Arran well worthy of international recognition as the wondrous place it is

Arran has been awarded Global Geopark Status by Unesco

Arran is known as “Scotland in miniature” because its oldest rocks in the north, similar to those in the Highlands, are separated from younger ones in the south by the Highland boundary fault. So it has long been a place of fascination for geologists.

Now Unesco has awarded the island ‘Global Geopark Status’, making it one of 229 places around the world with that title. This recognises its special geology but also its biodiversity and the commitment of local people to sustainable development.

Arran, as seen from Kintyre, has been awarded Global Geopark Status by Unesco (Picture: RDImages/Epics) | Getty Images

The honour puts Arran alongside Napo Sumaco in Ecuador, where the Andean mountains meet the Amazon plains, a place known for its dramatic karst landscape and thousands of rare species, many unique to the area; Kebumen in Indonesia, where there are rocks that “illustrate plate tectonic theory, showing how an ancient ocean floor was pushed up to the surface”; and Italy’s Murge Highlands, a landscape marked by sinkholes and caves where about 25,000 dinosaur footprints have been preserved in the rocks.

The world is full of wonder and Scotland has more than its fair share. We just need to recognise and celebrate it.