Last month (February), the bid to give the Flow Country World Heritage Site Status took an enormous step as the formal submission was made to UNESCO. Milly Revill Hayward, engagement and communications officer at RSPB Forsinard Flows, tells us more.
The Flow Country, a vast, rolling expanse of blanket bog, sheltered straths and mountains, is one of our most important national treasures found in the far north of Scotland. The area, which spans around 4,000km2, is appropriately named after the Old Norse word ’floi’ meaning ‘wet marshy ground’. The area is renowned for its incredible landscape and rare blanket bog habitat, the Flows contains over 5% of the global blanket bog resource. The proposed Flow Country World Heritage site lies in the heart of the Flow Country, containing a wide range of ecosystems and many rare bird, insect and vegetation species.
To become a candidate for World Heritage status, sites must be proven to hold outstanding universal value. In the case of the Flow Country, the site holds the largest and best quality expanse of blanket bog anywhere in the world and is a brilliant example of diverse peatland habitats. In addition, it also sustains unique assemblages of bird species at the extremes of their usual range. Raptors, waterfowl and waders all thrive here, with established population strongholds existing throughout the Flows.
Photo: Feeding and breeding birds such as dunlin, greenshank and golden plover, are just a few examples of the rare species found (Credit: Andy Hay).
The bid for World Heritage Site status has been a long process, the Flow Country was first added to the UNESCO tentative list in 2012! Since then, there have been several stages, including technical evaluations, draft management plans and community consultations. The majority of this process has been overseen by the Flow Country Partnership, a collaboration of organisations and charities which includes RSPB Scotland, Highland Council, NatureScot and the University of Highlands and Islands.
Photo: The proposed site includes over 190,000-hectare of the Flows (Credit: Flow Country Partnership).
The most recent step in this process involved the submission of the formal nomination dossier to UNESCO by the UK government. Dr Steven Andrews who coordinates the project, handed the dossier to Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, UK Minister for Arts and Heritage, at parliament. Laura Davies, the UK’s Ambassador to the Paris-based United Nations body, then submitted the documents to UNESCO. Throughout 2023, we are ready to host inspection visits by UNESCO delegates who will then make a decision on whether to aware the Flow Country World Heritage Site status next year.
If the bid succeeds, the Flow Country World Heritage Site would join the likes of The Grand Canyon and The Great Barrier Reef, becoming Scotland’s 7th World Heritage Site. Achieving this would provide a range of benefits, both to the environment and people of the Flows. As well as ensuring the continued protection and restoration of this very special blanket bog habitat, conservation of the rare species and creation of new economic, education and cultural opportunities for rural communities.
For more information please visit the Flow Country website here or get in touch with Milly at Milly.RevillHayward@rspb.org.uk.
Main photo: A view over one of the pools in the Flow Country towards a mountain, under a cloudy sky. (Credit: Andy Hay)
It would be mavelous if this happened, so much of our wild places have vanished, this would be a small step forward.