Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere

World class for people and nature

Apply Now for the Ayrshire Small Scale Tree Planting Programme

Grants of up to £1,000 available for planting on areas less than 0.25ha

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Galloway National Park proposal - what does it mean for our region?

Have your say in the public consultation led by NatureScot

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Explore the Biosphere with Low Carbon Days Out

Sustainable leisure itineraries for locals and visitors

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GSA Biosphere on National Geographic's 'Cool List'

An unmissable destination in 2024

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Scotland's UNESCO Trail

Discover the wonders within

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Local To Global

From the GSA Biosphere to the UK's other 57 UNESCO sites

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Merrick Scottish Blackface Knitwear

From rural industry to social enterprise

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Covering almost 9,800 km² of southwest Scotland's land and sea, the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere follows the rivers that flow out of the Galloway Hills: through forests and farmland, historic villages and towns, all the way to a ruggedly scenic coast.

The UNESCO Biosphere includes iconic wildlife and natural habitats which are recognised as being of international importance. It encompasses communities with distinct cultural identities, as well as historic landmarks and heritage sites that need to be protected for the generations to come.

The Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership is a non-profit organisation (registered Scottish charity SC044137) working across the UNESCO region, creating and facilitating projects that support conservation, education, climate resilience, and a sustainable local economy. We collaborate with multi-sector partners in initiatives that benefit people and nature alike.

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Galloway and Southern Ayrshire is recognised as a world class environment for people and nature.

The region’s designation was awarded in 2012 by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. There are more than 740 Biospheres around the world, a dynamic and interactive network striving towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Every UNESCO Biosphere is a centre for learning and research, and for testing solutions to some of the most critical challenges of our time.

Our Vision: To celebrate our passion for living in a way that benefits people and nature.

The GSA Biosphere Partnership’s activity programme addresses climate change impacts, land use, and the biodiversity crisis. Individual and community wellbeing is an essential part of our remit: closer connections with the world around us, and sustainable provision of food, fibre and fuel. Alongside local stakeholders, partner organisations and members of UNESCO’s global network, the GSA Biosphere Partnership is sharing knowledge, experience and ideas in pursuit of a better future for all.

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What We Do

Our ordinary is extraordinary

Galloway and Southern Ayrshire is a place of inspiration and discovery, where countless generations of travellers have paused to sit beside rivers and gaze across wild landscapes. Some of Scotland’s best-known thinkers and writers have spent time here, from St Ninian to Robert Burns. Today visitors are welcomed into our rural communities and invited to enjoy a cultural scene that celebrates the richness of Biosphere life.

Explore the Biosphere

Latest News & Events

9 Oct

New film reveals secrets of rarely seen remote Scottish wilderness & launches an urgent appeal to protect the UK’s largest UNESCO Biosphere

A new short film, which premieres on 16th October 2024, is calling for urgent action to secure a future for […]

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2 Oct

Communities & Education for Global Goals: a summer of learning and fun

The GSA Biosphere’s Community & Education team has reached the end of a busy summer leading projects and activities across […]

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23 Sep

Scotland’s Climate Week 23rd – 29th September 2024

Since it’s formation in 2016, every year communities and organisations across Scotland come together to celebrate Scotland’s Climate Week, a […]

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