Policy documents
From time to time we publish guidance on our approach towards aspects of the natural heritage, on the way it is managed, or on how we prioritise our own activities. These documents cover a wide range of topics, some general, some specific. They form a foundation of much of our advice to others. They usually represent the product of careful review of the topic within SNH and in consultation with other interested parties.
Use the alphabetic index below to find publications that are relevant to you.
- Agriculture
- Applying the precautionary principle
- Balancing duties
- Better Places for People and Nature
- Bioenergy and the natural heritage
- Coastal erosion and defence
- Deer management
- Deer management - policy and guidance on deer fencing
- Deer management - policy on deer counting
- Ecosystem Approach - Sustaining Nature's Services
- Energy and the natural heritage
- Enjoying the outdoors
- Environmental justice and the natural heritage
- Environmental volunteering in Scotland
- Forestry and woodlands
- GM Organisms
- Health - developing the contribution of the natural heritage to a healthier Scotland
- Land and communities- openness in ownership
- Landscape policy framework
- Local Nature Reserves
- Local biodiversity action plan (LBAP) partnerships
- Marine renewable energy
- National Nature Reserves
- National Parks
- National Scenic Areas
- Oil and gas exploration
- Opencast coal development and the natural heritage
- Parks and Reserves - Places Managed for People and Nature
- Paths - Linking People, Places and Nature
- Planning and development in greenbelts
- Public Local Inquiries (PLIs)
- Radio telecommunication developments
- Rangers in Scotland
- Renewable energy
- Rural development
- SNH's input to area tourism strategies
- Service Statement for Planning and Development
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest: Establishing and maintaining the series
- Soil and the natural heritage
- Species Action Framework
- Strategic Environmental Assessment
- Strategic locational guidance for onshore windfarms
- Sustainable development
- Voluntary sector
- Wildlife crime
- Wildness in Scotland's countryside
Despite our best endeavours, inevitably some aspects of such statements become out of date, even when their main conclusions remain valid. Each document is accorded a status of 'green' meaning the document is fully current, or 'amber' meaning that some of the background and contextual material is out of date, but the key conclusions of the document remain valid. Documents rated 'red', meaning that the key conclusions are no longer valid, have been withdrawn from our list of policy documents.