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.