How the land is managed

The Cairngorms National Park is not owned or managed by the Park Authority, as they are in America or many other countries. Our National Parks are also not set aside purely for the preservation of wildlife. They are however National assets where communities thrive alongside outstanding wildlife. Our National Parks are at the forefront of sustainable rural living, delivering benefits to the Nation like flood alleviation, recreation and conservation.

Land ownership

About 75% of the National Park is owned privately; a further 15% is owned by conservation charities; and 10% is owned by public bodies. Each of these will have slightly different objectives and it’s through Cairngorms Nature that we find the common ground to make conservation happen.

Shaped by man

The work of generations of land managers has produced the habitats and landscapes we see today.

The history of land management in the Park has seen the forests ebb and flow, moorlands contract and expand, and farming systems change. As we manage our land for different means and in different ways, the fortunes of our nature rise and fall.

 

Where people live and work

Over 17,000 people choose to live in the National Park.

Many are directly involved in managing the land, and in tourism reliant on the landscapes and wildlife. Looking after nature is not something extra, it is part of everyday life. The way the land is used and the relationship people have with it are crucial to enhancing biodiversity.

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