The National Parks Act 2000, an Act

Act of Parliament

An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...

 of the Scottish Parliament

Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...

, sets out 4 main aims of the national parks

National parks of Scotland

National parks of Scotland are managed areas of outstanding landscape where habitation and commercial activities are restricted. At present, Scotland has two national parks: Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, created in 2002, and the Cairngorms National Park, created in 2003...

 of Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. It also lays out criteria for what qualifies a park for National Park status, and the process necessary to create such features. The Act in itself does not establish any new National Parks; it merely creates powers for the designation of National Parks.

Aims of national parks

Taken from the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000:

• "to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area."
• "to promote sustainable use of the natural resources of the area."
• "to promote understanding and enjoyment (including enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the special qualities of the area by the public."
• "to promote sustainable economic and social development of the area's communities."