European Sites
European Sites in Scotland are part of a Europe-wide network of protected areas designed to meet the requirements of the European Commission’s Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and Birds Directive (79/409/EEC). They form the cornerstone of the European Union’s biodiversity strategy and policies. Since the United Kingdom left the European Union, the sites are recognised internationally as part of the Europe-wide Emerald Network which meets the requirements of the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats.
European Sites are made up of:
- Special Areas of Conservation (SAC): these support rare, endangered or vulnerable natural habitats and species of plants or animals (other than birds) of European importance, and are designated by Scottish Ministers under the Habitats Directive
- Special Protection Areas (SPA): these support significant numbers of wild birds and their habitats, and are designated by Scottish Ministers under the Birds Directive
Scotland provides the largest part of the UK contribution to European Sites, with 17.% of its land designated under the Birds and Habitats Directives. The UK figure is 10% and the average across the EU is around 18%.
As of January 2026, Scotland has 408 protected European sites, comprising 244 SACs and 164 SPAs. These sites protect 79 bird species, including golden eagle and capercaillie; 18 other types of animal species, including seal, dolphin and wild Atlantic salmon; and 56 types of habitat, including reefs, uplands and machair.
Most SPAs and SACs are co-designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) to secure the necessary management to ensure effective conservation
We are committed to ensuring there will be no loss of protection for European protected sites and species in Scotland, and to maintaining this protection at least at EU levels, following the UK’s exit from the EU on 31 January 2020.
European Sites
The protection provided for European sites comes through the provisions of The Conservation (Natural Habitats Etc.) Regulations 1994. This means that authorities may only grant consent for development proposals that may affect European sites if they can demonstrate by means of an appropriate assessment that a proposal will not have an adverse effect on the integrity of a site by taking in to account its conservation objectives.
Exceptions can be made only in situations where there is no alternative or where there are imperative reasons of overriding public interest, and then only if suitable compensatory measures are implemented to ensure the integrity of the European site network is maintained. These cases have been rare in Scotland.