Atlantic salmon distribution in Scotland

What is it:

This layer shows Atlantic salmon distribution in Scotland based on the information Marine Scotland currently holds. This has been collected since the mid 1980s from various sources including Fisheries Trust and Salmon Fishery Boards.

Salmon distribution is used as part of the annual river assessment which has been undertaken by Marine Scotland since 2016 for the Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Regulations. More information on distribution data collection and salmon habitat can be found in the Focus Area Report to the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO) (see 'Additional Information' tab for links).

Links to Scotland's Marine Atlas:

Chapter 5: Salmon and Sea Trout Fishing

Data originators:

Scottish Government (Marine Directorate)

This information page is part of the theme:

Salmon and Sea Trout Fishing

Scottish Salmon Rivers © Marine Scotland

More Information:

Scotland is a stronghold of Atlantic salmon and salmon use most streams and rivers other than where streams are too steep or too small for salmon to ascend, or are blocked by waterfalls or dams, or the water quality or habitat is unsuitable. The information currently displayed is generated from the information held. It is believed to be largely accurate and covers the whole country, although for some areas it has not been updated or checked since 1986. Note that where a ‘salmon river’ contains a loch, the loch centre-line is included in the layer.

Marine Scotland is aware of a few errors and omissions which are being corrected.

Anyone accessing the information here is encouraged to advise Marine Scotland, via marinescotland@gov.scot, of any errors or omissions of which they are aware.

* Please Note * As the data layer was derived by Marine Scotland from a licensed dataset, it is not downloadable or routinely available but can be shared if the person holds a licence from Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH).

This page was last modified on :

Thursday, October 27, 2022 - 12:32

Map Type	Click title for metadata and licence information	Date of data	View Map
Map Layers (NMPi)	Salmon and Sea Trout - Scottish Salmon Rivers (hidden when zoomed in past 1:50,000)	1986-01-01 to 2015-10-08	Access this map on NMPi

Type	Title	External link
Reports	NASCO Focus Area Report - Protection, Restoration and Enhancement of Salmon Habitat	www.nasco.int
Web link	International Year of the Salmon	yearofthesalmon.org
Web link	Marine Scotland - Conservation of Wild Salmon	www2.gov.scot
Web link	Marine Scotland - Salmon and Recreational Fisheries	www.gov.scot