2024 has been an incredible year for peatlands, with global recognition of Scotland’s Flow Country as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, now standing alongside places such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Galápagos Islands. This is the first time a peatland has been recognised in this way, and the Flow Country is the first World Heritage Site inscribed purely on the basis of natural criteria.
The designation of the Flow Country is symbolic of continued changing attitudes to peatlands: once considered a worthless wet desert, with tax incentives for planting monocultures of non-native trees, the Flow Country is now celebrated for its role in storing carbon, providing clean water and supporting unique biodiversity.