Scotland to have world’s first peatland UNESCO World Heritage site

The Flow Country has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List

• Site to become world’s first peatland bog to gain world heritage status 
• Becomes Scotland’s first natural world heritage site, joining the likes of the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef

The Flow Country has become the UK’s newest UNESCO World Heritage Site, having been granted the accolade today, at the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee.

The landscape, which is widely considered to be the largest area of blanket bog in the world covering around 1,500 square miles in Caithness and Sutherland, has become the UK’s 35th UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the world’s first ever peatland site to gain world heritage status. 

The site will also become Scotland’s first natural world heritage site and joins a very exclusive list of natural UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including The Grand Canyon and The Great Barrier Reef.

It will be the seventh Scottish site, joining St Kilda and the Forth Bridge, which attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to Scotland. 

Due to the nature of the site, this listing is also expected to bring new opportunities for local people through the creation of green jobs in landscape restoration and conservation. 

The Flow Country is home to a wide range of wetland and moorland species, including many birds, such as the red-throated diver, golden eagle and short-eared owl and has been considered to be of outstanding universal value due to its remarkable diversity, the home that it provides for these species and the role it plays in storing approximately 400 million tonnes of carbon in the north of Scotland. 

The news follows the announcement of Gracehill in Northern Ireland receiving World Heritage Status, making this the second new addition to the list of UK World Heritage Sites today. 

UK Government Culture Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “It is fantastic to see the UK adding two new sites to the World Heritage List in the space of a day – of historical and natural significance respectively.

“The Flow Country is one of our most precious resources, as a vital habitat for many species and a key site for carbon capture that continues to inform our understanding of how blanket bog can be used to help mitigate climate change.

“It is right to recognise this truly inspiring landscape and I look forward to working closely with counterparts in Scotland to showcase this important addition to our UK World Heritage Sites.”

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: “Scotland has a rich history of UNESCO World Heritage sites with six spread across our country from Heart of Neolithic Orkney to New Lanark, the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh to St Kilda and I am delighted the Flow Country has become Scotland’s seventh.

“Thanks to a strong endorsement from the UK Government the Flow Country, which has international importance as a habitat and for the diverse range of rare and unusual breeding birds it supports, is now the first peatland site on the World Heritage list.”

Acting Scottish Government Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin said: “This is a truly momentous day for Caithness and Sutherland, and indeed Scotland as a whole.

“The Flow Country is an area of truly outstanding natural beauty and its diverse ecosystems and peatlands are a vital part of our efforts to combat climate change and nature loss. This new global prominence will help preserve the area for many generations to come.

“I want to congratulate the Flow Country Partnership and everyone who has worked so hard towards this tremendous achievement. Their passion and determination has not only elevated the Flow Country to UNESCO World Heritage Status, but has ensured its protection far into the future.”

Bid lead for the Flow Country World Heritage Site project and NatureScot Head of Operations for the North of Scotland, Graham Neville, said: “World Heritage status for the Flow Country is a momentous moment for Scotland’s people and their beloved landscape.

“This successful bid is testament to the hard work and determination of the Flow Country World Heritage project team as well as community members, scientific experts, businesses, landowners and public bodies from across the Flow Country who have been so generous with their time, knowledge and expertise to shape the bid for the benefit of the whole area.

“World Heritage Site status will lead to greater understanding of the Flow Country and raise the profile of Scotland’s peatlands globally for their value as biodiverse habitats and important carbon sinks. It is a wonderful recognition of the expert stewardship of farmers and crofters in maintaining this incredible ecosystem as a natural legacy for future generations.”

Professor Mike Robinson, Non-Executive Director, Culture at the United Kingdom National Commission for UNESCO says: “We are delighted that the Flow Country has been inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List in recognition of its Outstanding Universal Value. 

“World Heritage status recognises the global importance of the Flow Country and its peat bogs, not only as an important ecosystem for wildlife but also, through their carbon storage, as a critical defence against the impact of climate change. In this sense, World Heritage and the protection afforded to it will contribute directly to sustainable development.