Channels are where the conversation happens. Think of them like group chats — anyone with the right device and scope set can join in. There is nothing stopping you creating your own, but the ones below are the agreed community channels so everyone knows where to find each other.
In the Scottish MeshCore network, what really matters for routing is region scope — not the channel name. The channel name is for people; the scope is for the mesh.
A channel name and a region scope are related, but they are not the same thing.
For example:
Channel: #edinburgh
Scope: edi
The channel name is what you see. The scope is what tells the mesh to carry your message through Edinburgh-area repeaters.
Joining a channel does not automatically set the scope.
Before sending, check the channel settings in the Companion App and make sure the scope matches where you want the message to travel.
The following table lists known community channels and proposed channels for Scotland.
Type is documentation only; it is not a Companion App setting. It groups channels by how you pick them: Wide for large-footprint traffic (whether the scope is sco or ioi), Regional for Scottish region area channels, and Local for Scottish City / town / metropolitan areas. Set Scope to match the reach you want.
| Channel | Type | Scope | Status | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
#scotland |
Wide | sco |
Current | General Scotland-wide MeshCore traffic. |
#ireland |
Wide | ioi or sco |
Current | General Island of Ireland traffic. |
#norniron |
Wide | ioi or sco |
Current | Northern Ireland Traffic |
#central |
Regional | cen |
Proposed | Central Scotland traffic. |
#dundee |
Local | dun |
Proposed | Dundee area traffic. |
#edinburgh |
Local | edi |
Proposed | Edinburgh area traffic. |
#falkirk |
Local | fal |
Proposed | Falkirk area traffic. |
#fife |
Regional | fif |
Current | Fife area traffic. |
#glasgow |
Local | gla |
Proposed | Glasgow area traffic. |
#perth |
Local | per |
Proposed | Perth area traffic. |
#tayside |
Regional | tay |
Proposed | Tayside traffic. |
#test |
Wide | Set the scope being tested | Current | Test messages. Use sco, edi, gla, or another scope that matches what you are testing. |
As of Summer 2026, The ScotMesh MC Mesh is still in its early growth phase. As such there is no pressing requirement to restrict in-country traffic to sub regions or local regions. In practical terms country wide traffic will not cause us any issues for at least another year, probably longer. So the country wide region
scowill be enough until then.
Proposed channels are shared names the community is still settling on. They are listed here so that people can talk about the same idea using the same name and scope, rather than ending up with several competing versions.
Use the narrowest scope that still fits what you are sending. Examples:
#scotland / sco Scotland-wide mesh (Current)
#edinburgh / edi Local area (same idea for #glasgow/gla, #fife/fif, #dundee/dun, …)(Future)
#test / <scope> Pick the scope you are actually testing (current)
#ireland / ioi or sco Island of Ireland channel (pick scope for the path you want) (current)
#test for test messages so normal channels stay readable.ioi when the message belongs on the Island of Ireland scope, or sco on #ireland when you want Scotland-wide scoped carriage (see Scopes).For more detail on setting scope in the Companion App, see Scopes. For repeater and region code guidance, see Regions. For MQTT observers and map uplink, see Observers.