Navigation channels (Recommended Routes and Fairways)

This layer shows the navigational channels, fairways and buoyed areas around / within ports that are used for the purposes of guiding shipping movements. Ships may also be seen outwith these areas if there is sufficient water depth. Fairways are that part of a river, harbour and so on, where the main navigable channel for vessels of larger size lies. It is also the usual course followed by vessels entering or leaving harbours, called ‘ship channel’ (as defined in the International Hydrographic Organisation).

For the main ports, Marine Scotland has confirmed the data with the relevant harbour / port authority. This dataset contains data licenced from OceanWise.