In Scotland, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are designated areas of the sea aimed at protecting habitats, wildlife, geology, undersea landforms, historic shipwrecks, and demonstrating sustainable management of marine resources. As of August 2025, approximately 37% of Scotland's seas are covered by the Scottish MPA network, which comprises 243 sites.

Designation

As of August 2025, Scotland's MPA network comprises 243 sites protected under various conservation designations. Many of these designations are the same as those used on land, such as Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).Scottish MPA network - Parliamentary Report. p. 11.Scottish MPA network - Parliamentary Report. p. 32.

The legal framework for designating MPAs depends on the designation. For example, SSSIs are designated under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004. Where sites are not designated under other conservation legislation, MPAs are designated under one of two acts of parliament, depending on their location:

The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 is an act of the Scottish Parliament that gives the Scottish Government the power to designate MPAs in Scottish Territorial Waters (waters up to 12 nautical miles off the coastline). The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 is an act of the UK Parliament that gives the Scottish Government the power to designate MPAs in Scottish Offshore Waters (waters lying further from the coast than 12 nautical miles, and defined as Scottish by the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999).Scottish MPA network - Parliamentary Report. p. 5.

Sites are designated as MPAs under these acts for one of three purposes:

Nature Conservation MPAs are designated to protect biodiversity. Historical MPAs are used to protect sites such as marine wrecks and artefacts. Demonstration and Research MPAs are designated to test novel approaches to marine management.

In addition to the statutory MPAs, five sites were recognized as part of the Scottish MPA network, categorized as "other effective area-based conservation measures" (OECMs). Although these areas were not specifically created for nature conservation purposes, restrictions in place for these areas meant that they were considered to contribute to the protection of marine biodiversity. By December 2024 only one area was still considered to be an OECM, as changes in legislation and the extension of other areas had rendered the other OECM no longer relevant. The makeup of the network as of August 2025 is detailed in the table below:

Purpose Designation NumberNature Conservation Special Area of Conservation (SAC) 58Nature ConservationSpecial Protection Area (SPA) 58Nature ConservationSite of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) 65Nature ConservationRamsar 16Nature ConservationNature Conservation MPA 36 Total MPAs for nature conservation purposes 233 Demonstration and ResearchDemonstration and Research MPA1 Historic Historic MPA 8 Other area-based measures1 Total sites in Scottish MPA network 243

Management The lead body for the management of MPAs in Scotland is Marine Scotland. For nature conservation sites within territorial waters, NatureScot is responsible for developing the network, providing scientific advice to the Scottish Government on site selection, and advising Marine Scotland on management once sites are designated. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) fulfills this role for sites in offshore waters and also has a coordinating role for nature conservation across all the UK's offshore waters. Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for managing historic MPAs.

Activities undertaken in an MPA can be managed through voluntary measures or by implementing Marine Conservation Orders or Inshore Fishing Orders. Management measures, such as restrictions on the type of fishing gear that can be used, may be in place for all or part of an MPA and may only apply at certain times of the year. Environmental groups have criticized the government for failing to enforce fishing rules around MPAs.

List of MPAs These tables list those MPAs not covered by other designations (i.e. excluding SACs, SPAs, and SSSIs etc.) as of August 2025.

Historic MPAs NameSize (ha)DateDesignationAdvisory bodyHMS Campania7.1 1 November 2013HESHMS Dartmouth0.8 1 November 2013HESDrumbeg7.1 18 March 2013HESDuart Point1.81 November 2013HESIona I2.526 October 2016HESKinlochbervie28.31 November 2013HESMingary19.61 November 2013HESOut Skerries22.81 November 2013HESSwedish East India Company ship Queen of Sweden228 October 2025HESScuttled German High Seas Fleet in Scapa Flow107028 October 2025HES

Nature Conservation MPAs

NameArea(km2)DateAdvisory bodyCentral Fladen9257 August 2014 JNCCClyde Sea Sill7127 August 2014 NatureScotEast Caithness Cliffs1147 August 2014 NatureScotEast of Gannet and Montrose Fields1,8397 August 2014 JNCCFaroe–Shetland Sponge Belt5,2787 August 2014 JNCCFetlar to Haroldswick21618 November 2016 NatureScotFirth of Forth Banks Complex2,1307 August 2014 JNCCGeikie Slide and Hebridean Slope2,2157 August 2014 JNCCHatton-Rockall Basin1,2567 August 2014 JNCCLoch Carron2319 May 2019NatureScotLoch Creran127 August 2014NatureScotLoch Sunart497 August 2014NatureScotLoch Sunart to the Sound of Jura7417 August 2014 NatureScotLoch Sween417 August 2014NatureScotLochs Duich, Long and Alsh377 August 2014NatureScotMonach Isles627 August 2014NatureScotMousa to Boddam137 August 2014NatureScotNorth-east Faroe–Shetland Channel23,6827 August 2014JNCCNorth-east Lewis90,7003 December 2020NatureScotNorth-west Orkney4,3657 August 2014 JNCCNorwegian Boundary Sediment Plain1647 August 2014JNCCNoss Head87 August 2014NatureScotRed Rocks and Longay1216 December 2021NatureScotPapa Westray337 August 2014NatureScotSea of the Hebrides10,0393 December 2020NatureScotShiant East Bank25,2003 December 2020NatureScotSmall Isles80318 November 2016NatureScotSouthern Trench239,8003 December 2020NatureScotSouth Arran2807 August 2014 NatureScotThe Barra Fan and Hebrides Terrace Seamount4,3737 August 2014JNCCTurbot Bank2517 August 2014JNCCUpper Loch Fyne and Loch Goil887 August 2014 NatureScotWest of Scotland 107,7739 October 2020 JNCCWest Shetland Shelf4,0837 August 2014JNCCWester Ross5997 August 2014NatureScotWyre and Rousay Sounds167 August 2014 NatureScot

Demonstration and Research MPA There is one Demonstration and Research Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the waters surrounding Fair Isle. This MPA was designated on 9 November 2016. The aims of this MPA designation are defined as follows:

Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) In 2018, 5 areas were considered to form part of the MPA network as a result of area-based conservation measures other than the main statutory designations; these are listed below. By December 2024 only one area was still regarded as falling into this category due to changes in the protection of the other areas. NameSize (km2)Status (December 2024)East Coast of Scotland (sand eels)21,320Scottish MPA network - Parliamentary Report. p. 31.Following the extension of the prohibition on sand eel fishing to cover all Scottish waters this area is no longer considered part of the MPA network.West of Scotland (blue ling)6,009Area is now covered by the West of Scotland MPARosemary Bank (blue ling)8,955Area is now covered by the West of Scotland NCMPAWest Rockall Mound5,124Remains an OECMNorth West Rockall 346Area is now covered by the North-West Rockall SAC

Notes

References Bibliography

Citations

External links Scotland's Marine Protected Area network - NatureScot Marine Heritage - Historic Environment Scotland