Industry News

A free app has been created to help people explore the geology and landscape of inspiring sites along the European Atlantic Geotourism Route, including the North Pennines.  

The North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and UNESCO Global Geopark is an area rich in geological heritage. Geotours is a new app featuring selected walks and geological sites, and the North Pennines AONB is one of 11 international destinations available to explore.

Discover some of the North Pennines AONB’s best geological trails as well as new routes based around points of interest, with directions and things to spot along the way. They include text and photos, and some tours have audio to give you more detail or take the form of a treasure hunt with quiz questions to answer and virtual objects to collect.

Geology Projects Officer, Naomi Foster, said: “We hope that Geotours will help visitors to the North Pennines to explore further, understand more, and most importantly enjoy this special place. It encourages us to notice what’s around us from human history to living things to the rocks beneath our feet and how the landscape comes to be the way it is today.”

Although designed to be used in the featured locations, users can also explore selected virtual tours from anywhere.

The app was produced as part of an international project in partnership with other UNESCO Global Geoparks and aspiring Geoparks, co-financed by the Interreg Atlantic Area Programme of the European Regional Development Fund. In the North Pennines, its development was also supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the AONB Partnership’s Earthworks project.

This app is available for Android and Apple devices – search for Geotours on your app store or visit this page for more information and download links:

It is best to download the app and the tours you want to use before you start your visit as internet connectivity is variable in the North Pennines. Selected Geotrails are also available as downloadable leaflets.

The 11 locations available to explore through the app are:

• Arouca UNESCO Global Geopark (Portugal)
• Azores UNESCO Global Geopark (Portugal)
• Fforest Fawr UNESCO Global Geopark (UK)
• Cuilcagh Lakelands UNESCO Global Geopark (Northern Ireland/Ireland)
• Basque Coast UNESCO Global Geopark (Spain)
• Lanzarote and Chinijo Islands UNESCO Global Geopark (Spain)
• Valleys of Cantabria Geopark Project (Spain)
• Armorique Nature Park (France)
• North Pennines AONB UNESCO Global Geopark (UK)
• Copper Coast UNESCO Global Geopark (Ireland)
• Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark  (Ireland)

European Geoparks Week, raising public awareness of Geoparks and geoconservation, is being celebrated between 21 May and 5 June 2022.