Professional advice

Scotland’s most special places carry international, national and local designations that safeguard their natural heritage interests for the future.

Some animals and plants are so threatened or vulnerable that they need legal protection wherever they occur.

SNH deal with almost all species licensing in Scotland, including non-native species licensing. We can also license out-of-season muirburn for certain purposes.

Scotland’s list of priority marine features contains 81 habitats and species considered to be of conservation importance in Scotland’s seas.

Find out how to plan a conservation translocation in Scotland and learn about the work of the National Species Reintroduction Forum.

Legislation implementing various European Directives helps to safeguard Scotland’s biodiversity and ecosystem services beyond the boundaries of our protected areas.

Find useful information whether you’re involved in access and recreation policymaking or managing access or recreation on land or in freshwater.

Our coasts and seas support a wealth of habitats and species and Scotland's economy. We help to manage the marine environments many, often competing, uses.

Explore how freshwater should be managed in Scotland, from restoring natural flood management to preventing the introduction of freshwater non-native species.

Learn how farming and crofting, forests and woodland, and upland and moorland are managed in Scotland, and find out about soil management and habitat networks.

We are the Scottish Government’s lead adviser on wildlife management. Learn about the framework that guides us and about some of our work with wildlife.

Find out how Scotland's environment is valued in terms of its ecosystem services, economic impact and enjoyment by the public.

Read up on when planners and developers should consult us, how best to engage with us, and the level of service we aim to give.

Get in touch to discuss our approach to planning and development or to ask for general guidance on an application.

We have a statutory role in environmental assessment and help others in their roles by sharing data, guidance and advice.

Use our guidance to plan and design your development to have positive outcomes for nature, landscapes and people, and avoid adverse impacts.

Nature plays a major part in Scotland’s economic growth and quality of life. It supports sustainable tourism, the food and drink sector, aquaculture and more.

Scotland has a three-tier marine planning system, which covers the use of Scottish waters at the international, national and regional level.

Explore guidance on the main natural heritage considerations if you're thinking of pursuing a renewable energy development in Scotland.

The aim of the Outdoor Learning in Nature Fund is to support more young people to have regular, frequent, structured and progressive outdoor learning experiences.

Land managers can apply for a wide range of management measures through various SRDP schemes. The AECS application window closed on 13th April, except for IPA cases and cases involving five or more collaborators, for which the deadline is 31May.

A management agreement involves Scottish Natural Heritage making payments to a land manager, usually of a protected area, for an agreed programme of work.

In Scotland, this funding supports projects of more than 2m that help to apply the Habitats and Birds Directives or halt biodiversity loss.

Use our list to source funding for your natural heritage project whether you're seeking a primary supporter or match funding.

‘Green exercise’ improves physical, mental and social health and well-being. Find out how individuals and communities can benefit from spending time outdoors.

Find out about popular green exercise programmes taking off across Scotland, and read inspiring case studies of local and regional green exercise projects.

Scotland’s natural environment is a resource that can be used to help tackle some of our key health issues. Our Natural Health Service aims to show how.

This partnership project aims to get pupils in some of Scotland's most disadvantaged areas learning in their local greenspace frequently by 2020.

Our CLPL programme and initial teacher education together ensure that we help educators at all stages to develop skills in outdoor learning.

Anyone can use any National Nature Reserve for outdoor learning, and some NNRs also offer formal educational opportunities.

Secondary school teachers and students can get ideas for projects by exploring areas of our work that connect to Curriculum for Excellence.

Camera trapping is a great way to encourage outdoor learning. Watch some of the winning videos from our successful project.

Free resources can help you to bring our nature and landscapes to life outdoors and in the classroom for early years, primary and secondary students.

Learn about travel grants to help with the cost of getting to either of Scotland's National Parks, and locate other sources of funding.

The European Landscape Convention shapes our approach to landscape matters.

All of Scotland has been described through Landscape Character Assessment. Such studies show us the variety in our landscapes and can guide landscape change.

Find out about coastal characterisation and how it can guide planning decisions that affect our seas and coasts.

Explore landscape policy and guidance if you’re a planner, developer, policymaker, land manager, landscape architect or want to look after local landscapes.

Planning and development decisions may lead to landscape change. These tools and techniques can help, if used to assess whether such change is appropriate.

Human activity and natural processes continue to change Scotland's landscapes, which play a vital role in our health, economy and international reputation.

Scottish Natural Heritage is the Scottish Government's statutory adviser on landscape. Read about our landscape remit.

Scotland’s Landscape Monitoring Programme lets us assess how our landscapes are changing. Find out how the programme works and browse the published indicators.

Scotland’s planning authorities are uniquely placed to put national and local landscape policy into practice within communities. Read about this important role.

Scotland's Landscape Charter challenges everyone to take action for landscape to celebrate landscape, improve our understanding of it, and promote its care.

Follow our step-by-step guide to planning and producing attractive and effective natural heritage interpretation for your site.

Our policy and guidance documents set out our position and advice on nature and landscapes topics. Learn about how we participate in policy development.

Protected areas

Protected species

Licensing

Priority marine features in Scotland's seas

Reintroducing native species

Safeguards beyond protected areas

Managing access and recreation

Managing coasts and seas

Managing freshwater

Managing the land

Managing wildlife

Valuing our environment

Consulting SNH on planning and development

Contacts

Environmental assessment

Natural Heritage advice for planners and developers

Industries reliant on nature

Marine planning

Renewable energy development

Planning e-bulletin

Outdoor Learning in Nature Fund

Scottish Rural Development Programme

Management agreements

LIFE Nature and Biodiversity funding

Other sources of funding

Green exercise and its benefits

Green exercise projects

Our Natural Health Service

Learning in local greenspace

Career-long professional learning for educators

Outdoor learning at NNRs

Topics of interest to secondary students

Schools Camera Trapping Project

Activities for your class

Grants for outdoor learning visits

Framework for landscape policy

Landscape Character Assessment

Coastal Character Assessment

Landscape policy and guidance

Landscape tools and techniques

Managing landscape change

Our landscape role

Scotland's Landscape Monitoring Programme

Planning authorities and landscape

Scotland’s Landscape Charter

Natural heritage interpretation

Our policy and guidance

News and events

Removing flowers to keep Inverbervie beautiful!

New Environment Minister announces £600,000 for Outdoor Learning

Birds flock back to 'mink free' Hebrides

Slight increase in breeding seabird numbers in Scotland after decades-long decline

Young people 'bringing nature to Scotland's cities'

West Lothian primary school wins national nature trap competition

Glasgow primary school wins prize in national nature camera trap competition

Ambitious project launches to halt alien invasion