The British government is hoping to get the Forth Bridge, which links Edinburgh and Fife, classified as a World Heritage site.
Following its nomination by the British government for World Heritage site status, Unesco will evaluate the merits of the iconic cantilever Forth Bridge, in Scotland, over the next 18 months to see if it is worthy of classification, with a decision due next year.
Britain already has an impressive 28 World Heritage Sites, including the Jurassic Coast in Dorset and east Devon, Stonehenge in Somerset, and Neolithic Orkney and the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, both also in Scotland.
Announcing the decision to apply for the accolade, Culture Secretary Maria Miller said: “If the Forth Bridge bid is successful in achieving such prestigious international recognition, then Britain will have yet another iconic place by which to attract tourists to our shores.”
The Forth Bridge stretches over the Firth of Forth waterway for over a mile and a half and was the first major British steel construction: building began in 1883 and it took thousands of men seven years to complete, with 98 workers dying in the process.
© 2024 