The Cairngorms National Park

The Cairngorms National Park was established in September 2003.  It is the UK’s largest National Park at 1,467 sq miles.  The CNPA was set up by the Scottish Parliament to ensure that the unique aspects of the Cairngorms - both the natural environment and the local communities - are cared for, sustained and enhanced for current and future generations to enjoy.  The CNPA is designed to be an ‘enabling’ organisation promoting partnership and giving leadership to all those involved in the Cairngorms.

Aims

The four aims of the Cairngorms National Park are:
 
•to conserve and enhance the area’s natural and cultural heritage
•promote sustainable use of the Park’s natural resources
•promote understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the Park (including recreation)
•to promote sustainable economic and social development of local communities.

The Park

The Cairngorms National Park has a large mountain range at its heart with diverse communities around it. It is home to 16,000 people and 25% of Britain’s threatened species. It includes unique mountainous areas of wild land, moorlands, forests, rivers, lochs and glens. Sites designated as of importance to natural heritage take up 39% of the land area – two thirds of these are of Europe-wide importance.

The Park stretches from Grantown on Spey to the heads of the Angus Glens, from Ballater to Dalwhinnie and Drumochter including much of the Laggan area in the southwest and a large area of the Glen Livet estate and the Strathdon/Glen Buchat area.

Many of these areas depend on the work of land managers for their special qualities. The Cairngorms rich cultural heritage is also part of what makes it exceptional.

The Cairngorms National Park Authority

The Cairngorms National Park Authority Board consists of 25 Members - 5 directly elected by the 12, 650 voters in the Park; 10 appointed by nomination of the 4 local authorities (Highland Council 5, Aberdeenshire 3, Moray 1, Angus 1) and 10 directly appointed by Scottish Ministers.

The Board came into existence on the 25th of March 2003 and held its first meeting on the 15th of April 2003. It took on its full powers and became fully operational on September 1st 2003.

The Cairngorms National Park Authority is principally an enabling and facilitating body rather than a regulatory body.

For further information visit the Cairngorms National Park website at www.cairngorms.co.uk