Seal haul-out sites
Under Section 117 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, Scottish Ministers, consulting with the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), are permitted to designate specific seal haul-out sites to provide additional protection for seals from intentional or reckless harassment.
Seal haul-outs are locations on land where seals come ashore to rest, moult or breed, and Marine Directorate has been working closely with the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU), on behalf of NERC, to identify suitable sites.
In 2011, an initial list of 146 haul-out sites across Scotland were identified. This was then revised, with 194 sites, including key breeding sites, identified and designated through The Protection of Seals (Designation of Haul-Out Sites) (Scotland) Order 2014. This came into force on 30 September 2014.
In September 2015, we consulted on a proposed new seal haul-out site to be designated under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. This is an expanded site for grey seals located at the mouth of the River Ythan. The consultation was looking to establish whether or not the site should be designated and to obtain more information on the risk of harassment at this particular site. Read the analysis of responses report.
The Protection of Seals (Designation of Haul-Out Sites) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2017 formally designates the River Ythan haul-out site.
See an interactive map showing the location of the sites across Scotland.
Read questions and answers on the seal haul-out sites in our website archive.