Galloway has been chosen as the preferred location for Scotland’s newest national park.
The Scottish government confirmed the winning bid on Monday, with a further investigation now set to be carried out into the area’s suitability.
There are currently two national parks north of the border – the Cairngorms, and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs.
The Scottish government has pledged “at least one” new park will be designated by spring 2026.
Galloway was nominated against areas in the Scottish Borders, Lochaber, Loch Awe and Tay Forest.
The joint Galloway National Park Association (GNPA) and Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere (GSABP) bid touted the area as “Scotland in miniature”.
The proposal was said to have highlighted the area’s “diverse landscapes and stunning coastline, its outstanding biodiversity and rich cultural heritage”.
Local residents, communities, businesses and interested parties will next be invited to get involved and share their views on whether Galloway should become a new national park and where the boundary should be drawn.
NatureScot will lead the public consultation before submitting its findings to ministers in April next year.
The government will then take a final decision on national park status and draw up a designation order for further consultation, before approval by the Scottish parliament.
Scotland’s rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon unveiled the decision at Shambellie House, within the proposed new park.
She said: “The proposal is community led, has the backing of many local businesses and makes a strong case on the benefits that national park status will bring for people who live in the area, for the local economy and for the environment.
“At this stage it is still a proposal.”
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Ms Gougeon thanked all those who submitted proposals, noting that the nominations were from “some really special places”.
She added: “The competition was extremely tough and the bids have clearly shown the outstanding natural and cultural heritage we have in Scotland, as well as people’s ambitions for the rural communities they live in.”
The new park will bring the total number of national parks in the UK to 16 – as well as the two in Scotland, there are 10 in England and three in Wales.
Rob Lucas, GNPA chair, said the announcement was “fantastic news” and would bring “transformational economic and environmental benefits” to the area and strengthen local communities.
He added: “We are grateful to the thousands who attended events and shared their views over the last seven years which helped to shape our bid.
“We look forward to contributing actively to the next important step in the process for putting a national park at the heart of a sustainable future for Galloway.”