IT is now home to more than one million seabirds and was last inhabited over 90 years ago. The archipelago of St Kilda is just one of 13 sites in Scotland which has UNESCO world heritage.
In contrast to the uninhabited island more recent attractions receiving a prestigious status include the Forth Bridge along with the cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee for their creative arts status.
Now the sites are being brought together through the world’s first ever UNESCO trail.
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Scotland’s UNESCO Trail connects the country’s 13 place-based UNESCO designations, including World Heritage Sites, Biospheres, Global Geoparks and Creative Cities to form a dedicated digital trail. It aims to take visitors on a cultural journey across the country experiencing everything from history to science, music, design and literature to nature and cityscapes.
Looking over to the small island of Dore Holm with the sea weathered natural arch visible, off the west coast of mainland, south east of Stenness, Shetland. Picture credit Paul Tomkins, VisitScotland.
It has been designed to specifically support ambitions to make Scotland a world-leading responsible tourism destination.
As the country's tourism industry continues on its route to recovery after visitor numbers plummeted and destinations were severely impacted, one of the aims of Scotland’s UNESCO Trail is to encourage visitors to stay longer.
Summer Isles in Assynt, part of the North West Highlands Geopark
It is also hoped they will visit all year round, make sustainable travel choices, explore more widely and at the right time of the year, and in turn, contribute to the sustainable quality of life of those communities surrounding the designated sites.
Developed through a unique partnership between VisitScotland, the Scottish Government, the UK National Commission for UNESCO, Historic Environment Scotland, NatureScot, the National Trust for Scotland and Scotland’s 13 UNESCO designations, the project has received £360,000 funding from the Scottish Government to support the strategy for the sustainable recovery of Scottish tourism.
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Scotland's 13 UNESCO sites are comprised of the remote archipelago St Kilda; the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh; Neolithic Orkney; the Antonine Wall; the Forth Bridge; purpose-built 18th century mill village of New Lanark; Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature; Glasgow UNESCO City of Music; Dundee UNESCO City of Design.
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It also includes Wester Ross and Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biospheres and North West Highlands and Shetland Geoparks.
Francesca Osowska, CEO of NatureScot and chair of Scotland’s UNESCO Trail Steering Group, said: “The Trail is a hugely exciting global first, inspiring visitors to Scotland to journey through its unique natural and cultural heritage. All the designations in the Trail have a distinctive story to tell and we hope that, whether people visit just one, or travel to all the sites, they will be wowed by what they see.
“Responsible tourism and greener travel are at the heart of our ambitions for the UNESCO Trail. This will lead to a more sustainable economy and will help to create better places for people to live and visit in every corner of Scotland. This is so essential as we work to tackle the nature loss and climate change crises and prepare to host COP26.”
The digital trail showcases the breadth of culturally astounding UNESCO designations on offer across Scotland, providing information and inspiration to visitors across the world.
Image captures the three bridges including UNESCO site the Forth Bridge
Tourism Minister Ivan McKee officially launched the trail in Dundee, the UNESCO City of Design, by unveiling a specially commissioned design by illustrator and printmaker, Jagoda Sadowska, a graduate of the city’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art. The design has been printed onto a door, which will be incorporated into the city’s Open Close tour as a permanent legacy of the trail.
Mr McKee said: “Scotland has always been a pioneering nation and I’m pleased to see we’re leading the way with the world’s first UNESCO digital trail. Tourism is key to Scotland’s economy and as we begin to recover from the pandemic, this collaboration between the Scottish Government, VisitScotland, NatureScot and UNESCO could not be more timely."
Rob Dickson, VisitScotland Director of Industry and Destination Development, said they want to inspire visitors to take a once-in-a-lifetime experience across the country, delving into its history and heritage while Professor Anne Anderson, Non-Executive Director at the UK National Commission for UNESCO said the trail was a world-first bringing together Scotland’s world-class cultural and natural heritage.
To view the trail go to www.visitscotland.com/unesco-trail.
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