Some of Scotland’s most iconic, diverse and culturally significant sites are being promoted to domestic and international visitors with the launch of a dedicated VisitScotland marketing campaign, developed in collaboration with UNESCO and designation partners. The campaign will promote Scotland’s UNESCO Trail to potential visitors with the aim of encouraging them to discover more about the country’s 13 place-based designations included in the trail.
The world’s first UNESCO Trail was launched last year to connect the unique sites that include World Heritage Sites, Biospheres, Global Geoparks and Creative Cities to form a dedicated digital trail. The trail was designed specifically to support the ambitions of the national strategy to make Scotland a world-leading responsible tourism destination by encouraging visitors to stay longer, 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.
The world’s first ever UNESCO trail
Tourism Minister Ivan McKee said: “Last year I launched the world’s first ever UNESCO trail at the V&A in Dundee, which brings together some of Scotland’s most iconic, diverse and culturally significant sites. I welcome the next phase of the trail and the opportunity to promote our unique UNESCO designations within the UK and Europe, to invite visitors on a cultural journey across the country to experience everything from history to science, music, design and literature to nature and cityscapes. The trail helps visitors make responsible and sustainable choices through environmentally friendly travel and partnership with green accredited businesses. This will help support sustainable recovery and achieve our mission to grow the value and enhance the benefits of tourism across Scotland as set out in our tourism Strategy Scotland 2030.”
The full list of designations included in Scotland’s UNESCO Trail are the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere, Wester Ross UNESCO Biosphere, Dundee UNESCO City of Design, Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature, Glasgow UNESCO City of Music, Shetland UNESCO Global Geopark, North West Highlands UNESCO Global Geopark, the Forth Bridge UNESCO World Heritage Site, Frontiers of the Roman Empire: Antonine Wall UNESCO World Heritage Site, New Lanark UNESCO World Heritage Site, Heart of Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage Site, Old and New Towns of Edinburgh UNESCO World Heritage Site, St Kilda World Heritage Site.
For more information, visit www.visitscotland.com/unesco-trail
Main photo: The Forth Bridge UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of 13 sites part of Scotland’s UNESCO Trail. Photo: VisitScotland/Kenny Lam.