King Charles at Forsinard Flows today to visit Scotland’s newest World Heritage Site

King Charles is visiting the Flow Country today after the peatlands of Caithness and Sutherland were designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

The king is at the RSPB Forsinard Flows visitor centre, based at Forsinard railway station, on Wednesday where he will speak to staff from Highland Council, NatureScot, RSPB and other local organisations which are involved in the care of the landscape, hearing about the importance of the Flow Country for people, the planet and nature.

He will see, first hand, how the peatlands function as a centre of excellence for research, home to a vast range of plants and wildlife. His Majesty will also hear how the area provides economic opportunities and a space for young people to experience the natural environment.

The king will attend a community event outside, joined by local businesses and families. He will also watch a performance by a Fèis group.

King Charles is a patron of the RSPB, a role he took over following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

On Friday, the Flow Country became the first place in Scotland to become a World Heritage Site based on purely natural criteria. It joins the likes of the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon on the Unesco listing.

The bid for Unesco status was led by the Flow Country Partnership, an umbrella body which has led on restoring the peatland of the region after damage by forestry and drainage. The announcement that the bid had been successful was made in New Delhi, India, on Friday.

The King is expected to attend the Mey Games, of which he is chieftain, on Saturday in John O’Groats.

• Full coverage of the king’s visit to Forsinard to follow.

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