Cairngorm and Glenmore consultation launches

Views are being sought on the future direction of the Cairngorm and Glenmore area of the Cairngorms National Park.

A 14-week public consultation has launched with the aim of developing a long-term strategy for the management of the publicly-owned land in this area.

Cairngorm and Glenmore – with neighbouring Rothiemurchus – sit at the heart of some of Scotland’s most important nature conservation sites, attracts over 1 million visits per year and contributes £172 million to the economy of Badenoch & Strathspey.

The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) is managing the consultation on behalf of the Cairngorm and Glenmore Partnership, which is made of up of Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Forest Enterprise Scotland as landowners and managers in the area, along with Scottish Natural Heritage and The Highland Council.

In the last eighteen months, the Cairngorm and Glenmore Partnership have been working on proposals which form the basis of the consultation with proposals to deliver improvements in the visitor welcome, plans for a visitor hub, access infrastructure, parking and landscape enhancements.

Hamish Trench, the CNPA’s Director of Conservation and Visitor Experience said:

"Cairngorm and Glenmore are already great. However, we know that development in the past has been ad-hoc, which isn’t good enough for an area so important to the Park’s nature, culture and economy. We expect visitor numbers to increase and with it, pressure on the environment and facilities. We need to come together to plan for that, to ensure we’re offering a world-class experience for all and continuing to enhance the high quality environment.

"This consultation presents us all with a unique opportunity to lay firm foundations for a co-ordinated and strategic approach to managing this jewel in the Cairngorms National Park’s crown for generations to come."

The Cairngorm and Glenmore Partnership are also working directly with local businesses including the Scottish Youth Hostels Association (SYHA), Glenmore Lodge, Cairngorm Reindeer Company, Camping in the Forest, Loch Morlich Watersports, High Life Highland and the and Glenmore Shop & Café.

Visit the Cairngorms National Park website to take part in the consultation.

The consultation closes on 8 March 2016.

Also, Natural Retreats – the company which now leases the ski operation from HIE – are consulting in tandem on their future plans for Cairngorm Mountain.