Conservation in Scotland

This article gives an overview of the structure of environmental and cultural conservation in Scotland, a constituent country of the United Kingdom.
Upon the introduction of devolved government the environment and built heritage were not listed as reserved issues, and so for the most part conservation is the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Government, and the public bodies that report to them. Although originally reserved, responsibility for all planning and nature conservation matters at sea up to 200 miles from the Scottish coast was transferred to the Scottish Government in 2008. Some matters related to conservation, such as international treaties and border controls on prohibited species, remain the responsibility of the UK Government.
Much environment legislation in Scotland is based on the adoption into Scots law of European Union directives, such as the Habitats Directive. As such there may be changes to the structure and nature of conservation activities in Scotland following the UK's departure from the European Union.
Scottish Government.
Scottish Government directorates.
Conservation matters are dealt with across a number of directorates of the Scottish Government:
Scottish ministers.
Three Cabinet Secretaries hold portfolios with responsibility for conservation issues:
Public bodies.
The following are public bodies of the Scottish Government, with notes on their areas of responsibility.
United Kingdom Government.
Within the UK Government, environmental protection is the responsibility of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Two UK-wide executive agencies with responsibility for conservation matters include Scotland within their remit:
Non-governmental organisations.
Many non-governmental organisations are active in conservation issues in Scotland. The following list provides some examples.