Upper Tweeddale National Scenic Area

Upper Tweeddale National Scenic Area
Farmland in the valley of the Manor Water.
Map showing the location of Upper Tweeddale National Scenic Area
Map showing the location of Upper Tweeddale National Scenic Area
The location of the centre of the NSA within the Scottish Borders.
LocationScottish Borders, Scotland
Coordinates55°36′59″N 3°18′53″W / 55.616506°N 3.314601°W / 55.616506; -3.314601
Area128 km2 (49 sq mi)[1]
Established1981
Governing bodyNatureScot

The Upper Tweeddale National Scenic Area lies in the Borders region of Scotland. It is one of 40 national scenic areas (NSA) in Scotland, which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure their protection from inappropriate development.[2] The designated area covers 12,770 ha (49 square miles) of countryside surrounding the upper reaches of the River Tweed between Broughton and Peebles.[1][3]

National scenic areas are designated primarily to recognise the scenic qualities of an area, but sometimes also e.g. its culture, history, archaeology, geology or wildlife. Areas with such qualities may be protected via other national and international designations that overlap with the NSA designation.[4] There are two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) within the designated area of the Upper Tweeddale NSA.[5]

Although the national scenic area designation provides a degree of additional protection via the planning process, there are no bodies equivalent to a national park authority,[6] and whilst local authorities (in this case Scottish Borders Council) can produce a management strategy for each one, only the three national scenic areas within Dumfries and Galloway currently have management strategies.[7]

  1. ^ a b "National Scenic Areas - Maps". Scottish Natural Heritage. 20 December 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  2. ^ "National Scenic Areas". NatureScot. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Upper Tweeddale NSA". NatureScot. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  4. ^ "The special qualities of the National Scenic Areas" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. 2010. p. 2. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  5. ^ "Development management and National Scenic Areas". NatureScot. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference NSAbcp was invoked but never defined (see the help page).