Arising from Scottish Natural Heritage's Climate Change Action Plan (pdf), this research assesses the possible implications of climate change on Scotland's landscapes and their contribution to quality of life. The original assessment was updated in 2011 to reflect the United Kingdom Climate Projections 2009 (UKCP09) study. See the research report and appendices (external link).

The research focused on improving our understanding of the possible direct and indirect effects of climate change. A National Summary (pdf) of the report together with regional summaries of the research report have been produced to inform policy and practice.

The key findings are:

• Climate change could result in extensive landscape change across Scotland.
• The greatest changes are likely to be in lowland and coastal areas, where human population is highest.
• Mitigation and adaptation measures are likely to have a more significant influence on Scotland's landscapes and quality of life than the direct effects of climate change.
• Future socio-economic values that govern human responses to climate change could significantly modify these effects. This is a key area of uncertainty, but also suggests an opportunity to influence landscape change through the choices we make.
• For positive landscape and quality of life outcomes, it is important to adopt a holistic approach to managing climate change.
• An important part of the project has been to look at ways of comunicating the findings to a wide audience.

The Climate Change Conversations project ran in the the Machars (Dumfries and Galloway) and Nairnshire (Highland), in the Autumn of 2010. It used the information in the report to engage communities in discussing the implications of climate change for their place and the path they wanted their communities to follow.

The lessons learnt in the pilot project are now being used to develop the methodology into an assessment tool that can be used by individuals, communities, local authorities and other bodies to discuss landscape change.

The 'Talking About Our Place' community dialogue toolkit will be available for use in Spring 2012.

For more information contact landscape@snh.gov.uk or visit www.snh.gov.uk