Planning Edinburgh

Photo © Historic Environment Scotland

World Heritage Day is marked each year on 18 April. The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh (inscribed in 1995) and the Forth Bridge (inscribed in 2015) are two of six World Heritage Sites in Scotland. 

World Heritage Sites are cultural or natural sites considered to be of ‘Outstanding Universal Value’, which have been inscribed on the World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee.

These places or buildings are thought to:

• have special importance for everyone
• represent unique, or the most significant or best, examples of the world’s cultural and/or natural heritage 

Outstanding Universal Value is considered to transcend national boundaries and to be of importance for future generations.

This year to celebrate World Heritage Day, new stops on the Forth Bridges Trail have been unveiled.

The visitor trail, which showcases Scotland’s iconic Forth Bridges and the distinctive historic communities of North and South Queensferry, has nine new trail stops along the route.

The new trail stops include two new interpretation signs celebrating the Forth Bridge’s World Heritage Site status and can be found adjacent to commemorative UNESCO plaques at the High Street steps in South Queensferry and the Albert Hotel bus stop in North Queensferry.

Signs marking points of interest along the trail have been designed to reflect the famous red steelwork of the original Forth Bridge. The panels feature illustrated maps, images and stories on the history of the Bridges, the Firth of Forth, and communities of North and South Queensferry in collaboration with local history and heritage groups.

More information can be found on the Forth Bridges Trail can be found here or have a look at the online virtual tour of all of Scotland’s six World Heritage Sites.