Scottish peatland to become UNESCO World Heritage site

The Flow Country in Scotland is to become the world’s first peatland bog to gain UNESCO World Heritage status. It will also be Scotland's first natural world heritage site.

The area covers around 1,500 square miles in Caithness and Sutherland and is widely considered to be the largest area of blanked bog in the world.

The Flow Country will be the UK's 35th UNESCO World Heritage Site and Scotland's seventh, joining St Kilda and the Forth Bridge on the list.

Other natural world heritage sites include The Grand Canyon and The Great Barrier Reef.

The area 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. It is believed to store approximately 400 million tonnes of carbon in the north of Scotland.

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."

Professor Mike Robinson, non-executive director, Culture at the 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."