Environment of Scotland
Encyclopedia
The environment of Scotland is the natural environment
of the Scottish
nation which occupies the northern part of the United Kingdom
. Scotland's landscape is diverse; ranging from rugged mountain terrain to fertile arable flat land with many rivers and loch
s.
Caledonian Forest
, heather moorland
and coastal machairs. The forest once covered almost all of Scotland but now only 1% of the forest remains in 35 isolated areas.
Scotland's environment supports 62 species of wild mammals, including Wild Cat
s, Grey
and Harbour seals and the most northernly colony of Bottlenose Dolphins. The Black
and Red grouse
populate Scotland's moorland and the country has significant nesting grounds for seabirds. The Scottish Crossbill
is the only endemnic vertebrate species in the UK. Scotland's seas are among the most biologically productive in the world with at least 40,000 species are estimated to live in Scottish waters. 14,000 species of insect inhabit Scotland, including rare species. The population of large mammals rapidly decreased to extinction in historic times.
and tends to be very changeable. Warm air from the Gulf Stream
makes Scotland's climate much warmer than other areas on similar latitudes. For example, in Labrador
, Canada
the sea freezes over in winter and icebergs are a common feature in spring and early summer or Fort McMurray, Canada where -35°C is not uncommon during winter.
As Scotland occupies the cooler northern section of Great Britain, temperatures are generally lower than the rest of the United Kingdom. The average maximum temperatures in Scotland are 5.0-5.7°C in winter and 20-25°C in summer. The coldest ever UK temperature of -27.2°C was recorded at Braemar
in the Grampian Mountains on January 10, 1982 and at Altnaharra
, Highlands
on December 30, 1985. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Scotland of 32.9°C was recorded at Greycrook
, Scottish Borders
on August 9, 2003.
Rainfall varies widely throughout Scotland. The western highlands of Scotland are one of the wettest places in Europe with annual rainfall up to 4577mm. This type of precipitation
is orographic in nature. Wet, warm is forced to rise on contact with the mountainous coast, where it cools and condenses
forming clouds. Much of eastern Scotland receives less than 870mm annually in comparison. Snowfall is less common in lowland areas but becomes increasingly more common with altitude.
is located in north-west Europe
and comprises the northern third of the island of Great Britain
. Scotland is surrounded by 790 islands incorporating the major archipelago
s of the Shetland Islands, the Orkney Islands and the Outer Hebrides
.
Scotland's only land border is with England
. It runs 96 kilometres (60 mi) in a north-easterly direction from the Solway Firth
in the west to the North Sea
on the east coast. The island of Ireland
lies 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the south-west tip of the Scottish mainland. Norway
is located 305 kilometres (190 mi) to the north-east of Scotland across the North Sea.
There are three main geographical sub-divisions in Scotland separated by two boundary fault lines. The Highlands and Islands
(commonly abbreviated to the Highlands) lies to the north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault
. The Central Lowlands
and the Southern Uplands
lie to the south of this fault line. The Southern Uplands Fault
separates these two geographical areas.
The Highlands, which make up about 60% of Scotland, are extensive mountainous areas rising to peaks of about 1300 metres (4400 ft). By international standards, Scotland's mountains are not high, but their exposure to changeable and very unpredictable weather influenced by the meeting of Europe
an and Atlantic air streams gives them seriousness that is out of proportion with their height. The Grampian Mountains is a mountain range that is to the east of the Great Glen
. The mountains are characterised by their large areas of upland plateau
. The city of Aberdeen
and the nearby surrounding area is more like the Central Lowlands as their fertile plains are not similar to the rest of the highlands.
The Central Lowlands make up 20% of Scotland and include the Forth-Clyde Canal. The area became home of widespread industrialisation from the late 18th century onwards. This was based on the large reserves of coal and iron ore found in the Central Lowlands, which was supported by the development of canals and railways.
The remaining 20% of Scotland is made up of the Southern Uplands, a pastoral upland area characterised by lines of hills divided by broad valleys. In addition to the main upland zones, there are individual hills that are not part of any ranges. Several of these hills are volcanic in origin and are known by the Scots
word law. Examples of these include the North Berwick Law
and the Traprain Law
.
The west coast of Scotland, in particular, is heavily indented and is scattered with fjord
like sea lochs. The east coast is more regular with series of large estuarine inlets, or firth
s, and long sandy beaches. Much of Scottish coastline consists of machairs, a dune pasture land formed as sea levels subsided.
and to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean
. Scotland has many rivers, lochs, reservoirs and estuaries. The River Tay
is Scotland's longest river and is 193 kilometres (120 mi) long. Lakes in Scotland are known as
loch
s, with the exception of the Lake of Menteith
and a few man-made lakes. The largest loch is Loch Lomond
and is 71.1 km2 (27.5 sq. mi) in area and is Britain's largest freshwater body.
In Scotland, water is a plentiful resource. Scotland's numerous lochs and rivers provide all of Scotland's water needs. Like most countries, tap water is treated with chlorine to make it safe to drink. Unlike other countries, tap water charges are included in council tax
.
Climate change has already affected Scotland. Over fifty years, the frequency of winter storms has doubled. The UK has seen nine of the ten warmest summers since 1990. Sea levels in Scotland have risen by 10 cm since 1900.
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
of the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
nation which occupies the northern part of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Scotland's landscape is diverse; ranging from rugged mountain terrain to fertile arable flat land with many rivers and loch
Loch
Loch is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for a lake or a sea inlet. It has been anglicised as lough, although this is pronounced the same way as loch. Some lochs could also be called a firth, fjord, estuary, strait or bay...
s.
Biota
The flora of Scotland is typical of the northern European part of the Palearctic ecozone. Prominent features of Scotland's fauna include the borealBoreal ecosystem
The term boreal is usually applied to ecosystems localized in subarctic and subantarctic zones, although Austral is also used for the latter....
Caledonian Forest
Caledonian Forest
The Caledonian Forest is the name of a type of woodland that once covered vast areas of Scotland. Today, however, only 1% of the original forest survives, covering in 84 locations. The forests are home to a wide variety of wildlife, much of which is not found elsewhere in the British...
, heather moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
and coastal machairs. The forest once covered almost all of Scotland but now only 1% of the forest remains in 35 isolated areas.
Scotland's environment supports 62 species of wild mammals, including Wild Cat
Wild cat
The wildcat is a small cat with several subspecies and a very broad distribution, found throughout most of Africa, Europe, and southwest and central Asia into India, China, and Mongolia. It is a hunter of small mammals, birds, and other creatures of a similar or smaller size. Sometimes included is...
s, Grey
Grey Seal
The grey seal is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is a large seal of the family Phocidae or "true seals". It is the only species classified in the genus Halichoerus...
and Harbour seals and the most northernly colony of Bottlenose Dolphins. The Black
Black Grouse
The Black Grouse or Blackgame is a large bird in the grouse family. It is a sedentary species, breeding across northern Eurasia in moorland and bog areas near to woodland, mostly boreal...
and Red grouse
Red grouse
The Red Grouse is a medium sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the Willow Grouse but is sometimes considered to be a separate species Lagopus scoticus...
populate Scotland's moorland and the country has significant nesting grounds for seabirds. The Scottish Crossbill
Scottish Crossbill
The Scottish Crossbill is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is endemic to the Caledonian Forests of Scotland, and is the only vertebrate unique to the United Kingdom...
is the only endemnic vertebrate species in the UK. Scotland's seas are among the most biologically productive in the world with at least 40,000 species are estimated to live in Scottish waters. 14,000 species of insect inhabit Scotland, including rare species. The population of large mammals rapidly decreased to extinction in historic times.
Climate
The climate of Scotland is classified as temperateTemperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
and tends to be very changeable. Warm air from the Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
makes Scotland's climate much warmer than other areas on similar latitudes. For example, in Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
the sea freezes over in winter and icebergs are a common feature in spring and early summer or Fort McMurray, Canada where -35°C is not uncommon during winter.
As Scotland occupies the cooler northern section of Great Britain, temperatures are generally lower than the rest of the United Kingdom. The average maximum temperatures in Scotland are 5.0-5.7°C in winter and 20-25°C in summer. The coldest ever UK temperature of -27.2°C was recorded at Braemar
Braemar
Braemar is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, around west of Aberdeen in the Highlands. It is the closest significantly-sized settlement to the upper course of the River Dee sitting at an altitude of ....
in the Grampian Mountains on January 10, 1982 and at Altnaharra
Altnaharra
-Notable persons:*Linda Norgrove, kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan, and killed by a US grenade during a rescue effort.-External links:**...
, Highlands
Highland (council area)
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and...
on December 30, 1985. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Scotland of 32.9°C was recorded at Greycrook
Greycrook
Greycrook is a village off the A68 and the A699, in the Scottish Borders, approximately 0.5km south-east of St Boswells, and close to Dryburgh, Dryburgh Abbey, Maxton, Newtown St Boswells, and the River Tweed....
, Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
on August 9, 2003.
Rainfall varies widely throughout Scotland. The western highlands of Scotland are one of the wettest places in Europe with annual rainfall up to 4577mm. This type of precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
is orographic in nature. Wet, warm is forced to rise on contact with the mountainous coast, where it cools and condenses
Condensation
Condensation is the change of the physical state of matter from gaseous phase into liquid phase, and is the reverse of vaporization. When the transition happens from the gaseous phase into the solid phase directly, the change is called deposition....
forming clouds. Much of eastern Scotland receives less than 870mm annually in comparison. Snowfall is less common in lowland areas but becomes increasingly more common with altitude.
Geography
ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
is located in north-west Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and comprises the northern third of the island of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Scotland is surrounded by 790 islands incorporating the major archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
s of the Shetland Islands, the Orkney Islands and the Outer Hebrides
Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland...
.
Scotland's only land border is with England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It runs 96 kilometres (60 mi) in a north-easterly direction from the Solway Firth
Solway Firth
The Solway Firth is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in Cumbria, to the Mull of Galloway, on the western end of Dumfries and Galloway. The Isle of Man is also very...
in the west to the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
on the east coast. The island of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
lies 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the south-west tip of the Scottish mainland. Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
is located 305 kilometres (190 mi) to the north-east of Scotland across the North Sea.
Land
The total area of Scotland is 78,772 km2 (30,414 sq. mi). Scotland has 11,800 kilometres (7332 mi) of coastline.There are three main geographical sub-divisions in Scotland separated by two boundary fault lines. The Highlands and Islands
Highlands and Islands
The Highlands and Islands of Scotland are broadly the Scottish Highlands plus Orkney, Shetland and the Hebrides.The Highlands and Islands are sometimes defined as the area to which the Crofters' Act of 1886 applied...
(commonly abbreviated to the Highlands) lies to the north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault
Highland Boundary Fault
The Highland Boundary Fault is a geological fault that traverses Scotland from Arran and Helensburgh on the west coast to Stonehaven in the east...
. The Central Lowlands
Central Lowlands
The Central Lowlands or Midland Valley is a geologically defined area of relatively low-lying land in southern Scotland. It consists of a rift valley between the Highland Boundary Fault to the north and the Southern Uplands Fault to the south...
and the Southern Uplands
Southern Uplands
The Southern Uplands are the southernmost and least populous of mainland Scotland's three major geographic areas . The term is used both to describe the geographical region and to collectively denote the various ranges of hills within this region...
lie to the south of this fault line. The Southern Uplands Fault
Southern Uplands Fault
The Southern Uplands Fault is a fault in Scotland that runs from Girvan to Dunbar on the East coast. It marks the southern boundary of the Scottish Midland Valley....
separates these two geographical areas.
The Highlands, which make up about 60% of Scotland, are extensive mountainous areas rising to peaks of about 1300 metres (4400 ft). By international standards, Scotland's mountains are not high, but their exposure to changeable and very unpredictable weather influenced by the meeting of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an and Atlantic air streams gives them seriousness that is out of proportion with their height. The Grampian Mountains is a mountain range that is to the east of the Great Glen
Great Glen
The Great Glen , also known as Glen Albyn or Glen More is a series of glens in Scotland running 100 kilometres from Inverness on the Moray Firth, to Fort William at the head of Loch Linnhe.The Great Glen follows a large geological fault known as the Great Glen Fault...
. The mountains are characterised by their large areas of upland plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
. The city of Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
and the nearby surrounding area is more like the Central Lowlands as their fertile plains are not similar to the rest of the highlands.
The Central Lowlands make up 20% of Scotland and include the Forth-Clyde Canal. The area became home of widespread industrialisation from the late 18th century onwards. This was based on the large reserves of coal and iron ore found in the Central Lowlands, which was supported by the development of canals and railways.
The remaining 20% of Scotland is made up of the Southern Uplands, a pastoral upland area characterised by lines of hills divided by broad valleys. In addition to the main upland zones, there are individual hills that are not part of any ranges. Several of these hills are volcanic in origin and are known by the Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
word law. Examples of these include the North Berwick Law
North Berwick Law
North Berwick Law is a conical hill which rises incongruously from the surrounding landscape . It overlooks the East Lothian town of North Berwick and stands at 613 ft above sea level.Geologically, the law is a volcanic plug of hard phonolitic trachyte rock of Carboniferous age...
and the Traprain Law
Traprain Law
Traprain Law is a hill about 221m in elevation, located east of Haddington in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the site of an oppidum or hill fort, which covered at its maximum extent about 16 ha and must have been a veritable town...
.
The west coast of Scotland, in particular, is heavily indented and is scattered with fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
like sea lochs. The east coast is more regular with series of large estuarine inlets, or firth
Firth
Firth is the word in the Lowland Scots language and in English used to denote various coastal waters in Scotland and England. In mainland Scotland it is used to describe a large sea bay, or even a strait. In the Northern Isles it more usually refers to a smaller inlet...
s, and long sandy beaches. Much of Scottish coastline consists of machairs, a dune pasture land formed as sea levels subsided.
Water
Scotland is bordered to the east by the North SeaNorth Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Scotland has many rivers, lochs, reservoirs and estuaries. The River Tay
River Tay
The River Tay is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in the United Kingdom. The Tay originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui , then flows easterly across the Highlands, through Loch Dochhart, Loch Lubhair and Loch Tay, then continues east through Strathtay , in...
is Scotland's longest river and is 193 kilometres (120 mi) long. Lakes in Scotland are known as
loch
Loch
Loch is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for a lake or a sea inlet. It has been anglicised as lough, although this is pronounced the same way as loch. Some lochs could also be called a firth, fjord, estuary, strait or bay...
s, with the exception of the Lake of Menteith
Lake of Menteith
The Lake of Menteith , is a loch in Scotland, located on the Carse of Stirling, the flood plain of the upper reaches of the rivers Forth and Teith, upstream of Stirling. Until the early 19th century, the more usual Scottish name of Loch of Menteith was used...
and a few man-made lakes. The largest loch is Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...
and is 71.1 km2 (27.5 sq. mi) in area and is Britain's largest freshwater body.
In Scotland, water is a plentiful resource. Scotland's numerous lochs and rivers provide all of Scotland's water needs. Like most countries, tap water is treated with chlorine to make it safe to drink. Unlike other countries, tap water charges are included in council tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
.
Climate change
Climate change poses a major threat to Scotland. Tackling climate change in Scotland is a devolved issue for the Scottish government, separate from the UK government. In 2009, the Scottish Parliament passed the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. The act includes the framework for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and other duties for government ministers.Climate change has already affected Scotland. Over fifty years, the frequency of winter storms has doubled. The UK has seen nine of the ten warmest summers since 1990. Sea levels in Scotland have risen by 10 cm since 1900.