National scenic area (Scotland) facts for kids

A map of the National Scenic Areas of Scotland

A National Scenic Area (NSA) is a special type of protected area in Scotland. It's managed by an organisation called NatureScot. The main goal of an NSA is to find and protect places with amazing natural beauty. This helps stop new buildings or projects from spoiling these beautiful views.

There are currently 40 National Scenic Areas in Scotland. They cover about 13% of all the land in Scotland. These areas are chosen because they show the kind of stunning scenery Scotland is famous for. Most NSAs are in wild, mountainous places. But they also include beautiful coastlines and sea areas. About a quarter of all NSA land is actually marine (sea) areas!

While NSAs are mostly about protecting views, they often have other special features too. These can include important history, interesting rocks, or unique wildlife. Sometimes, other protection rules might also apply to these areas, like for national nature reserves.

NSAs are recognised internationally as 'Category V Protected Landscapes'. This is the same type of protection as Scotland's two national parks. In the rest of the United Kingdom, NSAs are similar to 'Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty' (AONBs).

Not many people know about National Scenic Areas. In 2018, a survey found that only 20% of Scots knew about NSAs. This is much less than the 80% who knew about National Parks.

Why Do We Have National Scenic Areas?

The amazing Cuillin Hills National Scenic Area.

After the Second World War, the government in the UK wanted to protect beautiful places. In England and Wales, they created National Parks. But Scotland didn't get any National Parks at that time.

So, a group was set up to think about protecting Scotland's landscapes. In 1945, they suggested protecting five main areas. These were called "national park direction areas." This meant the government could check if local building plans would harm these special places.

Later, in 1978, more areas were identified as needing protection. In 1981, the "direction areas" were replaced by the National Scenic Areas we have today.

In 2000, Scotland finally got its first two national parks: Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park and the Cairngorms National Park. Interestingly, parts of these new National Parks were already NSAs. So, these areas now have both NSA and National Park protection.

Scottish Natural Heritage looked at the NSAs again between 2007 and 2009. They wanted to understand what made each NSA special. However, the actual number and size of the NSAs haven't changed since 1978. The current NSAs were officially confirmed again in 2010. Some groups, like the John Muir Trust, want more areas to become NSAs to protect landscapes and help tourism. But the Scottish Government has said it doesn't plan to create any new ones.

How National Scenic Areas Work

The beautiful Kyles of Bute National Scenic Area in Argyll and Bute.

Unlike National Parks, NSAs don't have their own special management teams. Instead, the NSA title adds an extra layer of protection to these areas.

If someone wants to build something in an NSA, and the local council ignores advice from NatureScot, the Scottish Government must be told. Also, some types of building work that usually don't need permission outside an NSA do need it inside one. For example:

• Farm or forest buildings taller than 12 metres.
• New vehicle tracks for farming or forestry (unless part of an approved plan).
• Roadworks by local councils outside existing road boundaries that cost more than £100,000.

Local councils can create a plan for each NSA in their area. This plan explains what makes the area special and what needs to be done to protect it. As of 2018, only the three NSAs in Dumfries and Galloway have these plans.

Everyone in Scotland has a right to responsible access to most land and water. This is thanks to the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. This means people can go walking, camping, cycling, canoeing, swimming, and climbing in NSAs. This right applies as long as they act responsibly, following the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

List of National Scenic Areas in Scotland

As of 2020, there are 40 National Scenic Areas. Here are some of them:

Name Photo Land area (hectares) Marine area (hectares) Total area (hectares) Local Authorities Assynt-Coigach 86,539 43,285 129,824 Highland Ben Nevis and Glen Coe 90,334 1,944 92,278 Highland/Argyll and Bute/Perth and Kinross Cairngorm Mountains 65,541 0 65,541 Highland/Aberdeenshire/Moray (also within Cairngorms National Park) Cuillin Hills 22,726 4,594 27,320 Highland Deeside and Lochnagar 39,787 0 39,787 Aberdeenshire/Angus (also within Cairngorms National Park) Dornoch Firth 11,542 4,240 15,782 Highland East Stewartry Coast 8,447 1,173 9,620 Dumfries and Galloway Eildon and Leaderfoot 3,877 0 3,877 Scottish Borders Fleet Valley 5,373 481 5,854 Dumfries and Galloway Glen Affric 18,837 0 18,837 Highland Glen Strathfarrar 4,027 0 4,027 Highland Hoy and West Mainland 16,479 7,928 24,407 Orkney Islands Jura 21,072 9,245 30,317 Argyll and Bute Kintail 16,070 1,079 17,149 Highland Knapdale 20,821 12,011 32,832 Argyll and Bute Knoydart 40,201 10,495 50,696 Highland Kyle of Tongue 21,093 3,396 24,488 Highland Kyles of Bute 4,723 1,016 5,739 Argyll and Bute Loch Lomond 28,077 0 28,077 Argyll and Bute/Stirling/West Dunbartonshire (also within Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park) Loch na Keal, Isle of Mull 13,507 30,742 44,250 Argyll and Bute Loch Rannoch and Glen Lyon 48,625 0 48,625 Perth and Kinross/Stirling Loch Shiel 13,045 0 13,045 Highland Loch Tummel 9,013 0 9,013 Perth and Kinross Lynn of Lorn 5,638 10,088 15,726 Argyll and Bute Morar, Moidart and Ardnamurchan 17,220 19,736 36,956 Highland North Arran 20,360 6,943 27,304 North Ayrshire Nith Estuary 14,310 28 14,337 Dumfries and Galloway North West Sutherland 23,415 3,151 26,565 Highland River Earn (Comrie to St. Fillans) 3,108 0 3,108 Perth and Kinross River Tay (Dunkeld) 5,708 0 5,708 Perth and Kinross Scarba, Lunga and the Garvellachs 2,139 4,402 6,542 Argyll and Bute Shetland 15,486 26,347 41,833 Shetland Islands Small Isles 16,271 30,964 47,235 Highland South Lewis, Harris and North Uist 112,301 90,087 202,388 Western Isles South Uist Machair 6,289 7,025 13,314 Western Isles St Kilda 865 6,101 6,966 Western Isles The Trossachs 4,850 0 4,850 Stirling (also within Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park) Trotternish 6,128 1,789 7,916 Highland Upper Tweeddale 12,770 0 12,770 Scottish Borders Wester Ross 143,881 19,574 163,456 Highland