the Soil Survey of Scotland.

SIFSS allows you to use your device's GPS or to use a place name or postcode, or just browse using the image map on your device to choose a location in Scotland to investigate information about soil. This information includes pH, soil carbon, N, P, K etc. directly from the James Hutton Institute database.


## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.1.3 — 2026-08-14

This version of the app fixes the problems with Hutton's mapping services becoming unavailable from time to time. It also fixes app crashes which could happen at those times.

### 3.1.1 — 2026-04-22

Change in configuration of the Land Capability for Agriculture to allow zooming into a larger scale.

### 3.1.0 — 2026-04-13

This version of the app uses a revised version of the Land Capability for Agriculture. Instead of two layers (one for 1:250,000 and one for 1:50,000 mapping) the hybrid uses all the more detailed mapping (1:50,000) and only the less detailed mapping (1:250,000) for the remaining less agriculturally intensely managed areas. It also includes minor updates and fixes.

### 3.0.0 — 2022-06-21

This version contains no new content it is the first release of a renamed version of the Hutton app SIFSS.

### 2.2.4 — 2018-05-29

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.

This version includes a revised function to zoom to a location that you type into the search window. In previous versions this used a third party tool that is no longer freely available, we now use a tool developed in-house. Please update your app to continue to use the search window function.

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## More apps by The James Hutton Institute

- [Soil Erosion Scotland](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soil-erosion-scotland/id1514747754)

All apps by The James Hutton Institute: https://appshunter.io/developer/581872511

## Related topics

[heart and soil](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/heart-and-soil) · [soil explorer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/soil-explorer)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-17.*