Conservation in Scotland

Conservation matters are dealt with across a number of directorates of the Scottish Government:

• Environmental protection, forestry and biodiversity are the responsibility of the Environment and Forestry Directorate.[2]
• The Marine Scotland Directorate is responsible for the integrated management of Scotland's seas.[3]
• The Energy and Climate Change Directorate covers measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.[4]
• Cultural Heritage is the responsibility of the Culture, Tourism and Major Events Directorate.[5]

Three Cabinet Secretaries hold portfolios with responsibility for conservation issues:

• The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform has ministerial responsibility for many conservation issues, including climate change and environmental protection, biodiversity, Crown Estate Scotland, environmental and climate justice, flood prevention & coastal erosion, land use and land reform, animal welfare, wildlife crime and water quality.[6]
• The portfolio of the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism includes ministerial responsibility for agriculture and crofting, fisheries and aquaculture, and forestry.[7]
• The portfolio of the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture includes ministerial responsibility for architecture and built heritage.[8]

Neptune's Staircase on the Caledonian Canal is looked after by Scottish Canals.

The following are public bodies of the Scottish Government, with notes on their areas of responsibility.

• Forestry and Land Scotland is responsible for management of the national forest estate.[9][10]
• Scottish Forestry is responsible for forestry regulation and support.[9][10]

• Cairngorms National Park Authority
• Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for cultural and built heritage.[12]
• Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority
• NatureScot is responsible for landscape protection and wildlife conservation.[13]
• The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh undertakes scientific study into plants and their conservation.[14]
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency is responsible for waterways, pollution and waste management.[15]

• Crown Estate Scotland is responsible for managing a range of rural, coastal and marine assets that are held 'in right of the Crown'.[17]
• Scottish Canals manages Scotland's inland waterways.[18]

• National parks — National parks of Scotland
• National nature reserves
• National scenic areas
• Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) — Lists of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Scotland
• Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas (MPA)

• Scheduled monuments
• Listed buildings — Listed buildings in Scotland
• Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland
• Inventory of Historic Battlefields in Scotland
• Historic Marine Protected Areas

• World Heritage Sites — List of World Heritage Sites in Scotland
• Ramsar sites — List of Ramsar sites in Scotland
• Natura 2000
  • Special Areas of Conservation — List of Special Areas of Conservation in Scotland
  • Special Protection Areas —List of Special Protection Areas in Scotland

• Local nature reserves
• Conservation areas
• Regional parks

• Forest parks of Scotland