Protected Areas

Country Parks

Country Parks are attractive venues for informal outdoor recreation, most of which lie close to Scotland’s larger towns and cities. These Parks are very diverse in character. Many are based around the parkland associated with historic houses, but Country Parks have also been established in a range of other settings including farms, woodland, lochs or coastal areas. Country Parks are of particular importance in providing welcoming provision for people of varying levels of ability. Through their ranger services, they also offer environmental education initiatives which cater for a wide range of interests.

There are 36 Country Parks in Scotland, most of which are owned and managed by local authorities, although some are in the care of the National Trust for Scotland. Some Country Parks lie within Regional Parks, an overarching designation which provides co-ordinated management across more extensive areas.

• view list of current country parks (excel file format)