Argyll Coast and Islands

The strikingly diverse landscape of the West coast of Scotland is one of a storybook come to life. Imagine idyllic, rolling green hills, cut with streams of clear water carving a path over rocks blanketed in tufts of spongy moss. Plunging beneath the surface, shipwrecks lie preserved, their presence a reminder of the inextricable link between the sea and our maritime heritage, spanning four hundred years from the Spanish Armada to WW2 losses, these sites, many of which have become artificial reefs full of marine life, are windows into the past and enable us to discover the stories of seafarers, trade and conflict. There is an abundance of marine biodiversity within these waters, which has sustained the lives of those on land for thousands of years. Such areas are rare in today’s world, and the Argyll Coast and Islands Hope Spot deserves to be celebrated as well as protected from unsustainable practices. West Scotland's waters are home to dolphins, whales and seals to otters, birds and the flapper skate, which is more endangered than the giant panda.

Protected Species

Dolphins Flapper Skate Otters Seals Whales