Everything about World Heritage Sites In Scotland totally explained
World Heritage Sites in Scotland are specific locations that have been included in the
UNESCO World Heritage Programme list of sites of outstanding
cultural or
natural importance to the common
heritage of
humankind.
Historic Scotland is responsible for 'cultural' sites as part of their wider responsibility towards the historic environment.
Scottish Natural Heritage are responsible for 'natural' sites. There are currently four sites in
Scotland, with a further four undergoing a process of evaluation.
Existing sites
‘
St. Kilda’ is a small, out-lying
archipelago of
Hebridean islands which was inscribed as a ‘natural’ site in 1986. In July 2005 it became one of the few
World Heritage Sites to hold joint status for its natural, marine and cultural qualities. The islands were bequeathed to the
National Trust for Scotland in 1957. They are also a
Biosphere Reserve and a
National Scenic Area.
‘
Edinburgh Old and
New Towns’, inscribed in
1996. The former includes the
medieval Royal Mile which runs from
Edinburgh Castle to the
Palace of Holyroodhouse, and is bordered to the north by the neo-classical 18th century 'New Town' which includes
Princes Street. It is managed by the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust.
‘The
Heart of Neolithic Orkney’ includes
Maeshowe, the
Ring of Brodgar,
Skara Brae, the
Standing Stones of Stenness and other nearby sites. It was inscribed in 1999 and is managed by Historic Scotland.
New Lanark was inscribed in 2001. It is a restored 18th century industrial
cotton mill village in
South Lanarkshire constructed by
Robert Owen as an experiment in
utopian socialism. Restoration was organised by the New Lanark Conservation Trust, which was formed in
1974.
Commenting on World Heritage Day in 2008,
Linda Fabiani the Scottish
Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture stated: "We can... take the opportunity to reflect upon the contribution of our own World Heritage sites and their place in the global story of humanity. We can celebrate, with justified pride, Scotland's contribution".
Tentative list
The
United Kingdom ‘Tentative List’ comprises sites which may be nominated for inscription over the next 5-10 years. Four Scottish sites are on the current list.
The
Forth Bridge, the famous rail crossing constructed to a
cantilever design and opened in 1890, is a potential cultural site. Located 14 km west of
Edinburgh, its three diamond shaped towers carry a dual
railway line 46 m above the water over a distance of 2.5 km.
The
Cairngorms are a mountain massif at the heart of the
Cairngorms National Park, which includes the largest area of
arctic mountain landscape in the UK and is a natural nomination. It is unique in Britain for the richness of its
boreal forest fauna and the variety of its arctic and
alpine vegetation.
The
Flow Country of
Caithness and
Sutherland in the north of Scotland is one of the largest and most intact areas of
blanket bog in the world, supporting a distinctive wildlife community. Its 4,000 square kilometres support numerous rare plants and insects and important populations of
Golden Plover,
Dunlin,
Greenshank, and
Black-throated Divers. This site is also a natural candidate.
The
Antonine Wall is one aspect of bids by Scotland,
Austria,
Germany and
Slovakia to nominate local sections of the
Roman occupation for World Heritage status. The wall is the remains of a defensive line made of
turf circa 20 feet high, with nineteen forts. It was constructed after 139 AD and extended for 37 miles between the
Firth of Forth and the
Firth of Clyde. The wall was over-run and abandoned soon after 160 AD, then occupied again for a brief period after 197 AD.
Further Information
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