Question reference: S4W-28901
- Asked by: Rob Gibson, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 9 December 2015
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Current status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 5 January 2016
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are used to designate an area as wild land.
Answer
Wild land areas, which are not a statutory designation, were identified by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) using a three phase mapping methodology. This involved:
1) Using geographic information system analysis to map four physical attributes across Scotland: perceived naturalness, rugged or challenging terrain, remoteness from public roads, and visible lack of built development/modern artefacts;
2) Applying statistical techniques to identify the largest and most wild areas;
3) Making informed judgements to select and define areas of wild land of most importance in a national context.
A more detailed non-technical description of the mapping methodology has been published by SNH: http://www.snh.gov.uk/protecting-scotlands-nature/looking-after-landscapes/landscape-policy-and-guidance/wild-land/mapping/