Draft Site Boundary

The new draft boundary, covering around 160,000 ha, has taken into consideration all of the comments made during the first consultation, which took place in mid-2019 and highlighted nearly 80% support for the project from the local communities. Accompanying the boundary is a rationale (a requirement of UNESCO) that lays out what the boundary aims to encompass: in this case, taking in the blanket bog that is in the best condition and displays the attributes that make it outstanding on a global scale.

The proposed site is being nominated for both the exceptional blanket bog and the biodiversity (bird and plant life) it contains. The drafting of the proposed site boundary has been led by scientists at the Environmental Research Institute (part of the University of the Highlands and Islands) in Thurso and NatureScot and it is now time to start gathering the views of all interested parties to help ensure that the boundary, and the wider project is further shaped by the communities which live and work in and around the site.

Draft proposed Flow Country World Heritage Site Boundary for Early Consultation