Develop upland-specific, best practice guidance on measures for upland restoration to regenerate peatlands, increase nature woodland cover, manage grazing, protect certain target species and priority habitats and increase habitat heterogeneity.
Objective 1: Accelerate ecosystem restoration and regeneration
Priority Action 2. Introduce a Programme of Ecosystem Restoration
No single, integrated national guidance has been published that consolidates best practice for upland restoration across peatland recovery, native woodland expansion, grazing management, species protection, and habitat heterogeneity.
Instead, upland restoration continues to be guided through a range of separate, topic-specific frameworks and advisory resources. These include peatland restoration programmes, protected area management guidance, and grazing management advice, which collectively contribute to upland restoration but are not unified into a coherent, upland-specific best practice framework.
This fragmented approach limits clarity for land managers and may reduce the effectiveness and consistency of delivery across upland landscapes.
There is evidence of active restoration work in Scottish uplands, particularly through peatland restoration and protected area management. However, current ecological evidence suggests delivery remains fragmented and outcomes remain uncertain.
NatureScot’s 2025 protected site condition data shows that only 54.1% of woodland features on protected sites are currently in favourable condition, while upland habitats declined slightly in the latest reporting year. Over-grazing also remains one of the most frequently recorded pressures affecting protected nature sites in Scotland. This suggests that while restoration activity is taking place, it is not yet being delivered through a sufficiently coordinated, ecosystem-scale approach to demonstrate consistent recovery in habitat condition, connectivity, or ecological function across upland landscapes.
Without integrated guidance aligning peatland restoration, woodland recovery, grazing pressure, and species management, the ecological contribution of this action remains partial rather than clearly sufficient to support large-scale nature recovery.
NatureScot – Peatland ACTION programme
NatureScot – Protected areas
NatureScot – Grazing
Collate, review and prioritise all the landscape scale nature restoration projects across Scotland. Using this spatial evidence, NatureScot will identify and help facilitate partnership projects for six exemplar large scale landscape restoration areas with significant woodland components by 2025. By the end of 2026 those projects will have engaged with communities; developed deliverable action…
Develop the new Register of Ancient Woodlands, to include locational data, a definition of the required ‘protected and restored’ condition of ancient woodlands, and a process for recording ancient woodlands that reach the required standard.
Ensure support mechanisms are in place for landowners to restore priority ancient woodlands by 2030, focusing initially on protected/designated woodlands in unfavourable condition.
Implement Scotland’s strategic approach for Scotland’s rainforest which aims to improve its condition and health so that it can regenerate and expand whilst providing benefits to communities.
Develop a national peatland monitoring framework that incorporates on-site and remotely sensed assessments of biodiversity indicators, climate resilience and associated functions within the wider landscape, hydrological and ecological network contexts.
Transition 4 of the pilot RLUPs (Cairngorms National Park, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, and South of Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders Councils, NorthWest 2045 Region (Highlands Council)) to formal initiatives as we seek to continue to develop our understanding of how partnership work can help to optimise land use in a fair and inclusive way meeting local and…
Following consultation in 2023, continue ongoing work towards implementing a ban on the sale of horticultural peat in Scotland.
Publish a plan for marine and coastal ecosystem restoration, including identifying actions to help prioritise habitats and locations suitable for restoration.
Deliver additional protection for spawning and juvenile congregation areas where needed, and for species with are integral components of the marine food web.
Develop new approaches to marine biodiversity monitoring, covering both state and pressure assessment and aligned with the UK Marine Strategy.
Develop a Blue Carbon Action Plan to identify where the Scottish Government can most effectively address evidence gaps and progress actions to support the protection, restoration, and enhancement of blue carbon habitats.
The RBMPs aims and objectives for the 2021-27 period, and the associated programme of measures aim to ensure that 81% of all Scotland’s waterbodies (rivers, lochs, groundwater, transitional (estuary/ firth) and coastal waters) achieve a ‘good’ or better classification by 2027 and continue to improve as natural conditions recover beyond that date.
By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.
