Although the landscape may look wild and pristine, any of these natural habitats suffer from the pressures of human activities. To try to prevent any more damage and to help these areas recover, various types of Protected Areas have been established by different official bodies, based on different Acts of Parliament or other initiatives. These can help raise the profile of the area or species, to help its protection.
Wester Ross Marine Protected Area Hopes to prevent destructive fishing practices such as scallop dredging and prawn trawling and protect rare seabed features such as flame shells, northern feather stars and maerl (a coral-like algae which forms a valuable habitat for other marine species), as well as the area’s complex geodiversity. The Wester Ross Marine Protected Area protects the area from destructive fishing practices and protects the geology.
The North-West Highlands Geopark th century – is remarkable on a global scale.
The Assynt-Coigach National Scenic Area
The areas of Inverpolly-Glencanisp and Quinag are designated as a Wild Land Area .
Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) There are several Special Areas of Conservation
Achnahaird in Coigach – Bryophytes (also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) Ardvar and Loch a’ Mhuilinn Woodlands in Assynt – Western acidic oak woodland, otters and freshwater pearl mussels (also an SSSI) Inverpolly in Coigach – Variety of upland, woodland, montane and freshwater habitats (also an SSSI) Special Protection Areas (SPA) Special Protection Areas
Inverpolly, Loch Urgill and nearby lochs: aggregations of breeding birds, including black-throated divers Priest Island (owned by the RSPB) – the most remote of the Summer Isles: storm petrel (also an SSSI) SSSI’s are areas of land and water that represent our natural heritage – our fauna, flora, geology and geomorphology (in addition to those noted above). These are monitored regularly so that appropriate action can be taken if the precious features are in decline.
Assynt Lochs – Aggregations of breeding birds, including black throated diver Cam Loch – Native woodland (upland birch), Igneous Petrology, Quaternary geology and geomorphology, oligotrophic loch, moine thrust Knockan Cliff – Upland mosaic vegetation and moine thrust exposures Rudha Dùnan on Achlochan – Hydromorphological mire range and outcrop of Torridonian Sandstone Priest Island – Aggregations of breeding birds, including storm petrel and supralittoral rock Inverpolly – Variety of habitats, breeding bird assemblages, invertebrates and vascular plants Achnahaird – Bryophytes Ardvar – Atlantic Rainforest Loch Awe & Loch Alish – Black Throated Divers Loch Glen Coul – Upland birch woodland and Structural and metamorphic geology (moine) Ben Mòr Assynt – geology, upland plant communities and freshwater habitats Achlochan – geology and wetland Ben Mòr Coigach Nature Reserve is the largest of the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s reserves, at 6000 hectares; Isle Ristol in the Summer Isles is also owned by the SWT.Priest Island Reserve is owned by Royal Society for the Protection of Birds The southern part of the area is within the ‘transition zone’ of the Wester Ross Biosphere Reserve
Protected Species In spite of these protected areas, the populations of many plants, birds and animals in Scotland are in decline due to various man-made threats. They are therefore legally protected to try to halt the serious decline in populations, and the deterioration of habitats.
NatureScot (formerly Scottish Natural Heritage) is the government body responsible for these protections. You can find out about the various ‘designations’, and the legal consequences of damaging protected species and habitats.All plants and animals have some level of protection. In many cases, it’s an offence to kill or capture animals, including birds, or to uproot plants. The law also protects some wild animals from disturbance or harassment, or disturbance of their breeding sites or resting places. It is also against the law to pick some plants. You can find more information about the responsibilities of the general public towards these species. This area is home to a huge list of Protected Species , including: Scottish wildcat, Otters, Seals, Golden Eagles and White-tailed Eagles (which were re-introduced 40 years ago, following extermination during early 1900s). Seasonally, various Cetaceans can be seen in the coastal waters (Harbour Porpoise; Common Dolphin; Minke whale, Orca, Pilot Whales, Fin Whales), as well as Basking Sharks. Seasonal bird visitors include Storm Petrels; Black Throated and Red Throated Divers. If you are lucky enough to encounter some marine wildlife, please be sure to follow the Marine Wildlife Watching Code . Various other species have become extinct, and there is (often heated!) discussion about reintroducing them in the future: Lynx, Bear, Wolf. Reintroduction of Beaver has already begun elsewhere in Scotland. You can read the latest information here . 
