World Heritage Sites in Scotland - Tentative List

Tentative List

The United Kingdom ‘Tentative List’ comprises sites which may be nominated for inscription over the next 5–10 years. Including the now-inscribed Antonine Wall, four Scottish sites were on the 2006 list. Several sites were than added in 2010, of which only three were selected for a short list created in 2011.

The three short-listed candidates are:

• the Forth Bridge, the famous rail crossing constructed to a cantilever design and opened in 1890, which 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. However, Network Rail, the owners of the bridge, have made their opposition to a nomination clear. They are concerned this could impose "additional burdens" on their ability to operate the bridge.
• The Crucible of Iron Age Shetland including Mousa Broch, Old Scatness and Jarlshof is a cultural candidate.
• 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 a natural candidate.

Mousa, Jarlshof and Old Scatness Flow Country Scottish sites currently on the Tentative List for World Heritage status

The 2010 applications to join the Tentative List that were not carried forward were: Arbroath Abbey; Buildings of Charles Rennie Mackintosh in Glasgow; and St Andrews, Medieval Burgh and Links. (Arbroath Abbey's application was made on the basis of its link with the 14th century Declaration of Arbroath. The signing of the declaration is celebrated in the Abbey each year on 6 April, an event that now coincides with Tartan Day in the US.)

In 2010 Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore said: “All these sites have something special that draws people to them and they are recognisable across the world. I am delighted that so many of Scotland’s attractions have stepped forward and answered the UK government’s call for world heritage status.

The Minister for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop MSP (who took on the post from Fabiani in 2009) said: “Many groups, individuals and local authorities across Scotland put work into nominating places that mean a lot to them and I would like to thank them for the enthusiasm they have shown for our historic environment.”

Mike Cantlay, the chairman of VisitScotland said: “We sell Scotland to the world, bringing millions of visitors and billions of pounds to the economy and World Heritage status certainly helps make Scotland an even more attractive option for visitors in search of interesting things to see and do.” The Heart of Neolithic Orkney site has certainly been a marketing success, with annual tourist numbers visiting Skara Brae alone now exceed 55,000 per annum. However some applications have drawn criticism based on the potential costs involved. The Cairngorm Mountains, a massif at the heart of the Cairngorms National Park was on the 2006 Tentative List, but is no longer under active consideration.