Galloway and Southern Ayrshire is a unique and special place. So much so that the area has been designated a UNESCO 'Biosphere’.
The designation, which includes large parts of East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway, is the first of its kind in Scotland covering an area of over 5,000 square kilometres.
The purpose of a Biosphere is to protect the natural and cultural diversity of a region while promoting sustainable economic development.
Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere is the first in Scotland and only the third in the UK.