About
About the plan
The bold and ambitious new Partnership Plan sets out how all those with a responsibility for the National Park will work together to tackle critical issues that relate to its people, nature and places and ultimately address the climate and nature emergencies.
Almost 1,500 people helped shape the plan in a public consultation phase last year. In implementing the plan, people who live, work, and visit the National Park will be given the power to tackle the climate and nature emergencies and more than 100 partners, public bodies and communities will work together to help deliver activity over the next five years.
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Accessibility
We want to make sure that everyone can view the plan in as easy and accessible a way as possible. In addition to using clear and legible fonts, we have produced a number of different versions which you can view or download below.
- Interactive full version of the plan. An interactive page-turning version has been created with accessibility in mind and includes features for people with dyslexia, visual and cognitive impairment etc. To access them, click on the accessibility link at the top of the screen (in the app). An icon will appear at the bottom left of the screen which, when clicked, will bring up a panel allowing you to customise your accessibility requirements easily.
- Short guide to the plan. This provides a quick and easy read and summarises the key objectives in the plan. It is in PDF format and is 1.6MB.
- Full version of the plan. This is an accessible PDF with all the images and maps at high resolution. However, at 9.6MB, people with a slower internet connection might prefer to download the text-only version which has a smaller file-size.
- Text-only version. Some key images and maps are included but they link to low resolution images to reduce file-size which is 1.5MB.
Ministerial
foreword
The nature and climate crises require leadership and action and this National Park Partnership Plan does both for the largest national park in the UK. We have experienced significant changes since the last Partnership Plan was published in 2017 and it was heartening to see nearly 1,500 people take part in the consultation on the future of this special place.
The climate and nature crises are the biggest challenges we face and it is critical that the Cairngorms National Park is an exemplar in achieving net zero, developing nature-based solutions and helping Scotland meet its targets as part of a just transition.
The Partnership Plan offers an opportunity to ensure that nature is at the heart of our decision-making for the future. We need to deliver an economy that supports people to thrive whilst also protecting and nurturing nature, not exploiting it for short-term benefit and long-term harm.
This generation’s goal, and that of all governments, must be to leave things better than we found them for future generations to enjoy.
To address the climate and nature crises, we need to act at unprecedented speed and scale across all parts of society. That is why the Cairngorms 2030 programme is so important to ensuring that we do the right things at scale, taking the people who live, work in and visit the Park with us.
Meeting the objectives within this Partnership Plan will mean hard choices need to be made. There are ambitious targets to increase the number of affordable houses, improve active travel and public transport, reduce deer numbers and other herbivores to enable woodland expansion, restore and manage peatland to reduce carbon emissions, and to have 50% of the National Park managed principally for ecosystem restoration, which will bring wider landscape, biodiversity and people benefits. This is not tinkering around the edges, this is fundamental change that we need to see and support.
This Partnership Plan will focus delivery on our shared ambition for a carbon negative and biodiversity-rich National Park with better functioning, better connected and more resilient ecosystems, a place where people want to live, work and visit, underpinned by a wellbeing economy that works for all the people of Scotland.
It sets out an approach that listens to and involves communities in the National Park, giving us the best possible chance together to deliver a decarbonised and nature-based economy where people and nature thrive together.
National parks can do so much for Scotland and this plan shows the ambition and the pragmatic application that will be needed to meet the challenges of the next 25 years.
Lorna Slater MSP, Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity
Ro-ràdh bhon Mhinistear
Tha an èiginn nàdair is gnàth-thìde feumach air ceannas agus gnìomh, agus sin dìreach na tha Plana Com-pàirteachais na Pàirce Nàiseanta seo a’ lìbhrigeadh airson na pàirce nàiseanta as motha san Rìoghachd Aonaichte. Tha sinn air atharrachaidhean mòra fhaicinn bho chaidh am plana com-pàirteachais mu dheireadh fhoillseachadh ann an 2017 agus bha e na thoileachas dhuinn gun do ghabh faisg air 1,500 neach pàirt anns a’ cho-chomhairle air na tha an dàn don àite shònraichte seo.
’S e èiginn gnàth-thìde agus èiginn nàdair na dùbhlain as motha a tha romhainn agus tha e deatamach gum bi Pàirc Nàiseanta a’ Mhonaidh Ruaidh na h-eisimpleir ann a bhith a’ coileanadh net zero, a’ leasachadh fhuasglaidhean stèidhichte air nàdar agus a’ cuideachadh Alba gus na targaidean aice a choileanadh mar phàirt de dh’eadar-ghluasad cothromach.
Tha am plana com-pàirteachais a’ toirt cothrom dhuinn dèanamh cinnteach gu bheil nàdar aig cridhe ar co-dhùnaidhean airson an ama ri teachd. Feumaidh an eaconamaidh againn a bhith a’ cuideachadh dhaoine gus soirbheachadh ach aig an aon àm a’ dìon agus ag àrach nàdar, gun a bhith a’ gabhail brath air airson buannachd sa gheàrr-ùine a dh’adhbharaicheas cron san fhad-ùine.
Feumaidh gur e amas a’ ghinealaich seo, agus amas gach riaghaltais, rudan fhàgail nas fheàrr na lorg sinn iad airson nan ginealaichean ri teachd.
Gus dèiligeadh ri èiginn gnàth-thìde agus èiginn nàdair, feumaidh farsaingeachd is astar na h-obrach a bhith aig ìre nach fhacas a-riamh roimhe thar gach pàirt den chomann-shòisealta. Sin as coireach gu bheil am prògram, Dùthchas: Monadh Ruadh 2030, cho cudromach airson dèanamh cinnteach gun dèan sinn na rudan ceart aig an ìre cheart, a’ toirt nan daoine a tha a’ fuireach, ag obair agus a’ tadhal air a’ Phàirc còmhla rinn. Le bhith a’ coileanadh nan amasan sa phlana com-pàirteachais seo feumar roghainnean cruaidh a dhèanamh. Tha targaidean àrd-amasach ann airson an àireamh thaighean aig prìs ruigsinneach a mheudachadh, siubhal gnìomhach agus còmhdhail phoblach a leasachadh, àireamhan fèidh is luibhearan eile a lùghdachadh gus leudachadh choilltean a dhèanamh comasach, talamh mònach ath-nuadhachadh agus a riaghladh gus sgaoilidhean carboin a bhacadh, agus 50% den Phàirc Nàiseanta a bhith air a riaghladh gu sònraichte airson ath-nuadhachadh eag-shiostaim, a bheir buannachdan nas fharsainge do chruth-tìre, bith-iomadachd agus daoine. Is e atharrachadh bunaiteach a tha seo a dh’fheumas tachairt agus tha e deatamach gun toir sinn taic dha.
Bidh am plana com-pàirteachais seo a’ cuimseachadh air ar miann coitcheann airson Pàirc Nàiseanta carbon-àicheil a tha beairteach le bith-iomadachd ’s a bheil eag-shiostaman ag obair ann an dòigh nas fheàrr, nas eadar-cheangailte agus nas seasmhaiche, àite far a bheil daoine airson a bhith a’ fuireach, ag obair agus a’ tadhal, le taic bho eaconamaidh sunnd a tha ag obair do shluagh na h-Alba air fad.
Tha e a’ stèidheachadh dòigh-obrach a bhios ag èisteachd ri coimhearsnachdan sa Phàirc Nàiseanta agus gan toirt na lùib, a’ toirt dhuinn an cothrom as fheàrr gus eaconamaidh neo-charbonaichte agus stèidhichte air nàdar a lìbhrigeadh còmhla far am bi daoine agus nàdar a’ soirbheachadh.
Faodaidh pàircean nàiseanta uimhir a dhèanamh airson Alba agus tha am plana seo a’ sealltainn an àrd-mhiann, agus obair chiallach a bhios a dhìth gus coinneachadh ri dùbhlain an ath 25 bliadhna.
Lorna Slater BPA, Ministear airson Sgilean Uaine, Eaconamaidh Chearcallach agus Bith-iomadachd
National Park aims
The Cairngorms is the UK’s largest national park at 4,528 sq km (6% of Scotland’s land mass) and is home to one quarter of the UK’s rare and endangered species. Around 18,000 people live in the National Park across the areas of Aberdeenshire, Angus, Highland, Moray, Perth and Kinross, with two million visitors enjoying this special place every year.
The National Park has four distinct aims as set out by Parliament:
These aims are to be pursued collectively. However, if there is conflict between the first aim and any of the others, greater weight is given to the first aim (as set out in Section 9.6 of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000). This helps ensure conservation of the natural and cultural heritage underpins the economic, social and recreation value of the Cairngorms National Park. The Partnership Plan embeds this approach in the strategy for the National Park that is approved by Ministers and sets the framework for all public bodies that work within the Cairngorms, from organisations like NatureScot and the five local authorities to Transport Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland. The plan is also supported and delivered by a range of private and voluntary organisations.
To conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area.
To promote sustainable use of the natural resources of the area.
To promote understanding and enjoyment (including enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the special qualities of the area by the public.
To promote sustainable economic and social development of the area’s communities.
What is a National Park Partnership Plan?
The National Park Partnership Plan sets out how all those with a responsibility for the National Park will coordinate their work to tackle the most important issues. In particular, this plan:
Sets out the vision and overarching strategy for managing the National Park.
Guides the work of all public bodies and other partners to deliver the aims of the National Park.
Provides the strategic context for the Local Development Plan.
Is the Economic and Sustainable Tourism Strategy for the National Park.
Is the Strategic Regional Land Use Framework and Regional Spatial Strategy for the National Park.
The document is arranged in three sections: Nature, People and Place. In each section we set out on overall outcome that we want to achieve by 2045 (the year Scottish Government has committed to achieving net zero), plus a series of long-term objectives and key targets or indicators of progress. Each of these targets is supported by a set of actions and policies for the next five years.
The wider policy landscape
There have been significant changes in the policy landscape since the last Partnership Plan was published in 2017. A climate emergency and nature crisis have been declared. The UK has left the European Union and its policy framework, and the Covid-19 pandemic – and our collective need to recover from its impacts – is at the forefront of policy discussion. There is also a deepening cost-of-living crisis and a desire to move to an economy that works for everyone, with the wellbeing of our citizens at its heart.
National policy framework
As a whole, this Partnership Plan is guided by Scottish Government’s National Performance Framework and by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The documents listed on the page below are the key national policy documents that underpin the approach taken in this plan.
The Cairngorms National Park also has a significant role to play in delivering the policy ambitions of Scottish Government. This is focused on Scotland being a place to innovate, trial new ways of thinking and show ambition to tackle the key challenges of our time. The National Park has done this in the past on issues like windfarm or hilltrack policy, on increasing the percentage of affordable housing up to 45% in certain villages and towns, and pursuing ambitious projects like Cairngorms 2030. This National Park Partnership Plan looks to promote the National Park as a place to trial solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing Scotland as a whole.
National policy framework
This document is arranged in three sections:
- A Future Strategy for Scottish Agriculture
- Climate Change Plan 2018 – 2032
- Deer Working Group – Scottish Government Response
- Environment Strategy for Scotland
- Grouse Moor Management Review – Scottish Government Response
- Land Use Strategy for Scotland 2021 – 2026
- Scottish Biodiversity Strategy 2022, Biodiversity Statement of Intent, Edinburgh Declaration
- Water Framework Directive and River Basin Management Plans
Our vision for the Cairngorms
It is easy to feel powerless in the face of a global climate emergency and nature crisis. But we believe it doesn’t have to be this way.
Inspired by the Gaelic word Dùthchas – meaning the deep-rooted connection between people and nature – Cairngorms 2030 is putting the power to tackle the climate and nature crises in the hands of people who live, visit and work in the UK’s largest national park.
