Single lane track verged by scots pine and heather

Conserving and Enhancing Biodiversity and Landscapes

This priority for action will deliver active management that will help to conserve and enhance the biodiversity and landscapes of the Cairngorms National Park, which were prime reasons for its designation. The Park’s unique biodiversity, geodiversity, landscape and its historic environment are prized by many for their innate value and are also of fundamental importance to land management and tourism and underpin the wider economy. Find out more about projects related to this priority for action.

Outcomes for 2012 – what does this priority for action seek to achieve in five years?

  1. A Landscape Plan for the Park will identify the natural, cultural and built landscape qualities, the factors influencing them and underpin actions for positive management.
  2. The key areas for the experience of wild land qualities will be identified, protected and enhanced as a major source of enjoyment of the Park and wild land qualities throughout the rest of the park will be safeguarded.
  3. The location, scale, layout and design of all new development will make a positive contribution to the natural, cultural and built landscapes of the Park and the adverse impacts of some existing developments will be reduced.
  4. Species and habitats identified as the highest priorities in the Cairngorms Local Biodiversity Action Plan, the UK and Scottish Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans and the Scottish Species Framework will be protected and under active conservation management.
  5. There will be enhanced connectivity within habitat networks through practical implementation of a planned, landscape-scale approach, with early emphasis on lowland agricultural habitat networks and forest networks.
  6. All the designated nature conservation sties in the park will be in favourable condition, or under positive management to bring them into favourable condition. This will be enhanced by the appropriate management of the surrounding land to increase the ecological integrity and viability of these sites.
  7. The habitat and water quality of rivers and wetlands will be enhanced through commencement of positive management initiatives guided by catchment management planning.
  8. The diversity of rocks, minerals, landforms and soils of international and regional value will be safeguarded and more widely appreciated, together with the natural processes underpinning them.
  9. An active programme will be underway to safeguard and manage priority historic landscapes and archaeology sites and to promote them to the public.

The Cairngorms National Park Plan Progress Report and the Park Plan four monthly update update how this priority for action is progressing and what actions have been achieved.

Related Projects and Information


  • Cairngorms National Park Landscape Framework
    The Landscape Framework, which is being developed over 2010-2011, will be a tool for conserving and enhancing the special qualities of the Cairngorms National Park. Find out more.