Scotland’s Flow Country secures World Heritage status

• The Flow Country becomes the world’s first peatland World Heritage Site
• It becomes Scotland’s first World Heritage Site inscribed for purely natural criteria, and the first in mainland UK for the global importance of its natural ecosystems
• It joins the Serengeti, the Galapagos Islands, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Everglades as natural areas gaining World Heritage site status for their incredible ecosystems
• A place of global significance in the fight against climate change, the status unlocks opportunities for the north of Scotland including green jobs

The most expansive and best example of blanket bog in the world, the Flow Country in the far north of Scotland has joined the Serengeti, the Galapagos Islands and the Great Barrier Reef in securing prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Site status for its globally important nature. 

This is a global first, as the Flow Country is the only World Heritage Site inscribed specifically for its peatlands.

The World Heritage Committee approved the bid at its annual meeting in New Delhi awarding the designation, reserved for places of special natural, cultural, historical or scientific significance, for the Flow Country’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) in ecosystem quality.  This makes it the UK mainland’s first World Heritage Site inscribed for the global importance of its natural ecosystems, and the country’s sixth site inscribed for natural criteria overall.

The Flow Country is a vast peat bog that covers much of Caithness and Sutherland in the north of Scotland and stores approximately 400 million tonnes of carbon – more than all the UK’s forests and woodlands combined.  It is called blanket bog because it covers the landscape like a blanket and is a type of habitat that is globally rare, but one that is ideally suited to Scotland’s climate and maritime location.

The 4,000 sq. km area is home to a hugely complex and fragile ecosystem with a vast array of plants that act as an important defence against climate change. The carbon stored by a 9,000-year accumulation of dead vegetation in the form of peat acts as a carbon sink. This sequesters (traps) and stores carbon, preventing it being released into the atmosphere, helping to prevent further emissions. It is also an internationally important place for wildlife, including upland breeding birds like red-throated diver, golden plover and greenshank.

The Flow Country Partnership, the collaboration of experts, community representatives and agencies behind the successful bid, has been shaping its nomination since 2020 and has completed extensive community engagement and consultation to inform the bid.

World Heritage Site status is predicted to help realise a wide range of environmental, social, cultural and economic benefits for the north of Scotland including the creation of skills and job opportunities in landscape restoration and conservation, growth in sustainable tourism and hospitality, and the potential of added value to new green finance models to attract global investment to the area.

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 wonderful recognition of the expert stewardship of farmers and crofters in maintaining this incredible ecosystem as a natural legacy for future generations.” 

Chair of the Flow Country World Heritage Project, Frances Gunn, said: “This is a hugely important moment for the Flow Country as well as the north of Scotland and the UK as a whole. We have always known that UNESCO World Heritage Site inscription had the potential to create a wide spectrum of knock-on opportunities for people living and working in Caithness and Sutherland. Making the most of these, alongside realisation of the Flow Country’s environmental and wellbeing value, is an absolute imperative going forward. This is an exciting opportunity for the region, putting it on the map globally. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in making this a reality, but the hard work doesn’t stop here. I look forward to continuing to come together for the protection of this beautiful and important landscape and to realise the significant benefits ready for the taking in and around the Flow Country.”

UK Government Culture Minister, Sir Chris Bryant, said: “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 Government Acting 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.” 

Professor Mike Robinson, Non-Executive Director, Culture at United Kingdom National Commission for UNESCO said: “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.”

Leader of The Highland Council, Councillor Raymond Bremner said: “Our vision is for the World Heritage Site to be a catalyst for sustainable development in Scotland, the Highland region and particularly Caithness and Sutherland. World Heritage Status will enable Scotland to be at the forefront of peatland restoration, and climate change mitigation, it will unlock private finance through a premium carbon price to green finance initiatives and provide long term rural development opportunities in green jobs, skills development, marketing, product development and tourism.”

Roxane Andersen, Professor of Peatland Science at the University of the Highlands and Islands, said: “As the most expansive and best example of blanket bog in the world, the Flow Country is very special as a functioning ecosystem, an extraordinary natural laboratory, and a stronghold for biodiversity. Peatlands play a critical role in regulating the Earth’s climate, because they slowly but steadily take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it as dead vegetation, or peat, for millennia. In doing so, they cool the climate. This recognition for the Flow Country will lift the profile of peatlands globally and provide inspiration for how they should be protected and managed responsibly. It also rightly designates the Flow Country as a place of global significance in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss.”