Central Scotland Green Network

The Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN) is a planned network of connected green and blue spaces, stretching from Ayrshire and Inverclyde in the west to Fife and the Lothians in the east. It is part of the Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework.

The network will:

• create attractive landscapes for a range of uses by restoring vacant and derelict land
• improve cycling and walking networks to promote active travel and healthier lifestyles
• help to absorb CO2 by managing carbon rich soils and increasing woodland expansion
• join up fragmented habitats to allow species to move in response to climate change
• make central Scotland a more attractive place to live, visit and do business

The CSGN was launched in September 2009.  In 2014, the Central Scotland Green Network Trust, now Green Action Trust (GAT) was created to coordinate the initiative.  NatureScot leads the CSGN Habitat Network workstream, which aims to deliver an integrated habitat network with at least 20% of degraded ecosystems restored across the CSGN.

How we support CSGN

Habitat Connectivity Map

We have developed a new habitat mapping tool which shows existing habitat patches in Central Scotland and predicts opportunity areas where these can be connected.

The map layers can be downloaded from our Natural Spaces website. 

For more information and guidance on how to use the map, please see the user guide.

For a briefer summary, please see the promotional brochure.

Creating attractive landscapes

NatureScot has won European funding to deliver £37 million of green infrastructure from 2016 to 2023, mostly in urban areas of the central belt.  Find out more on the Green Infrastructure Scotland website.

Seven Lochs Wetland Park is Scotland’s largest urban nature park. NatureScot is a member of the Seven Lochs Partnership, which secured £4.5 million from the National Heritage Lottery Fund for the Seven Lochs Heritage Project, which runs from 2016 to 2023.

In June 2014, Scottish Canals opened the Glasgow to Edinburgh Canoe Trail.  NatureScot provided some of the funding for this through the CSGN Development Fund.

NatureScot led partners in creating the John Muir Way, which opened in April 2014.

Manage carbon rich soils

Our Peatland Action project used over £30 million of Scottish Government funding to improve 25,000 hectares of peatland in Scotland between 2012 and 2020.