| North West Sutherland National Scenic Area | |
|---|---|
 Ben Stack seen from the A838 road | |
 Location and extent of the North West Sutherland NSA. | |
| Location | Sutherland, Highland, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 58°22′13″N 4°54′17″W / 58.37033°N 4.90485°W |
| Area | 266 km2 (103 sq mi)[1] |
| Established | 1981 |
| Governing body | NatureScot |
North West Sutherland is a national scenic area (NSA) covering the mountains and coastal scenery of the northwestern part of the county of Sutherland in the highlands of Scotland. The designated area covers the mountains of Foinaven, Arkle and Ben Stack as well as the coastal scenery surrounding Loch Laxford and Handa Island.[2] It is one of 40 such areas in Scotland, which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection by restricting certain forms of development.[3] The North West Sutherland NSA covers 26,565 ha in total, consisting of 23,415 ha of land with a further 3,151 ha being marine (i.e. below low tide).[1]
National scenic areas are primarily designated due to the scenic qualities of an area, however NSAs may well have other special qualities, for example related to culture, history, archaeology, geology or wildlife.[4] Areas with such qualities may be protected via other national and international designations that overlap with the NSA designation. North West Sutherland includes several Natura 2000 sites within the designated area of the NSA.[5]
In Gaelic the area is known as Ceathramh Garb, meaning the "Rough Quarter".[6]
- ^ a b "National Scenic Areas - Maps". SNH. 2010-12-20. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
- ^ "Map: North West Sutherland National Scenic Area" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. December 2010. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
- ^ "National Scenic Areas". NatureScot. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "The special qualities of the National Scenic Areas" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. 2010. p. 2. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- ^ "Sitelink - Map Search". NatureScot. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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