Agricultural news: March 2025
11th March 2025
Farming updates from the Cairngorms National Park Authority.
Agricultural Adviser – Malcolm Smith
I’d like to introduce myself as your new Agricultural Adviser here at the Park Authority. I have been running my family farm, at Auchernack near Nethy Bridge, alongside my wife and sons for more than 30 years, and I am delighted to have been appointed to this role.
I will be working on a range of projects to support sustainable farm businesses in producing quality food, increasing biodiversity and mitigating and adapting to the nature and climate crisis.
I will be your first point of contact for all things farming and crofting and will be out and about a lot over the coming months, so I hope to meet many of you in person.
If you have any questions, or would like to meet for a chat, you can get hold of me on email at [email protected] or in the old fashioned way on 07815641549.
Climate Adaptation Fund 2025
Last year farmers in the National Park were beneficiaries of the first Climate Adaptation Fund. Projects included floodbank restoration and riparian woodland planting at Balliefurth Farm, a tow ’n fert spreader at Culreach Farm and two seed drill projects – the Laggan Direct Drill Collaboration and the Strathspey Direct Drill Collaboration. The fund will be running again this year and is now open for applicants to register their interest.
For projects to be considered, they need to contribute to climate adaptation within the Cairngorms National Park, promote nature-based solutions that contribute to habitat and species recovery, and endeavour to maximise their contribution to sustainable local employment and economic activity.
Examples of projects might be: fire management solutions including wild-fire, flood prevention, rain-water catchment initiatives, conversion from gas or oil to green energy sources, green-energy storage, plant to support projects addressing climate change impacts, and support for nature-friendly farming, but this is not an exhaustive list.
Full guidance on the types of projects that would be considered can be found here.
Deer Larder
An innovative project to address damage to farms and fragile habitats caused by high deer densities launched last month. Led by the Park Authority and two farming families in Perthshire, the project will benefit food banks and schools through regular donations of prepared protein-rich wild venison.
The two farms involved, Glenkilrie near Blairgowrie and Knockbarry near Pitlochry, were awarded a grant to purchase and manage deer larders, from which deer culled in and around the National Park will be butchered. A significant proportion of the venison processed – including mince, meatballs, burgers and sausages – will be donated to foodbanks, local schools, and community kitchens. Importantly, to ensure the project becomes financially self-sustaining, venison from the larders will be sold to local retail outlets, hotels, and restaurants through already established routes to market forged by the farming businesses involved.
You can find out more about the project here.
Fire management plan
Farmers and land managers are being invited to give their views on a detailed plan to tackle wildfire risk across the Cairngorms National Park.
The Integrated Wildfire Management Plan – the first of its kind in the UK – aims to provide support and guidance for land managers in the National Park to reduce the risk of fires, be better prepared to tackle wildfires and to make the landscape more resilient.
Wildfires release carbon, can damage or destroy sensitive and rare habitats, can kill species and pose a significant threat to people and property. Climate change impacts, including rising temperatures and drier summers, have increased wildfire risk. Major incidents at Cannich and Daviot in the Highlands in June 2023 brought this into sharp focus.
The Cairngorms National Park is already blessed with a workforce which are skilled, practiced and equipped to fight fires. It is vital that those skills and resources are maintained in the years ahead, to ensure all land holdings reach a high standard in terms of wildfire prevention and preparedness. The plan sets out how land managers can lower the risks of wildfires breaking out in the first place, as well as how they can work together with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to tackle fires swiftly and effectively.
A public consultation on the plan will run for six weeks. The Park Authority Board will then review responses and consider approving it formally when it meets in June.
Click here to download a copy of the draft Integrated Wildfire Management Plan.
There are several ways to have your say on the draft plan:
- Respond by email to [email protected], including ‘Integrated Wildfire Management Plan’ in the subject.
- Call us on 01479 873 535 and ask to speak to a member of the Land Management team.
- Write to Cairngorms National Park Authority, 14 The Square, Grantown-on-Spey, PH26 3HG.
In brief
Floodbank survey
A detailed study has found that almost 90% of the embankment running along the upper River Spey is in good condition, while highlighting areas that were at risk of being breached.
The report covers 87km of floodbanks on the River Spey and selected tributaries, running from the Spey Dam near Laggan to Grantown-on-Spey.
It was carried out with the support of more than 70 land managers, many of whom outlined key areas of concern and explained how floodwater typically moves through their land.
Cairngorms Agricultural Advisory Group – meeting
The most recent meeting of the group took place on Monday 24 February where Malcolm Smith was introduced as the new Agricultural Adviser and the group welcomed the opportunities to improve communications with farmers and crofters across the whole National Park now that he is in post. Topics for discussion included the draft fire management plan and the floodbank survey. The next meeting will be in June.
Tayside beaver visit
Last month farmers from Strathspey travelled to Tayside with members of the Beaver Monitoring and Mitigation Group, and partners from the Cairngorms beaver project, to see and hear from farmers who have been living alongside beavers for many years. The group visited a site where beaver activity had exacerbated erosion caused by a very dynamic river being redirected by rock armouring.
At another site, the group heard how moving floodbanks back from the riverside and pre-emptive riparian planting could have mitigated impacts. The group also saw examples of how beavers can be accommodated and managed to bring benefits downstream and also be an attraction for people staying in holiday accommodation on farms. Overall, it was a very positive day, underlining the importance of the Park Authority’s robust monitoring and mitigation plan.
Cairngorms wader survey
The latest Cairngorms wader survey will take place over the next few months. Part of the Strathspey Wetlands and Wader Initiative, the survey of the breeding population of lapwing, snipe, curlew, redshank and oystercatcher has taken place every five years since 2000. Surveyors – many of whom are volunteers – will visit around 100 farms in the Strathspey, Glenlivet, Tomintoul and Deeside areas, to record the number of breeding waders.
You can read more about Strathspey Wetlands and Wader Initiative and the survey here.
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