THE first water scarcity restrictions of 2025 have been imposed in Scotland following a prolonged period of dry weather.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), the environment watchdog, said the "significant scarcity" alert was in place across the Ythan and North Fife catchments.
The alert reflects the highest level of water scarcity, meaning river levels have reached a "critical" point.
As a result, Sepa has restricted the amount of water that can be taken from the environment in these areas.
It comes after the driest spring since 1964 and a summer which has seen prolonged periods of hot and dry weather.
The environment watchdog has written to every affected licence holder to inform them of the restrictions now in place.
Sepa said the restrictions are temporary and will be lifted as soon as conditions allow, but added that they are essential to protect the environment, wildlife and communities that depend on healthy rivers.
Elswhere in Scotland, the Deveron, Don, Esk (Angus), Firth of Tay and Tyne (Lothian) have been at "moderate scarcity" for an extended period, while the Spey, Almond and Tweed catchments were escalated to this level last week.
Sepa said that without a period of consistent rainfall, other catchments such as the Deveron and Don could be escalated to "significant scarcity" in the coming days.
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."
