Delighted to go with the Flow - Angus Robertson

The Flow Country has been named as a World Heritage site (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

The area is categorised as a ‘natural’ heritage site—as opposed to man-made World Heritage Sites such as Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns—is Scotland’s first in that category, and places it among worthy natural phenomena, including the Grand Canyon in the US and Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Presenting the Flow Country’s candidacy to the UN Culture Body, ecologists told UNESCO the Flow Country was the best example on the planet of a crucial ecosystem. A diverse range of specialist plants and wildlife have evolved to live on blanket bogs and peatlands.

The area is also a pivotal example of natural carbon capture, storing roughly 400m tonnes of carbon within its peaty depths.

As notable as the Flow Country’s global significance is the work put in over 40 years by campaigners to obtain this worthy recognition, which is notoriously difficult to obtain.

Scotland’s relationship with the UN Cultural body is strong. Edinburgh was the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, recognising the intensity, quality and uniqueness of our capital’s writerly history and contribution to the world.

Scotland was also the first in the world to create a UNESCO ‘digital trail,’ linking together our 13 place-based UNESCO designations, including world heritage sites, biospheres, global geoparks and creative cities.

I send my warm congratulations to all involved in the campaign to obtain World Heritage Status for the Flow Country.