HC Deb 12 July 1988 vol 137 c112W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by region and district the area of land designated as of outstanding natural beauty up to(a) 1979 and (b) 1987 in Scotland.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

The designation "area of outstanding natural beauty" does not apply in Scotland. Since 1980, 1,017,300 hectares have been designated as national scenic areas. A breakdown by district is not readily available but following is information by region:

Regional or Islands Council area Hectares
Shetland 15,600
Orkney 14,800
Highland 539,600
Western Isles 115,600
Grampian 62,000
Tayside 77,200
Strathclyde 137,000
Central 19,800
Borders 15,900
Dumfries and Galloway 19,800

Before 1980 special arrangements to protect the landscape applied in national park direction areas, which covered an area of 485,150 hectares, mostly in Highland region.