Scottish Seas Roadshow

Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, between April 2026 and April 2029, we'll be working closely with a broad range of communities across Scotland, including remote, rural and inland populations to grow ocean literacy and raise participation in volunteering for 8,000 people across the region.

What is Ocean Literacy?

UNESCO states the term Ocean Literacy as the ‘understanding of the ocean's influence on us, and our influence on the ocean’.

Scotland’s seas underpin wildlife, tourism, fishing, aquaculture, and renewable energy, yet they are under increasing pressure from habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. Marine pollution is a growing concern too. Our Beachwatch volunteers removed more than 500,000 litter items from Scottish beaches in 2024 alone, averaging 204 items per 100 metres. Wet wipes were found on 43% of surveyed beaches, and drinks-related litter on 95%, demonstrating the scale of the issue.

Although the Scottish Ocean Literacy Survey (2022) shows that 85% of respondents value protecting the marine environment, almost half (49%) do not believe their own lifestyle affects ocean health. This gap between concern and understanding highlights the urgent need for accessible, community‑based ocean literacy. At the same time, more than 80% of people report wellbeing benefits from being near the coast, reinforcing the importance of connecting communities with local blue spaces.

The need is greatest in urban centres such as Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, and parts of the central belt, where significant areas of deprivation limit access to nature and the marine environment. In Glasgow alone, 54.9% of residents live within the three most deprived deciles. Without targeted engagement, these communities remain excluded from both the benefits of nature connection and the chance to participate in ocean stewardship.

Research shows that spending time by the coast and sea offers significant benefits for both physical and mental wellbeing, and that people who recognise this personal connection are more likely to take action to protect the marine environment. Coastal places also carry deep cultural significance, with strong personal histories and heritage rooted in local communities.

Caring for and connecting with the ocean matters for many reasons:

• The Scottish Seas Roadshow sits within many key protection areas for wildlife
  On the west coast, the Inner Clyde Estuary SPA and SSSI protects birdlife including redshank, oystercatchers and curlew. The Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex SPA provides the feeding grounds for thousands of northern gannets, black-legged kittiwakes, Atlantic puffins and supports more than 35% of migrating common eider populations in winter. In the south, the Solway Firth SAC with its mudflats and sandbanks supports the Svarlbard barnacle goose and pink-footed goose. The beautiful Moray Firth in north-east Scotland supports the only known resident population of bottlenose dolphin in the North Sea. Covering island populations, the Inner Hebrides and The Minches SAC is home to 23 marine mammal species including harbour porpoise and minke whale, making it one of the richest environments in the UK.
• We need the ocean to survive
  The ocean produces around 50% of the Earth’s oxygen.
• The ocean supports our economy
  The coastal and marine environment is a great natural asset, contributing £6.5 billion to the UK economy and supporting more than 750,000 jobs.

We’re looking for people who can help us shape the Scottish Seas Roadshow so it continues to evolve and respond to the diverse needs of Scotland’s towns, cities, and coastal and inland communities.

Each year, we will invite a small, representative group of participants from the previous 12 months to join a focus group. Their insights will help ensure the project complements existing marine programmes in each region and remains genuinely community‑led, with decisions informed by the people who live and work there.

If you’re interested in taking part in a future focus group, please contact education@mcsuk.org to express your interest.

National Lottery Heritage Fund

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players they support projects that connect people and communities to heritage.