Wester Ross Biosphere aims to bring people and nature together to share knowledge and best practice to create a positive sustainable future. Wester Ross UNESCO Biosphere (WRB) is a community-led and owned non-governmental organisation.

Our vision is that Wester Ross will be a thriving sustainable tourism destination where the needs of the community, visitor, economy and environment are recognised, understood and planned for. In March 2020, WRB launched the first community-led Destination Management Plan in Scotland in order to coordinate and support the management of the aspects of Wester Ross which contribute to a visitor’s experience, taking account of the needs of visitors, local residents, businesses and the environment to ensure future sustainability.

WRB is also part of Scotland’s UNESCO Trail which showcases the 13 place-based UNESCO designations in Scotland, including World Heritage Sites, Biosphere Reserves, Global Geoparks and Creative Cities.

Designed specifically to support ambitions to make Scotland a world-leading responsible tourism destination, Scotland’s UNESCO Trail encourages visitors to stay longer, visit all year round, make sustainable travel choices, explore more widely, and in turn, contribute to the sustainable quality of life of those communities surrounding the designated sites. It also celebrates businesses and communities that are committed to responsible tourism business practices and promotes sustainable travel options.

Find out more here: www.visitscotland.com/unesco-trail

Communities and their priorities are key in this process; happy places to visit must first be happy places to live!