Publication - Progress report
Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended) - Regulation 3ZA: implementation report 2019 to 2024
Overview of the implementation of measures taken in Scotland to meet the provisions of the Birds and and Habitats Directives, and to achieve the objectives of those Directives between 2019 and 2024.
3. European sites – site designation
3.1 All sites
There are 244[1] SACs in Scotland, and 164 SPAs. These sites are on Scotland’s landmass and within the Scottish inshore zone to 12 nautical miles). The present report does not cover sites in the Offshore Zone.
3.2 – 3.3 Surface area[2] of terrestrial and marine sites
| Zone | SACs | SPAs |
|---|---|---|
| Terrestrial (3.2) | 6,073.5 km2 | 9,560.9 km2 |
| Marine (Inshore) (3.3) | 17,581.4 km2 | 13,431.5 km2 |
| Total Area | 23,654.9 km2 | 22,992.4 km2 |
3.4 SAC and SPA data used in calculations dated 2025-09-04
The present report does not cover offshore sites which are included in a UK report by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC). The area of European sites in the offshore zone is included here for completeness
| Zone | SACs | SPAs | Total area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish marine (offshore) | 30,575.8 km2 | 4,911.5 km2 | 527,243.1 km2 |
| UK marine (offshore) | 77,646 km2 | 6,406 km2 | 722,128 km2 |
Contact
Email: biodiversity@gov.scot