Coast and Shore
Measured along the mean high water mark the coastline of Scotland is 11,803km in length. The number of islands with terrestrial vegetation is nearly 800, with about 600 of them lying off the west coast.
There appears to be no estimate of the number of smaller islands, or skerries, which are at times wave-washed and carry no terrestrial vegetation.
Scotland's diverse coastline is translated into an equally varied range of shoreline habitats. The character of a shore is dependent on a number of physical factors including wave exposure, salinity, geology, tidal range and strength of currents.
There have been numerous reviews and studies of specific elements of Scotland's shores but a comprehensive survey of the distribution of the habitats and species around the coast of Scotland is not yet complete.