National Scenic Areas (Scotland)

There are 40 National Scenic Areas in Scotland, covering 13% of the country's land area which include spectacular mountain ranges, like the Skye Cuillins, Ben Nevis and Glencoe, island landscapes in the Hebrides and Northern Isles and richly diverse scenery such as in Perthshire, the Scottish Borders, and Dumfries and Galloway. The designation’s purpose is both to identify the finest scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development.

They are broadly equivalent to the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty found in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Caolas an Scarp - Harris - Outer Hebrides

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Caolas an Scarp - Harris - Outer Hebrides

A few hundred yards north from the white sandy beach at Hushinish lies a narrow stretch of water between the mainland and the island of Scarp which was abandoned in 1969. Huisinis and Scarp were the scene of a unique experiment in 1938. German scientist Gerhard Zucher was experimenting with using rockets to deliver mail to remote areas. The mile wide Sound of Scarp was often impassable during bad weather and made it an ideal place for the experiment. A solid fuel rocket was launched full of mail for the first over-water flight in November 1938. It exploded, showering the beach with slightly singed letters. The letters were later delivered by the traditional method and the rocket mail never caught on.

National Scenic Area seascape sea island beach hills coastal coastline

From Outer Hebrides and Skye