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Ramsar Sites in the UK and the UK's Overseas Territories & Crown Dependencies

Designated and proposed Ramsar Sites in the UK, and the UK's Overseas Territories & Crown Dependencies

Ramsar Sites are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention. Sites proposed for selection are advised by the relevant statutory nature conservation body (or bodies) within the UK, or the relevant administration within each Overseas Territory or Crown Dependency. UK-wide coordination and guidance is provided through JNCC. In selecting sites, the relevant authorities are guided by the Criteria set out by the Convention.

In the UK, the first Ramsar Sites were designated in 1976. Since then, many more have been designated. Compared to many countries, the UK has a relatively large number of Ramsar Sites, but they tend to be smaller in size. The initial emphasis was on selecting sites of importance to waterbirds within the UK, and consequently many Ramsar Sites are also Special Protection Areas (SPAs) classified under the various Habitats Regulations relevant to the four countries of the UK. Both within the UK and overseas, non-bird features are increasingly taken into account, both in the selection of new sites and when reviewing the legal protection of existing sites

Further data and information on Ramsar Sites elsewhere in the world can be located through the Ramsar Sites Information Service.

Details of new Ramsar Sites for designation are submitted to the Ramsar Secretariat on Ramsar Information Sheets (RIS), in accordance with the Explanatory notes and guidelines for completing the Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands. The hyperlinks within each Ramsar Site code in the table below link to a PDF file of the relevant Information Sheet, as submitted to the Ramsar Secretariat. Ramsar Information Sheets are not available for proposed sites.

A full list of Ramsar Sites in the UK, and the UK's Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies is provided below. A summary table showing the number of designated and proposed Ramsar Sites is also available, along with details of the latest changes to the Ramsar network.

GIS boundary data for Ramsar Sites in the UK, and a summary spreadsheet with further information on Ramsar Sites in the UK and its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies is available.

 

Last update: January 2022

Many designated sites are on private land: the listing of a site in these pages does not imply any right of public access.

England

Name Site Code (RSIS code)

Country / 
Territory
Area (ha) Status
Abberton Reservoir

UK11001 
(220)

E 726.2 Designated
Alde-Ore Estuary

UK11002
(862)

E 2,546.99 Designated
Arun Valley

UK11004
(1011)

E 528.62 Designated
Avon Valley

UK11005
(926)

E 1,385.1 Designated
Benfleet and Southend Marshes

UK11006
(648)

E 2,251.31 Designated
Blackwater Estuary (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 4)

UK11007
(543)

E 4,395.15 Designated
Breydon Water

UK11008
(821)

E 1,202.94 Designated
Broadland

UK11010
(68)

E 5,488.61 Designated
Chesil Beach and The Fleet

UK11012
(300)

E 748.11 Designated
Chichester and Langstone Harbours

UK11013
(378)

E 5,810.03 Designated
Chippenham Fen

UK11014
(544)

E 112.13 Designated
Colne Estuary (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 2)

UK11015
(665)

E 2,701.43 Designated
Crouch and Roach Estuaries (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 3)

UK11058
(721)

E 1,735.58 Designated
Deben Estuary

UK11017
(794)

E 978.93 Designated
Dengie (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 1)

UK11018
(651)

E 3,127.23 Designated
Dersingham Bog

UK11019
(751)

E 157.75 Designated
Dorset Heathlands

UK11021
(964)

E 6,730.15 Designated
Duddon Estuary

UK11022
(938)

E 6,806.3 Designated
Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay

UK11023

E 6,377.63 Designated
Esthwaite Water

UK11024
(536)

E 137.4 Designated
Exe Estuary

UK11025
(542)

E 2,345.71 Designated
Foulness (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 5)

UK11026
(861)

E 10,932.95 Designated
Gibraltar Point

UK11027
(589)

E 414.09 Designated
Hamford Water

UK11028
(607)

E 2,187.21 Designated
Holburn Lake and Moss

UK11030
(302)

E 28.03 Designated
Humber Estuary

UK11031
(663)

E 37,987.8 Designated
Irthinghead Mires

UK11032
(303)

E 792.08 Designated
Isles of Scilly

UK11033
(1095)

E 401.64 Designated
Lee Valley UK11034
(1037)
E 447.87 Designated
Leighton Moss

UK11035
(323)

E 128.61 Designated
Lindisfarne

UK11036
(70)

E 3,679.22 Designated
Lower Derwent Valley

UK11037
(301)

E 915.45 Designated
Malham Tarn

UK11038
(634)

E 286.26 Designated
Martin Mere

UK11039
(324)

E 119.89 Designated
Medway Estuary and Marshes

UK11040
(645)

E 4,696.74 Designated
Mersey Estuary

UK11041
(785)

E 5,023.35 Designated
Mersey Narrows and North Wirral Foreshore

UK11042
(2202)

E 2,078.41 Designated
Midland Meres and Mosses Phase 1

UK11043
(653)

E 510.88 Designated
Midland Meres and Mosses Phase 2

UK11080
(891)

E/W 1,588.24 Designated
Minsmere–Walberswick

UK11044
(75)

E 2,018.92 Designated
Morecambe Bay

UK11045
(863)

E 37,404.6 Designated
Nene Washes

UK11046
(587)

E 1,517.49 Designated
North Norfolk Coast

UK11048
(76)

E 7,862.39 Designated
Northumbria Coast

UK11049
(1019)

E 1,107.98 Designated
Ouse Washes

UK11051
(77)

E 2,469.08 Designated
Pagham Harbour

UK11052
(396)

E 636.68 Designated
Pevensey Levels

UK11053
(973)

E 3,577.71 Designated
Poole Harbour

UK11054
(1005)

E 2,439.2 Designated
Portsmouth Harbour

UK11055
(720)

E 1,248.77 Designated
Redgrave and South Lopham Fens

UK11056
(513)

E 127.09 Designated
Ribble and Alt Estuaries

UK11057
(325)

E 13,464.1 Designated
Rostherne Mere

UK11060
(221)

E 79.76 Designated
Roydon Common

UK11061
(588)

E 194.1 Designated
Rutland Water

UK11062
(533)

E 1,360.34 Designated
Severn Estuary

UK11081
(67)

E/W 24,662.98 Designated
Solent and Southampton Water

UK11063
(965)

E 5,346.44 Designated
Somerset Levels and Moors

UK11064
(914)

E 6,388.49 Designated
South West London Waterbodies

UK11065
(1038)

E 828.14 Designated
Stodmarsh

UK11066
(646)

E 481.33 Designated
Stour and Orwell Estuaries

UK11067
(662)

E 3,676.92 Designated
Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast

UK11068
(741)

E 1,247.31 Designated
Thames Estuary and Marshes

UK11069
(1025)

E 5,588.59 Designated
Thanet Coast and Sandwich Bay

UK11070
(664)

E 2,169.23 Designated
The Dee Estuary

UK11082
(298)

E/W

14,302.02 Designated
The New Forest

UK11047
(622)

E 28,002.81 Designated
The Swale

UK11071
(299)

E 6,514.71 Designated
The Wash

UK11072
(395)

E 62,211.66 Designated
Thursley and Ockley Bog

UK11074
(647)

E 265.24 Designated
Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits

UK11083
(2023)

E 1,357.67 Designated
Upper Solway Flats and Marshes

UK11079
(341)

E/S 43,636.73 Designated
Walmore Common

UK11076
(538)

E 52.85 Designated
Wicken Fen

UK11077
(752)

E 254.39 Designated
Woodwalton Fen

UK11078
(753)

E 208.13 Designated

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Scotland

Name Site Code
(RSIS code)
Country / Territory
Area
(ha)
Status
Bridgend Flats, Islay UK13001
(403)
S 331.16 Designated
Cairngorm Lochs UK13002
(216)
S 172.99 Designated
Caithness and Sutherland Peatlands UK13003
(971)
S 143,502.79 Designated
Caithness Lochs UK13004
(928)
S 1,378.57 Designated
Cameron Reservoir UK13005
(650)
S 68.76 Designated
Castle Loch, Lochmaben UK13006
(796)
S 107.6 Designated
Claish Moss UK13007
(218)
S 568.29 Designated
Coll UK13008
(723)
S 2,208.52 Designated
Cromarty Firth UK13009
(1001)
S 3,746.95 Designated
Din Moss –  Hoselaw Loch UK13010
(405)
S 50.59 Designated
Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet UK13011
(897)
S 7,836.6 Designated
East Sanday Coast UK13013
(917)
S 1,514.88 Designated
Eilean na Muice Duibhe (Duich Moss), Islay UK13014
(402)
S 576.42 Designated
Fala Flow UK13015
(465)
S 318.04 Designated
Firth of Forth UK13017
(1111)
S 6,313.68 Designated
Firth of Tay & Eden Estuary UK13018
(1034)
S 6,918.42 Designated
Gladhouse Reservoir UK13021
(404)
S 186.41 Designated
Greenlaw Moor UK13022
(795)
S 247.6 Designated
Gruinart Flats, Islay UK13023
(401)
S 3,260.69 Designated
Inner Clyde Estuary UK13024
(1036)
S 1,824.92 Designated
Inner Moray Firth UK13025
(1002)
S 2,339.25 Designated
Kintyre Goose Roosts UK13027
(966)
S 312.19 Designated
Lewis Peatlands UK13028
(1046)
S 58,984.23 Designated
Loch an Duin UK13029
(468)
S 2,621.13 Designated
Loch Eye UK13031
(340)
S 205.14 Designated
Loch Ken and River Dee Marshes UK13032
(568)
S 769.11 Designated
Loch Leven UK13033
(72)
S 1,611.8 Designated
Loch Lomond UK13034
(73)
S 236.9 Designated
Loch Maree UK13035
(700)
S 3,173.67 Designated
Loch of Inch and Torrs Warren UK13037
(972)
S 2,111.39 Designated
Loch of Kinnordy UK13038
(652)
S 85.09 Designated
Loch of Lintrathen UK13039
(217)
S 216.81 Designated
Loch of Skene UK13040
(339)
S 120.9 Designated
Loch of Strathbeg UK13041
(778)
S 615.94 Designated
Loch Ruthven UK13042
(855)
S 201.15 Designated
Loch Spynie UK13043
(569)
S 93.62 Designated
Montrose Basin UK13046
(716)
S 984.62 Designated
Moray and Nairn Coast UK13048
(890)
S 2,412.27 Designated
Muir of Dinnet UK13049
(1003)
S 157.6 Designated
North Uist Machair and Islands UK13050
(1004)
S 4,704.92 Designated
Rannoch Moor UK13051
(78)
S 1,519.43 Designated
Rinns of Islay UK13052
(466)
S 3,570.75 Designated
River Spey – Insh Marshes UK13053
(889)
S 1,158.77 Designated
Ronas Hill – North Roe and Tingon UK13054
(916)
S 5,470.2 Designated
Silver Flowe UK13055
(219)
S 619.54 Designated
Sléibhtean agus Cladach Thiriodh (Tiree Wetlands and Coast) UK13056
(1158)
S 1,938.59 Designated
South Tayside Goose Roosts UK13057
(601)
S 331.01 Designated
South Uist Machair and Lochs UK13058
(71)
S 5,019.05 Designated
Upper Solway Flats and Marshes UK11079
(341)
E/S 43,636.73 Designated
Westwater UK13060
(780)
S 49.77 Designated
Ythan Estuary and Meikle Loch UK13061
(939)
S 314.17 Designated

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Wales

Name Site Code
(RSIS code)
Country / Territory
Area (ha) Status
Burry Inlet UK14001
(562)
W 6,627.99 Designated
Cors Caron UK14003
(570)
W 865.56 Designated
Cors Fochno and Dyfi UK14004
(66)
W 2,492.24 Designated
Corsydd Môn a Llyn / Anglesey and Llyn Fens UK14005
(927)
W 624.9 Designated
Crymlyn Bog UK14006
(608)
W 264.18 Designated
Llyn Idwal UK14007
(534)
W 13.51 Designated
Llyn Tegid UK14008
(535)
W 478.08 Designated
Midland Meres and Mosses Phase 2 UK11080
(891)
E/W 1,588.24 Designated
Severn Estuary UK11081
(67)
E/W 24,662.98 Designated
The Dee Estuary

UK11082
(298)

E/W 14,302.02 Designated

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Northern Ireland

Name Site Code
(RSIS code)
Country / Territory
Area (ha) Status
Ballynahone Bog UK12001
(967)
NI 243.24 Designated
Belfast Lough UK12002
(958)
NI 432.14 Designated
Black Bog UK12003
(1032)
NI 183.42 Designated
Carlingford Lough UK12004
(936)
NI 830.51 Designated
Cuilcagh Mountain UK12005
(968)
NI 2,744.45 Designated
Derryleckagh UK12006 NI 42.41 Proposed
Dundrum Bay UK12007 NI   Proposed
Fairy Water Bogs UK12008
(1033)
NI 223.7 Designated
Fardrum and Roosky Turloughs UK12009
(1177)
NI 43.1 Designated
Garron Plateau UK12010
(969)
NI 4,650.07 Designated
Garry Bog UK12011
(1042)
NI 154.76 Designated
Killough Bay

UK12012
(2278)

NI 104.23 Designated
Larne Lough UK12013
(895)
NI 395.94 Designated
Lough Foyle UK12014
(974)
NI 2,204.36 Designated
Lough Neagh and Lough Beg UK12016
(74)
NI 50,165.84 Designated
Magheraveely Marl Loughs

UK12017
(1717)

NI 58.78 Designated
Outer Ards

UK12018
(2279)

NI 1,154.16 Designated
Pettigoe Plateau UK12019
(872)
NI 1,264.32 Designated
Slieve Beagh UK12020
(1035)
NI 1,884.68 Designated
Strangford Lough UK12021
(937)
NI 15,581.3 Designated
Teal Lough UK12022 NI 198.22 Proposed
Turmennan Lough UK12023
(1178)
NI 14.83 Designated
Upper Lough Erne UK12024
(896)
NI 5,818.07 Designated

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Overseas Territories & Crown Dependencies

During 2004, the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum (UKOTCF) undertook a review of existing and potential Ramsar Sites in UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, under contract from Defra. The final report of that Review was published in February 2005, and identified a large number of new potential Ramsar Sites, together with potential changes to existing designated sites and to the existing list of proposed sites. Further details are available in the report, available on the UKOTCF website.

Overseas Territories

Name

New
Site Code

(RSIS code)

Country /
Territory
Area (ha) Status
Anguilla mainland wetlands UK45010 Anguilla   Proposed
Dog Island & Middle Cay UK45007 Anguilla 1,800 Proposed
Prickly Pear Cays UK45008 Anguilla 1,800 Proposed
Scrub & Little Scrub Islands UK45009 Anguilla 342.9 Proposed
Sombrero Island Nature Reserve Marine Park

UK45006
(2354)

Anguilla 1,050.9 Designated
Ascension Island UK51001 Ascension Island 9,700 Proposed
Bermuda Reef areas UK41014 Bermuda   Proposed
Castle Harbour Islands and reef UK41015 Bermuda 374 Proposed
Devonshire Marsh East and West Basins UK41001 Bermuda   Proposed
Harrington Sound and Notch UK41013 Bermuda 488 Proposed
Hungry Bay Mangrove Swamp UK41002
(987)
Bermuda 2.01 Designated
Lover's Lake Nature Reserve UK41003
(989)
Bermuda 2.1 Designated
Paget Marsh UK41004
(990)
Bermuda 11.35 Designated
Pembroke Marsh East UK41005
(988)
Bermuda 7.82 Designated
Somerset Long Bay Pond UK41006
(XXXX)
Bermuda 1.1 Designated
Spittal Pond UK41007
(984)
Bermuda 9.53 Designated
Trott's Pond and Mangrove Lake UK41008 Bermuda   Proposed
Walsingham Formation – Karst and Caves UK41012 Bermuda   Proposed
Warwick Pond UK41010
(986)
Bermuda 2.3 Designated
Chagos Banks UK61004 British Indian Ocean Territory 4,000,000 Proposed
Diego Garcia UK61002
(1077)
British Indian Ocean Territory 35,424.05 Designated
Anegada Eastern Ponds and The Horseshoe Reef UK44004 British Virgin Islands 30,009.11 Proposed
Fat Hogs and Bar Bays UK44005 British Virgin Islands 20 Proposed
Western Salt Ponds of Anegada UK44003
(983)
British Virgin Islands 1,071 Designated
Barker's Wetland UK42007 Cayman Islands 460 Proposed
Booby Pond and Rookery UK42001
(702)
Cayman Islands 82 Designated
Central Mangrove Wetland, Little Sound, Ponds and associated Marine Zones UK42004 Cayman Islands 8,039 Proposed
Little Cayman Crown Wetlands and Marine Parks UK42005 Cayman Islands 901 Proposed
Salina Reserve UK42006 Cayman Islands 252 Proposed
Beauchêne Island UK54016 Falkland Islands 187 Proposed
Bertha's Beach UK54001
(1103)
Falkland Islands 3,191 Designated
Bird Island UK54020 Falkland Islands 120 Proposed
Bull Point UK54015 Falkland Islands 300 Proposed
Cape Dolphin UK54006 Falkland Islands 4,700 Proposed
Cape Peninsula, Stanley Common and Port Harriet UK54011 Falkland Islands   Proposed
Concordia Beach & Ponds, Limpet Creek and Cape Bougainville UK54007 Falkland Islands   Proposed
East Bay, Lake Sulivan and River Doyle UK54002 Falkland Islands 31,902 Proposed
Flats Brook and Bombilla Flats UK54013 Falkland Islands   Proposed
Hawks Nest Ponds UK54019 Falkland Islands   Proposed
Jason Islands Group UK54017 Falkland Islands 3,328 Proposed
Keppel Island UK54018 Falkland Islands 3,626 Proposed
Kidney Island and Kidney Cove UK54010 Falkland Islands 40 Proposed
Lafonia ponds and streams catchment UK54014 Falkland Islands   Proposed
New Island Group UK54021 Falkland Islands 2,544 Proposed
Pebble Island East UK54004 Falkland Islands 7,053 Proposed
Sea Lion Island UK54005
(1104)
Falkland Islands 1,556 Designated
Seal Bay UK54008 Falkland Islands 2,700 Proposed
Swan Inlet and Ponds UK54012 Falkland Islands 12,000 Proposed
Volunteer Point UK54009 Falkland Islands 230 Proposed
Bay of Gibraltar UK31001 Gibraltar   Proposed
Centre Hills and forested ghauts UK46002 Montserrat   Proposed
Montserrat north-west coasts and marine shallows UK46001 Montserrat   Proposed
Browns Water, Pitcairn UK62004 Pitcairn Islands   Proposed
Coastal waters, Pitcairn UK62005 Pitcairn Islands   Proposed
Ducie Island UK62001 Pitcairn Islands 600 Proposed
Henderson Island UK62002 Pitcairn Islands 3,700 Proposed
Oeno Island UK62003 Pitcairn Islands 1,000 Proposed
South Georgia UK55001 South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands 375,500 Proposed
South Sandwich Islands UK55002 South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands 27,760 Proposed
Fisher's Valley UK52003 St Helena   Proposed
St Helena Central Peaks UK52001 St Helena   Proposed
St Helena inshore waters, stacks and cliffs UK52002 St Helena   Proposed
Gough Island UK53001
(1868)
Tristan da Cunha 6,500 Designated
Inaccessible Island UK53002
(1869)
Tristan da Cunha 126,524 Designated
Nightingale Group UK53003 Tristan da Cunha 390 Proposed
Tristan Island UK53004 Tristan da Cunha 9,600 Proposed
Caicos Bank Southern Cays UK43005 Turks and Caicos 364 Proposed
Grand Turk salinas, ponds and shores UK43002 Turks and Caicos 200 Proposed
Leeward-Going-Through Cays UK43008 Turks and Caicos 182 Proposed
North, Middle and East Caicos Islands UK43001
(493)
Turks and Caicos 58,617 Designated
Salt Cay creeks and salinas UK43003 Turks and Caicos 150 Proposed
Turks Bank Seabird Cays UK43004 Turks and Caicos 120 Proposed
West Caicos saline lake and coral reef system UK43007 Turks and Caicos 1,310.1 Proposed
West Providenciales Wetlands UK43006 Turks and Caicos 5,613 Proposed
Akrotiri UK32001
(1375)
Western Sovereign Base Area of Cyprus 2,171 Designated

 

Crown Dependencies

Name Site Code
(RSIS code)
Country /
Territory
Area (ha) Status
Alderney West Coast and the Burhou Islands UK22002
(1587)
Alderney, Bailiwick of Guernsey 15,629 Designated
Gouliot Caves and Headland, Sark UK22004
(2276)
Sark, Bailiwick of Guernsey 4 Designated
Herm, Jethou and The Humps UK22003
(2277)
Guernsey, Bailiwick of Guernsey 685 Designated
Lihou Island and L'Erée Headland, Guernsey UK22001
(1608)
Guernsey, Bailiwick of Guernsey 390 Designated
Orchid Fields at Rocquaine Bay UK22005 Guernsey, Bailiwick of Guernsey 4 Proposed
Ballaugh Curragh UK21001
(1642)
Isle of Man 193.4 Designated
Central Valley Curragh UK21004 Isle of Man 164 Proposed
Dalby Peatlands UK21006 Isle of Man 58 Proposed
Gob ny rona, Maughold Head & Port Cornaa UK21005 Isle of Man 209 Proposed
Southern Coasts & Calf of Man UK21003 Isle of Man 2,326 Proposed
The Ayres UK21002 Isle of Man 680 Proposed
Les Écréhous & Les Dirouilles, Jersey UK23003
(1455)
Jersey 5,459 Designated
Les Minquiers, Jersey UK23002
(1456)
Jersey 9,575 Designated
Les Pierres de Lecq (the Paternosters), Jersey UK23004
(1457)
Jersey 512 Designated
South East Coast of Jersey, Channel Islands UK23001
(1043)
Jersey 3,210.5 Designated
St Ouen's Bay and Les Mielles UK23005 Jersey 1,280 Proposed

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