Scotland’s UNESCO Trail has been named in Rough Guides’ 24 best destinations to visit in 2024.
The trail was launched in October 2021 and was designed specifically to support ambitions to showcase Scotland as a world-leading responsible tourism destination.
The world-first dedicated digital trail connects 13 place-based designations, , including World Heritage Sites, Biospheres, Global Geoparks and Creative Cities
The list of designations that form part of the trail include Glasgow UNESCO City of Music, St Kilda World Heritage Site, the Forth Bridge UNESCO World Heritage Site and Shetland UNESCO Global Geopark.
It was designed specifically to support the ambitions of the national strategy to make Scotland a world-leading responsible tourism destination by encouraging visitors to stay longer, visit all year round, make sustainable travel choices, explore more widely and at the right time of the year, and in turn, contribute to the sustainable quality of life of those communities surrounding the designated sites.
Scotland’s UNESCO Trail is highlighted in the Rough Guides’ list of the 24 best travel destinations for 2024 under the category ‘Best destinations for meaningful travel’.
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Other places to feature on the list include Taxco in Mexico, The Garden Route in South Africa and Trou d'Eau Douce in Mauritius.
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.”
Meanwhile, a small Aberdeenshire village with links to Dracula is seeing a boost in visitors thanks to Swedish tour groups.
Celebrations took place in Cruden Bay in May 2022 to mark the 125th anniversary of the publication of the famous gothic novel, on May 26, 1897.
Dacre Stoker, great-grand nephew of Bram Stoker, gave a talk at the local village hall on Bram Stoker, Dracula and Cruden Bay, alongside local author Mike Shepherd.
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Dacre is a regular visitor to the village, which has strong connections to the famous horror book, as sections of it were penned by his great-grand uncle whilst staying at the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel.
As part of the anniversary, Dacre created a bespoke tour to showcase local locations connected with the book and Bram Stoker, in conjunction with the tour company, Experience Transylvania, a joint Swedish/Romanian venture.
Since that initial tour, around 40 Swedish Dracula enthusiasts have been motivated to visit the area though the Experience Transylvania tours, to see what inspired Bram Stoker.
Gloria Andersson, CEO and Tour Manager at Experience Transylvania, brought 25 Swedish visitors to the area this autumn, and said: “Hopefully we will continue this growth every year from now on. We are planning another trip in September 2024, with at least another group from Sweden, but also with visitors from other parts of the world.
“This area is often overlooked by Swedish tour companies, as everyone wants to get to the Highlands. But we went a bit off the beaten track and took people here and they hugely appreciated it."
David Jackson, VisitScotland Regional Director, said: “It is great that visitors are coming to Cruden Bay and discovering for themselves the evocative locations and landscapes in this part of Aberdeenshire that inspired Bram Stoker.
“The anniversary celebrations highlighted the area’s links to this world-renowned book and its iconic literary character but our visitors are also now discovering that there is much more to the region.
“We look forward to welcoming more visitors next year to explore the area and discover for themselves the inspirational places that arguably helped create one of the most famous pieces of literature ever written, as well as enjoying some great local hospitality.
“The impact of tourism spreads far beyond the industry itself - it benefits our economy, our communities and our wellbeing.”
To read the full Rough Guides’ list of the 24 best travel destinations for 2024, click here
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