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Important Plant Areas (Scotland)
Important Plant Areas (or IPAs) are exactly that: areas of landscape that have been identified as being of the highest botanical importance.
In 2007, Plantlife announced the establishment of 150 IPAs across the UK, areas nominated for their internationally important wild plant populations. Since then we have been actively raising awareness of these ecologically important habitats and encouraging their long-term protection and improvement through the adoption of an ‘ecosystem-based’ conservation approach.
Our IPA programme is endorsed by national conservation organisations including the RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts, and also by UK government bodies including Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales.
Click on any of the titles below to find out more about Scotland’s Important Plant Areas.
Important Plant Areas in Scotland
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Ardmeanach
Location: The central peninsula on the west coast of the Isle of Mull. Grid ...
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Bankhead Moss
Location: South west of Beith, Ayrshire Grid reference: NS 346 505Although ...
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Beinn Bheigier, Islay
Location: East of the Isle of Islay in the South Western Isles, north of ...
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Ben Alder and Aonach Beag
Location: Central Highlands, 10 miles south west of Dalwhinnie, between Loch ...
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Ben Nevis
Location: South east of Fort William in Inverness-shire.Grid reference: NN ...
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Ben Wyvis
Location: Highlands of Scotland, 25 km north-west of Inverness. Grid ...
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Black Wood of Rannoch
Location: Tay Forest Park, west of Kinloch Rannoch, above the South Loch ...
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Breadalbanes Mountains
Location: 6 miles north-east of Killin, north of Loch Tay. There is a car ...
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Cairngorms
Location: East of the A9 Perth - Inverness road, south east of Aviemore. ...
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Caithness and Sutherland Peatlands
Location: At the most north easterly tip of Scotland, between the coast and ...
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Carsegowan Moss
Location: North of Wigtown in Dumfries & Galloway, west of Carsegowan on ...
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Clearburn Loch
Location: East of Ettrick in the Scottish borders, on the northern side of ...
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Coll and Tiree
Location: Off the west coast of Scotland, in the Inner Hebrides, north west ...
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Colonsay
Location: In the Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland, 15 miles to the ...
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Crieff Woods (Comrie Woods and Drummond Wood)
Location: Northwest of Comrie on the A85, and to the north and east of ...
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Culbin Sands & Bar
Location: In north east Scotland, on the Moray Firth, east of Nairn off the ...
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Den of Airlie
Location: In Angus, north of the A926 between Alyth & Kirriemuir. Grid ...
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Dornoch Firth and Morrich More
Location: On the north east coast of Scotland. Grid Reference: NH 831 850The ...
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Dunkeld–Blairgowrie Lochs
Location: Perthshire, to the west and south of the A923 , running through ...
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Eigg
Hebridean Island, 10 miles offshore from Mallaig in the West Highlands of ...
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Harris and Lewis
Location: North west corner of the Outer Hebrides, or Western Isles. Grid ...
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Isle of Arran
Location: One of the most southerly Scottish islands, The Isle of Arran sits ...
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Isle of Cumbrae
Location: Lies in the lower Firth of Clyde. It can be reached by a 10 minute ...
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Isle of Lismore
Location: Situated in Loch Linnhe in Argyll, western Scotland. It can be ...
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Loch Lomond Woods
Location: The woods surround Loch Lomond, which runs 24 miles from the north ...
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Mainland Orkney
Location: The largest island of the Orkney group which lie off the far ...
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Merrick Kells
Location: In the Galloway Forest Park, to the north of Glen Trool. The IPA ...
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Milton Wood
Location: By the River Ericht, south east of Netherton, east of the A93 ...
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Moniack Gorge
Location: South from Easter Moniack on the A862 about 6 miles west of ...
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Mull Oakwoods
Location: Off the west coast of Scotland about one hundred miles north-west ...
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Oldshoremore to Melvich
Location: North-west Scotland, this area of coast lies to the north of the ...
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River Tweed
Location: 2 miles west of Berwick-upon-Tweed, through Whiteadder Water, into ...
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Rosemarkie to Shandwick Coast
Location: The coast of the Cromarty Firth to the north of Inverness. The ...
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Roslin Glen
Location: Follows the River North Esk, partly within the Roslin Glen Country ...
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Rum
Location: One of the Hebridean ‘Small Isles’. Caledonian ...
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SE Scotland Basalt Outcrops
Location: Scattered between Edinburgh and the Scottish English Border. Grid ...
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Shetland
Location: Off the north coast of Scotland. Grid Reference: HP6409Shetland, ...
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South-west Skye
Location: Isle of Skye, off the west coast of Scotland. Grid Reference: NG ...
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Strathglass Complex
Location: West of Inverness, to the north of Glen Affric. Grid Reference: NH ...
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Uists
Location: Central group of islands in the Outer Hebrides. Grid Ref: North ...
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West Coast IPA
Location: West coast of Scotland, from south of Cape Wrath to south of ...
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Whitlaw and Branxholme
Location: Scottish Borders, north east and east of Selkirk. Most of the ...