National Parks Of Scotland

The national parks of Scotland are areas of exceptional landscapes, wildlife, and cultural heritage where commercial and habitation activities are restricted. The parks help in safeguarding the flora and fauna. The national parks of Scotland also provide the Scottish people with opportunities to enjoy their unique cultural and natural heritage. At present, Scotland has only two national parks namely the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond National Park established in 2002 and the Trossachs National Park established in 2003.

6. Outstanding Lanscape Of Scotland -

The scenic Scottish landscape varies from barren uplands to rural lowlands extending from uninhabited islands to large cities. Scotland's landscape is made up of one-third of the Great Britain Island together with 790 neighboring islands surrounding the main archipelagoes of the Orkney Islands, the Shetland Islands, and the Hebrides. The Scottish landscape is characterized BT towering mountains, thick woodlands, beautiful beaches, glittering lochs and some evergreen botanical gardens. The country's vast beauty is best experienced at the Scottish geoparks.

5. Flora And Fauna Of Scotland -

The flora of Scotland comprises of an assemblage of indigenous plants species which include about 1,000 bryophytes, 1,500 lichens, and more than 1,600 vascular plants. There are a number rare ferns however several of their species were threatened by collectors during the 19th century. Scotland's fauna consists of a variety of important tree species such as the Grand fir which is the tallest tree in the United Kingdom and Fortingall Yew which is the oldest tree in the UK. Other significant trees include the endemic species such as the Scottish Primrose, Shetland Mouse-ear, and the Arran Whitebeams. The fauna of Scotland comprises of 62 wild mammal species, more than 40,000 marine species, and 14,000 insect species among others. The most common bird species include the black and red grouse, the golden eagle, the Scottish crossbill and sea birds such as the northern gannet.

4. Cairngorms National Park -

The Cairngorms National park located on north east of Scotland was founded in 2003 by the Scottish Parliament and covers an area of 1,748.27 square miles. The national park encompasses the Cairngorms range of mountains and neighboring hills. Cairngorms national park was extended to Kinross and Perth making it the largest park found in the British Isles.

3. Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park -

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park is the second national park in Scotland whose focal attraction is Loch Lomond. The park consists of the Trossachs together with other ranges of hills. The park is the first of the only two national parks in Scotland and was established in 2002 by the Parliament of Scotland and covers an area of 720 square miles. Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park is the fourth largest park in the British Isles.

2. Private Ownership Of Scottish National Parks -

None of Scotland's national parks are owned by the government since the majority of the land is privately owned. The lands have been individually owned for more than a thousand years. The Scottish national parks are classified as protected landscapes by IUCN under category V.

1. Tourism And Recreation Activities -

Scotland is a fully developed tourist destination with tourism industry creating more than 200,000 job opportunities. Scotland has a wide array of historic sites such historic castles, battlegrounds, museums and ruins combined with the landscapes and beautiful sceneries. Some of Scotland's recreation activities include rock climbing, fishing, windsurfing, sea kayaking, scuba diving, hiking, power boating among others. Scotland's main tourist season runs from April to October with genealogy becoming a popular reason for people visiting Scotland.