UK Nature and Environment

The main findings show that, as of 31 March 2025, 75.2% of Scotland’s natural features on protected nature sites are either in, or recovering towards, a favourable condition. This figure represents a 3.8 percentage point increase since the baseline in 2005. There is a 0.3 percentage point decrease since last year.

(A difference of less than +/-1 percentage point from last year's figure suggests that the position is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change.)

The report draws on annual monitoring carried out by NatureScot of the condition of the 5,603 natural features across Scotland. As of 31 March 2025, 5,433 natural features were assessed and divided into three categories: habitats such as grasslands, woodlands and uplands (72.7% in favourable condition), species such as the evidence of seabirds breeding, presence of freshwater pearl mussels and number of vascular plant populations (72.5% in favourable condition) and earth sciences such as geographical outcrops and landforms, fossil beds and caves (94.4% in favourable condition).