Scotland’s UNESCO Trail has been hailed a success by tourism organisation VisitScotland.

The UNESCO Trail promotes Scotland’s UNESCO designations to tell Scotland’s story (past, present and future) in an innovative, exciting, responsible and sustainable way. The trail was specifically designed to align with UNESCO’s values of peace, education, and broader United Nations (UN) aims around sustainability. It has also highlighted Scotland’s focus on responsible and sustainable tourism. An Evaluation of the Success of Scotland’s UNESCO Trail.

Scotland has 16 UNESCO credited sites to visit:

• 7 World Heritage Sites
• 2 Biosphere Reserves
• 3 Global Geoparks
• 4 Creative Cities

The Heart of Neolithic Orkney comprises of : The Standing Stones of Stenness, the Ring of Brodgar, Maeshowe Neolithic Tomb, and Skara Brae. The Orkney sites are managed by Historic Environment Scotland. Both Skara Brae and Maeshowe Tomb are pay for sites.

Scotland’s UNESCO Trail was launched as a digital trail in October 2021 – the first of its kind in the world – and included all 13 of Scotland’s UNESCO designated sites at the time. The Flow Country, Perth City of Craft and Folk Art, and the Isle of Arran, which have since received UNESCO designation, have been added to the trail as it has been reworked. 

The VisitScotland evaluation of the Trail states:

“between approximately 31% and 46% of visitors stated the UNESCO Trail was an important factor in their decision to visit a UNESCO designation. The UNESCO Trail was particularly successful in raising awareness and influencing visits to rural and geographically peripheral UNESCO designations.”

Professor Anne Anderson OBE, Chair, UK National Commission for UNESCO, said: 

“At the UK National Commission for UNESCO we are delighted with this final evaluation report of the award-winning Scotland UNESCO Trail. The Trail is an exemplar of how a national tourism board and a UNESCO National Commission can come together with a national network of UNESCO sites to create and deliver a product that has measurable positive visitor impact, and real-world social and economic benefits for local communities.  
 
“The Scotland UNESCO Trail continues to resonate with UNESCO Member States around the world, who see this as a model to emulate. We would like to thank VisitScotland and the Scottish Government for their coordination and financial support of this truly valuable and ground-breaking initiative.” 

There was no additional budget supplied for the evaluation report. Instead it ‘relied on pre-existing visitor survey mechanisms and feedback from designations on perceived impacts supported by any available evidence or data.’

You can download a full copy of the report by clicking on this link: An Evaluation of the Success of Scotland’s UNESCO Trail.

Business Minister in the Scottish Government Richard Lochhead said: 

“Each one of Scotland’s UNESCO sites tells a story of Scotland’s rich and varied culture, history and heritage. Together, they form a powerful showcase of Scotland’s unique proposition as a year-round sustainable tourism destination. 

“The UNESCO Trail has been a pioneering project led by VisitScotland in partnership with sites across the country and this analysis shows the clear value of the initiative as it helps build a compelling story that is attracting tourists and visitors from across the world to our incredible, unique UNESCO sites up and down the country.” 

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