The regional parks of Scotland are areas of attractive countryside that are of importance for recreation due to their proximity to population centres. The parks are defined to co-ordinate the management of these areas by providing visitor facilities such as car parks, footpaths, ranger services and visitor centres.
Regional parks are defined and managed by local authorities, supported by NatureScot, using powers granted in the Countryside (Scotland) Act 1967 and the Countryside (Scotland) Act 1981. There are currently three regional parks, all located in the country's densely populated central belt: Clyde Muirshiel, the Pentland Hills and the Lomond Hills. Combined, these three cover 440 square kilometres (168 sq mi), or about 0.5% of Scotland's total land area.[1]
As of 2018 it was estimated that the three regional parks together received at least 2 million visits each year.[2]