12 May 2026
Photo by Igor Francetic Three ScotWind offshore wind developers have joined forces with Crown Estate Scotland and NatureScot to fund a two-year acoustic study of minke whale activity in a marine protected area that lies directly in the path of planned grid connection infrastructure off the Aberdeenshire coast. The study, led by the Scottish […]
03 Mar 2026
Photo by Ekaterina Zlotnikova Scotland’s largest known flame shell bed has made a complete recovery following the designation of a Marine Protected Area in Loch Carron, Wester Ross, a result that researchers and conservationists are hailing as a model for decisive marine protection. Two reports commissioned by NatureScot found that flame shell beds in the […]
03 Feb 2026
Photo by Daniel Tonks The Scottish Parliament has passed the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill, establishing Scotland’s first statutory biodiversity targets and committing the nation to becoming ‘nature positive’ by 2030. The legislation, approved by 90 votes to 26 at Stage 3 on 29 January 2026, represents what ministers are calling the strongest statutory framework Scotland has […]
17 Apr 2025
Image description: A beaver sitting in water. Image by Matej Bizjak / Pexels. An opinion piece by farmer and owner of Argaty Red Kites, Tom Bowser, has called out NatureScot for stalling beaver reintroductions, declaring “something is wrong at the heart of NatureScot”. Tom Bowser questions the Nature Agency’s ongoing blocking of beaver releases, […]
20 Mar 2025
Image description: offshore windfarm captured during sunset. Photo by Greece-China News/ Pexels The Scottish Government and environment agency NatureScot have been urged to step in to protect freshwater pearl mussels before they become extinct, due to the threat posed by wind farm developments. Freshwater pearl mussels are critically endangered, and professor of aquatic systems […]
25 Jan 2025
A new report from NatureScot and SAMS sheds light on the significant changes occurring in Scotland’s rocky intertidal zones. The study, which surveyed 167 sites around Scotland’s coast, reveals how seaweed populations are being affected by climate change. Here are some key findings: 1. Overall Shift Towards Warmer Water Species: The study observed a […]
02 Jul 2024
NatureScot and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) have completed a count of burrows on the Isle of May National Nature Reserve (NNR) in the Firth of Forth, a protected and internationally important habitat for seabirds. Based on their all-island count this summer, scientists estimate there are around 52,000 occupied puffin burrows, compared […]
13 Jun 2023
From NatureScot: A trailblazing marine environment fund – designed to help ensure Scotland’s coasts and seas are healthy, productive and nature-rich – is already having a great impact, after its first two years saw over £3.2m in funding distributed to 45 projects. Examples of the projects funded around Scotland include improving the ability to rescue […]
