National Scenic Area

National Scenic Area (NSA) is a conservation designation used in Scotland, and currently administered by Scottish Natural Heritage. NSAs are defined as having outstanding scenic interest or unsurpassed attractiveness.

Overview

The primary purpose of the NSA designations is to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the landscape, in a similar way to AONBs.

The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This act recognises Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in areas of countryside with significant landscape value in each of the three nations, that has been specially designated by their administrations.

National Scenic Areas in Scotland

The Borders	East Stewartry Coast • Eildon and Leaderfoot • Fleet Valley • Nith Estuary • Upper Tweeddale

Firth of Clyde and Mainland Argyll	North Arran • Knapdale • Kyles of Bute

Stirling	Loch Lomond • The Trossachs

Perth and Kinross	River Earn • River Tay • Loch Rannoch and Glen Lyon • Loch Tummel

Grampians	The Cairngorms • Deeside and Lochnagar

Highland	Assynt-Coigach • Ben Nevis and Glen Coe • Dornoch Firth • Glen Affric • Glen Strathfarrar • Kintail • Knoydart • Kyle of Tongue • Loch Shiel • Morar, Moidart and Ardnamurchan • North-West Sutherland • Wester Ross

Hebrides	The Cuillin Hills • Jura • Lynn of Lorn • Loch na Keal, Isle of Mull • Scarba, Lunga and The Garvellachs • Small Isles • St Kilda • South Lewis, Harris and North Uist • South Uist Machair • Trotternish

Northern Isles	Hoy and West Orkney Mainland • Shetland