A recent study reveals how vital wildlife and the environment is to Scotland's economy. Scotland's natural world supports almost 93,000 jobs and nearly four per cent of all employees, generating £2.2 billion for the Scottish economy. The report, entitled 'The Role of the Natural Heritage in Generating and Supporting Employment Opportunities in Scotland', was commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage and was published in December 2004. The findings reveal that more than nine out of 10 jobs were in the private sector and nearly 70,000 jobs, three quarters of the total jobs involving nature, were in tourism and related activities.

Archie Prentice, economist at SNH said:

"We can all appreciate the aesthetic qualities of the great outdoors, but this report clearly proves that it is also a fundamental part of our economy. As well as the traditional industries such as forestry and farming, businesses based on the likes of nature-based tourism and the care and management of natural areas are growing contributors to the rural economy. This demonstrates just how important it is to look after our natural assets for the future, because they not only contribute to our health and well-being, but are also increasingly providing new jobs and income in fragile rural areas."

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