North West Highlands Geopark named among Rough Guide's must-visit locations in 2024
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Scotland’s UNESCO Trail – which includes both the North West Highlands UNESCO Global Geopark and the Wester Ross UNESCO Biosphere – was named in Rough Guides’ 24 best destinations to visit in 2024.
Included in the "best destinations for meaningful travel" category, the trail features alongside the Ura Valley in Bhutan and Hiriwadunna in Sri Lanka.
The guide states that visiting the trail is "an amazing way to take in tonnes of natural and cultural wonders."
Launched in 2021, the dedicated digital trail connects 13 place-based designations across the country, including world heritage sites, biospheres, global geoparks and creative cities.
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, said: “Responsible tourism is at the heart of Scotland’s UNESCO Trail and so it’s fantastic so see Rough Guides recognising the trail as one of the best for meaningful travel.
“The trail takes visitors on an inspirational journey through Scotland’s rich history and heritage, stunning landscapes and the art, music and literature which create our unique culture. It is all part of our sustainable destination development to encourage visitors to stay longer, travel sustainably and explore our regions throughout the year.
“This recognition is further proof of the popularity that Scotland holds for visitors worldwide and will give encouragement to industry for the coming year.”
Anne Anderson, chair of the United Kingdom National Commission for UNESCO, said: “We are delighted that the Scotland’s UNESCO Trail has received commendation from such an authoritative travel publisher as Rough Guides.
“As noted by the authors, the variety of UNESCO sites around Scotland is incredible and they have achieved UNESCO Designation status because they are so special, in so many ways, to so many people. Working with VisitScotland and the Designations themselves to create the Trail that celebrates this, and brings them to new audiences, was an honour and we look forward to continuing to develop these relationships over the coming years.”
