Water restrictions put in place after rivers in north east of Scotland reach 'significant scarcity'

The first water restrictions have been put in place in parts of Scotland after prolonged dry weather.

The Ythan and North Fife areas have reached significant scarcity, the highest level of water scarcity.

As a result, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency has now imposed restrictions in these areas on the amount of water that can be abstracted – the process of removing or diverting water from the natural environment through methods such as pumps and wells.

It comes as rainfall data shows every month of 2025 has been drier than average on Scotland’s east coast.

In some areas the deficit stretches back to June 2024, with around 40% less rainfall than the long-term average.

This prolonged shortfall, combined with a warm, sunny spring and summer, has left rivers, soils and groundwater under pressure.

A number of other rivers along the east coast, such as the Deveron and Don, could escalate to significant scarcity in the coming days.

The temporary restrictions aim to safeguard the environment, wildlife and communities that depend on healthy rivers and will be lifted as conditions improve.

Chris Dailly, SEPA’s head of environmental performance (geographic), said: “The water environment in parts of Scotland is clearly under stress and protecting it remains a top priority.

“We recognise the challenges that farmers and other businesses face, but no one should be caught off guard – we’ve been speaking directly to licence holders across the summer.

“If you abstract water you should already have plans in place to reduce volumes, stagger abstractions and follow the conditions of your licence.”