How many sites of special scientific interest there are in Scotland; how many of the features for which they have been notified are in favo…

There are 1,455 SSSIsin Scotland. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has assessed2,347 of the natural features for which these sites have been notified as beingin favourable condition. In addition to this, 129 features have been assessed asbeing in unfavourable but recovering condition. At present, assessments of the reasonsfor unfavourable condition is only available for 778 of these features and theseare shown as follows. (Up to three reasons for unfavourable condition can be notedfor each feature).

| No. of Features

Agricultural operations
| 77

Grazing
- overgrazing/undergrazing
| 330

Burning (presence/absence/methods and changes in these)
| 59

Game and fisheries management activities and freshwater aquaculture
| 32

Water management
| 55

Water quality – direct or diffuse inputs
| 33

Forestry operations
| 69

Recreation / disturbance
| 107

Flood defence or Coastal defence works
| 10

Development carried out under planning permission (including roads, Acts of Parliament etc)
| 15

Statutory Undertaker (i.e. works carried out by a statutory body which is not required to seek planning permission, including military operations)
| 17

Lack of remedial management (e.g. stopping-up drains, scrub cutting, erecting deer fences)
| 93

Invasive species
| 221

Earth Science feature obscured / eroded (e.g. coastal erosion) / modified (e.g. cave entrances)
| 9

Dumping / spreading / storage of materials
| 30

Natural event (e.g. extreme weather)
| 40

Other (largely relating to off-site factors)
| 187


SNH is taking forwardaction in appropriate ways including active engagement with land owners, occupiersand statutory bodies to identify and take forward appro