Championing Scotland's landscapes

Scotland's diverse landscapes are an integral part of out national heritage and make an important contribution to our sense of place, both regionally and locally. They are a key economic asset, underpinning much of our tourism industry and providing the setting within which new economic investment takes places. Increasingly we are also beginning to understand the contribution of landscapes to our health and well-being. Scotland's landscapes are described as a "national treasure" in the National Planning Framework. This importance was acknowledged in 2007 when the UK and Scottish Government ratified the European Landscape Convention.

Scottish Natural Heritage is the Scottish Government's advisor on landscape matters and is leading on the implementation of this Convention in Scotland.  

Our Landscape Policy Framework    sets out our approach to landscape issues. Our priorities are to:

• raise awareness of Scotland's landscapes and the human and natural processes which shape them, and help make sure they are cared for by guiding change and supporting better standards of management;
• encourage debate about what Scotland's landscapes should look like in future, and improve our understanding of people's views about landscapes;
• promote better stewardship of National Scenic Areas and develop a fresh approach to local landscape designations;
• seek recognition of the important wild qualities of some areas, as set out in our policy Wildness in the Scottish Countryside  ; and
• help to regenerate landscapes that have deteriorated as a result of human activities, and damaged environments close to where people live.

Key elements in our approach are:

• describing and understanding the diversity and natural beauty of Scotland's landscapes through a national programme of landscape character assessment and the description of the special qualities of our finest landscapes
• researching and developing landscape appraisal techniques and new methodologies for understanding landscape change and valuing landscapes
• developing policy and providing advice on strategic landscape issues, including renewables, national and local designations and wild land
• working with planning authorities, developers and land managers to encourage the planning and design of new development and land use in keeping with the natural beauty and distinctiveness of our landscapes
• encouraging greater involvement by people in the planning and management of the places and landscapes around them, through support for community futures type-exercises, the preparation of community design statements, reviews of local landscape designations and the development of management strategies for NSAs; and
• celebrating the importance of our landscapes to our sense of place, culture and identity through initiatives such as PlaceBook Scotland

For further information contact landscape@snh.gov.uk.