Communities across Scotland are being asked to consider whether their local area could be designated as the country’s newest national park.
Individuals, groups or organisations considering making a proposal can now register early interest.
Nominations will officially open later this year, once the appraisal framework has been finalised. The government has committed to designating at least one new national park in Scotland by spring 2026.
A draft appraisal framework with broad selection criteria for new national parks has been published for consultation.
The Scottish Government is already aware of several communities or groups that are interested in putting their area forward for national park status. The appraisal framework will help to ensure the nomination process is fair, transparent and inclusive.
Registration will open from today (11 May 2023). Registers of interest should be submitted by email to NationalParks@gov.scot.
There's no requirement to register interest in order to submit a nomination. Nor does registration commit a group or organisation to submitting a nomination.
Registration will allow the Scottish Government to update interested parties with any important information, key dates and communications throughout the process.
I look forward to engaging with communities and learning more about their proposals, and I encourage everyone to get involved as we move closer to naming Scotland’s next national park.
Our existing national parks play an important role in tackling the biodiversity and climate crises, whilst also supporting local communities, businesses and visitors.
Last year we consulted widely on the future of national parks in Scotland, and there was broad support for our commitment to create at least one new park by 2026.