3 nautical miles

The limit to which Water Framework Directive measures have been implemented in Scotland. Limits from the coast (3, 6, 12 nautical miles) are measured from the baselines of the Territorial Sea.

Baselines are generally the coastline but straight baselines (closing lines) are drawn across the mouths of firths (estuaries) and some large bays (e.g. Firth, Clyde, Moray and the Minches) with enclosing lines around groups of islands (e.g. Orkney, Shetland).

Updated figures (as found in Scotland’s Marine Atlas) can be accessed in the ‘Data Sources’ tab at the bottom of the page.