THE Glens of Antrim are to receive a £1.4 million investment to protect the area's iconic landscape and unique heritage.
The money will be used to set up projects in north Antrim as part of a five-year initiative.
It to increase wildlife, support landowners with habitat surveys and develop a plan for long-term management of the area.
Events and activities such as heritage festivals, community photography schemes and archaeology days will be staged to showcase the landscape.
A dedicated volunteer programme will be set up to provide training and support for people to deliver some of the activities.
The grant was awarded to the Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust through the Heritage Lottery Fund's landscape partnership programme.
The nine glens run towards the cliffs and bays of the rocky North Channel coastline.
The Heritage Lottery Fund's chief executive Carole Souter said: "Our landscapes are famous for their beauty throughout the world and, along with our cultural and built heritage, give Northern Ireland its unique tourist offering. "So it is wonderful to be able to commit a further £1.4m through the programme to the heart of the glens. "They have great plans and I'm excited to see what they deliver over the next five years."
Maxime Sizaret, chief executive of the trust, said the investment would "bring positive actions" to the glens' landscapes, heritage and communities.
n NATURAL BEAUTY: Glenariff in Co Antrim. The nine Glens of Antrim run towards the cliffs and bays of the rocky North Channel coastline
n BREATHTAKING: Garron Plateau