Scottish Cities Alliance

At the end of 2021, VisitScotland released the world’s very-first digital UNESCO trail. The trail connects all of Scotland’s 13 UNESCO Designations, including six World Heritage Sites, two Biosphere Reserves and two Global Geoparks. But most importantly, the trail highlights three of the Scottish cities recognised by UNESCO as Creative Cities: Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee. 

You might be asking yourself, “what is UNESCO?” UNESCO is a subsidiary of the UN (United Nations), and its purpose is to recognise and conserve the world’s most special places – quite the feat for Scotland to have 13 considering its modest size!

VisitScotland’s trail was specifically designed to support ongoing ambitions to make Scotland a world-renowned responsible, and sustainable tourism destination. For these reasons, the UNESCO trail is there to give you all the information you need to make responsible and sustainable choices when you’re exploring all it has to offer. 

What exactly is a ‘Creative City’?

UNESCO launched its Creative Cities network in 2004 to promote cities across the globe that have had creativity play a crucial and major role in their development. There are currently 246 cities across the world, and while VisitScotland’s Trail only contains three creative cities, Scotland is now home to four.

While Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee have now held their creative city title for a significant amount of time, Perth was also granted the creative city title in November 2021. Perth was given the creative city title of Crafts and Folk Art – the first of its kind in the UK!

The city is set to be added to the trail when the time is appropriate; once the city has had time to adopt the new UNESCO branding and allow communities to fully immerse themselves in the newfound title. 

Read on to find out all about Scotland’s other creative cities. 

Edinburgh – City of Literature

Edinburgh was awarded the UNESCO City of Literature title back in 2004 and was actually the first-ever city of this kind in the world! However, with world-renowned writers like Robert Louis Stevenson, JM Barrie, JK Rowling and Robert Burns all having found inspiration for their work in the city’s streets – it’s really no surprise. 

Not only this, but Edinburgh is also home to the world’s largest literary celebration – the Edinburgh International Book Festival, where thousands of storytellers and writers flock to the city to celebrate their craft every August. Edinburgh also has the highest concentration of public libraries in Scotland – talk about book lovers!

The city truly does celebrate the written word unlike any other, but that doesn’t mean you should be scared off visiting if you’re not an avid reader. There are many other ways to celebrate the city’s voracious literary scene, from visiting cafes where writers like JK penned their legendary novels to a literary-themed pub crawl. There’s something for everyone to enjoy. 

Glasgow – City of Music

Glasgow was awarded the title of UNESCO City of Music back in 2008, and it might go without saying, but the city owes its prestigious title to its burgeoning music scene. Glasgow has often been said to have some of the best – if not the best crowds in the world, and it’s clear to see why. Glasgow truly does live up to its name with legendary chants of “here we, here we, here we … go” to its iconic music venues. 

There is something to suit everyone’s taste with venues such as the Ovo Hydro to the legendary King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut (where Oasis were first signed in 1993). One of the best things about Glasgow’s music scene is that no matter what time of the week it is, you can guarantee there will be a venue somewhere in the city hosting a concert or gig that you won’t want to miss!

If going to a gig isn’t your cup of tea, you’re still sure to enjoy the city’s musical talent, even when just walking around, as there’s a plethora of independent music stores – not to mention the buskers who perform daily on the streets. 

Dundee – City of Design

Another UK first, Dundee, was awarded UNESCO City of Design in 2014. The city sits on the banks of the Firth of Tay and was awarded its UNESCO city title because of its significant contribution to biotechnology, tech and fashion. 

Dundee is home to comic book hero Desperate Dan, not to mention the birthplace of the video game Grand Theft Auto. Other considerable contributions to the design world include the newly opened V&A Dundee. This is the first V&A museum in the world that sits outwith London, and it’s the first-ever dedicated design museum in Scotland! The V&A welcomes visitors into the world of design and encourages them to explore how design and creativity can be both ingenious and beautiful. 

Dundee is a sure-fire destination to visit if you appreciate anything innovative. Listen and see the stories of the city’s former life of textiles and shipbuilding and then transport yourself into the modern-age Dundee filled with cutting-edge design for everyone to enjoy. 

Read more about the investment and development opportunities available in Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as in Scotland’s other cities in our Investment Prospectus.