Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan

MINISTERIAL FOREWORD

To be added

INTRODUCTION

The 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:

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.

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.

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 co-ordinate 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 Strategic Regional Land Use Framework and Regional Spatial Strategy for the National Park.
Is the Economic and Sustainable Tourism 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.

We are aware that individuals reading the Partnership Plan will have different interests and priorities; however, we would recommend considering the plan as a whole to see how the four aims of the National Park will be delivered collectively. As an example:

To meet the target for peatland restoration there will need to be a change to deer management in the National Park. To enable the scale of peatland restoration to be delivered we will need to increase investment in skills and training of people to deliver this work, which in turn will be an opportunity for economic diversification within the Cairngorms economy. Finally, if we are going to have local contractors who undertake this

work, we will need to invest in training and have the right level of affordable housing that allows people to live and work in the area. In this way, all the long-term objectives are interrelated, as the diagram below illustrates:

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 following are the key national policy documents that underpin the approach taken in this plan.

Nature

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

People

Equalities Duty Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement National Gaelic Language Plan Nature-based Jobs and Skills Action Plan Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation Scotland’s Public Health Priorities Skills Action Plan for Rural Scotland Volunteering for All

Place

Cultural Strategy for Scotland Housing to 2040 Strategy Let’s Get Scotland Walking — National Walking Strategy National Planning Framework 4 National Transport Strategy Scotland Outlook 2030 — Responsible Tourism for a Sustainable Future Strategic Transport Projects Review 2

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 Heritage Horizons: Cairngorms 2030. This National Park Partnership Plan looks to promote the National Park as a place to trial solutions to some of the issues facing Scotland as a whole.

Heritage Horizons: Cairngorms 2030

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 — Heritage Horizons: 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.

Across 24 long-term projects, Heritage Horizons will bring about transformational change in the Cairngorms, benefitting people’s health and wellbeing, delivering on climate change and enhancing nature across the National Park. The programme is on a larger scale than anything previously attempted in the UK, and aims to inspire rural and urban communities throughout Scotland and beyond to take action and make a difference.

In particular, Heritage Horizons: Cairngorms 2030 will focus on:

Putting local people at the heart of decision-making and giving them more say in future funding decisions.
Working with land managers to explore new ways of managing land, as well as restoring and enhancing large areas of peatland and woodland.
Working with communities and partners to improve public transport and better connect the National Park.
Developing an economy that benefits people and nature, and providing green solutions to public health issues including Covid-19 recovery, social isolation and dementia.

Heritage Horizons is an unprecedented partnership of over 45 organisations, delivering a seven-year programme of investment worth £43.2m. It is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to players of the National Lottery.

Project	Description	Link to partnership plan objectives
Wellbeing economy	Developing a new economic model for the National Park that benefits people and nature, whilst protecting the planet’s resources and special qualities of the Cairngorms for future generations.	Nature objective A1. People objectives B2, B3 and B9.
Public health and the outdoors	Working with NHS Highland and partners in a range of sectors to deliver a unique public health programme focused on improving health and wellbeing through access to nature and the outdoors.	People objectives B2 and B9.
Dementia activity resource centre	Creating the country’s first outdoor resource centre specifically designed to support people living with dementia, their families and carers, enabling enjoyment and exploration of the outdoor environment.	People objectives B9 and B10.
Climate learning and education	Putting the voices of young people at the heart of decision making in the National Park and empowering them to take forward pro-environmental behaviours and activity.	Nature objective A1. People objectives B4 and B11.
Effective community engagement and outreach	Shaping the way we engage with people in the National Park, ensuring individuals and communities feel empowered, want to contribute and have the resources to effect real change.	People objectives B5, B6, B7 and B10.

Community arts and culture programme	Bringing together the National Park’s creative sector and communities to identify and develop activities that create a greater connection to our landscapes and foster a sense of place.	People objective B8. Place objective C10.
Climate conscious communities	Increasing awareness and deepening understanding of the climate emergency and its relevance to residents, communities, landowners and businesses in the National Park.	Nature objective A1.
Community-managed grant scheme	Helping achieve our net zero and wellbeing economy targets by giving communities the power to define, design, fund and deliver projects that matter most to them.	Nature objective A14. People objectives B2, B5, B6, B7 and B10. Place objectives C3, C4 and C10.
Regional Land Use Partnership and Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement	Creating an international showcase for fair and inclusive land management that tests new models and helps everyone with a stake in land use understand their rights and responsibilities.	Nature objectives A1, A8 and A10.
Green investment plan	Blending public and private finance to deliver our net zero and biodiversity targets, whilst also providing long-term benefits for land managers, investors and communities.	Nature objectives A1, A2, A3, A5, A11 and A14.
Woodland expansion	Helping absorb and store large amounts of CO2 by increasing woodland cover in the National Park by 1,000 ha over the next five years.	Nature objectives A1, A2, A10, A11, A13 and A14.
Peatland restoration	Repairing around 3,500 ha of damaged peatland over a five-year period, storing CO2 and delivering significant ecological benefits through restoration.	Nature objectives A1, A3, A5, A10, A11, A13 and A14.
Climate resilient catchments	Increasing climate change resilience to reduce the risk of flooding in the National Park and ensure that rivers continue to deliver for the people and wildlife that depend upon them.	Nature objectives A1, A2, A3, A8, A9, A11 and A14.
Deer management	Engaging a broad range of people involved in deer management to develop strategic land use plans that will support land managers through the economic and environmental changes associated with reducing deer numbers and mitigating the impact of deer on the environment.	Nature objectives A1, A2, A3, A4 and A11. People objective B4.
Cairngorms future farming	Working with six pilot farms in the National Park to demonstrate how a transition to carbon zero (or even carbon negative) farming can be delivered practically and profitably in the Cairngorms.	Nature objectives A1, A8 and A10.
Landscape and communities	Exploring how communities perceive, experience and value the landscapes of the National Park, identifying special landscape qualities and establishing community preferences for landscape change.	Nature objectives A1, A10 and A12. People objectives B2, B5, B7 and B11. Place objectives C9 and C10.
E‑bike network	Reducing car use by creating a rural e‑bike network and connecting nine communities across Badenoch and Strathspey, two communities in Deeside and ten key visitor destinations.	Nature objective A1. People objective B7, B9 and B10. Place objectives C4, C5, C6, C7, C8 and C9.
Glenmore transport plan	Designing a new sustainable model of transport in the Cairngorms’ busiest visitor hotspot to reduce reliance on private vehicles, in turn reducing carbon emissions from transport in the National Park.	Nature objective A1. People objective B7, B9 and B10. Place objectives C4, C5, C6, C7, C8 and C9.
Active travel in Badenoch and Strathspey	Making getting around Badenoch and Strathspey easy, safe and enjoyable for both residents and visitors, creating the infrastructure required to connect communities without using a car.	Nature objective A1. People objective B7, B9 and B10.

Sustainable transport in Deeside and Angus	Developing, testing and delivering electric public transport that meets community and visitor needs in Deeside and Angus.	Nature objective A1. People objective B7, B9 and B10. Place objectives C4, C5, C6, C7 and C9.
Sustainable transport in Highland Perthshire	Developing high quality walking and cycling infrastructure in Highland Perthshire to reduce car use and promote sustainable and active transport.	Nature objective A1. People objective B7, B9 and B10. Place objectives C4, C5, C6, C7 and C9.
Active Aviemore	Increasing active travel and reducing car use in the National Park’s largest and busiest town through the development of high-quality segregated walking and cycling infrastructure.	Nature objective A1. People objective B7, B9 and B10. Place objectives C4, C5, C6, C7 and C9.
Cairngorms active travel plan	Helping the Cairngorms become a rural exemplar for sustainable and active travel by developing an active travel plan that covers the whole of the National Park and links to public transport provision.	Nature objective A1. People objective B7, B9 and B10. Place objectives C4, C5, C6, C7 and C9.

Striking the right balance

One of the key points around a management plan that takes a long-term view (in this case 25 years and beyond) is the need to be realistic and make clear that there will be trade-offs. The dial cannot be ‘turned up’ on everything. We will look for areas where we can deliver multiple benefits and mitigate impacts, but we will also be honest about areas where compromise will be required.

For example, the climate is changing and this will affect the species and habitats that can survive in the Cairngorms National Park. For example, scaling up nature recovery and ecosystem restoration may mean a change to the abundance and distribution of certain species. Equally, it might not be possible — or indeed desirable — to get all features on designated sites into favourable condition if our collective goal is long-term ecological restoration. There may be a need for controls on holiday rental properties to ensure housing is affordable for local people.

These are all points of reasonable debate — and we have heard views on all sides during the extensive consultation on this plan — but it is essential that we strike the right balance to ensure the National Park thrives for both nature and people in the future. This means having difficult conversations with people from all walks of life who care about the National Park and making important decisions, backed up by the best available evidence, for the long term. As the data and evidence changes over the next five years we will also need to adapt and change our approach to managing the National Park, reflecting the best knowledge available.

Fair and just transition

To address the climate and nature crises, we will need to act at unprecedented speed and scale across all parts of society. Change of this nature is never easy and we need to be careful to bring everyone with us on the journey. It will be crucial that we do not impact any one group of people unduly, and that we use the resources and economic changes to bring benefits to as wide a range of people as possible. This is what we mean by a fair and just transition.

Balancing the objectives contained within this plan with some of the fundamental changes that they will bring about will require careful discussion and balancing of different priorities. Understanding and addressing concerns about the changes to current ways of life does not negate the need for transformative action, but it will make it easier to pursue those aims collectively. Hard choices will still need to be made; however, an approach which listens to and involves communities of place and interest in the National Park has the best possible chance of delivering a decarbonised and nature-based economy where people and nature thrive together.

Our long-term vision

‘An outstanding National Park, enjoyed and valued by everyone, where nature and people thrive together.’

What does that look like?

Visual representations to be added

Nature

1) Structurally diverse moorland 2) Natural regeneration woodland 3) Peatland being restored 4) River Restoration 5) Species assemblage 6) Farming good practice

Moorland is more structurally diverse, providing a greater range of habitats for plants, insects, birds and mammals, and supporting a thriving rural economy. Woodlands are larger and more natural, delivering benefits for biodiversity, carbon storage, water quality and flood mitigation. Thousands of hectares of peatland have been restored, trapping CO2, aiding species recovery, improving water quality and reducing flooding risk. Rivers have been restored and reconnected to create thriving wetlands and floodplains, helping mitigate the impacts of climate change. Species are recovering within a network of connected habitats and are less reliant on targeted conservation activity. Farming is carbon neutral or carbon negative, helping combat climate change, enhance species diversity and provide a sustainable source of food.

People

1) Community assets 2) Health and wellbeing 3) Green jobs and skills 4) Equalities and diversity 5) Volunteer rangers 6) Young people

Residents are more involved in the way land is managed, with the number of community-owned or managed assets and social enterprises increasing. Communities are healthier, happier and more resilient, benefiting from a diverse local economy that puts wellbeing and the environment first. There has been a significant increase in the number of green jobs, with skills and training opportunities available for people to meet the growing demand. The Cairngorms is a true ‘Park for All’, welcoming and supporting people from more diverse backgrounds to live, work and visit here. Hundreds of volunteers are helping look after the landscape of the National Park, bringing benefits for nature and for their own health and wellbeing. The proportion of young and working-age people has stabilised and begun to increase, supporting thriving communities and a robust economy.

Place

1) Affordable housing with solar panels 2) Electric bus / EV charging 3) Active travel route 4) High quality visitor infrastructure 5) Cultural heritage

More people have access to affordable housing in the Park and the proportion of second homes, vacant properties and holiday lets has decreased. People increasingly choose to leave their car at home, with residents and visitors being more active and making regular use of low and zero carbon transport. Communities across the Park are better connected by a network of fully accessible paths and cycle routes, improving people’s health and wellbeing. Visitors choose to stay longer and travel at different times of year, supported by improved infrastructure and high-quality ranger services. The area’s rich cultural heritage is cared for and celebrated in communities across the Cairngorms, from events and interpretation to storytelling and music.

OUR PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

Nature

Outcome: A carbon negative and biodiversity rich National Park with better functioning, better connected and more resilient ecosystems.

The interaction between people and nature is central to addressing many of the challenges we face in the National Park and in society more generally. There is a need to find solutions to the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis that have nature at their heart. As the UK’s largest protected area — home to one-quarter of the UK’s rare and endangered species — the Cairngorms should be a rural exemplar of this approach, and in this section we identify a range of measures to conserve and enhance nature in the National Park. This means addressing a number of significant land use and ecological issues over the next 25 years that will continue to have significant positive effects in the National Park for the next 200 years.

We do not pretend that this process will be easy. To achieve the kind of systemic change we are talking about will require a massive collective effort across all areas of society. We need to ensure that this takes place as part of a ‘just transition’, supporting people in different sectors to both take new opportunities and share traditional skills that will be needed to deliver this plan. We have set out a range of measures to support people and jobs across the National Park in the People section of this plan, and we believe that there will be significant opportunities over the next 25 years for all those currently involved in land management, alongside the creation of additional jobs in areas such as peatland restoration, river restoration, species management and habitat enhancement.

There is also a need to base our approach on the best available data and to adapt as we proceed to ensure we are delivering the long-term targets set out in the plan. We have set out a series of targets and indicators alongside each objective and we will be reporting on these on an ongoing basis, tracking our progress and informing future decision-making.

Objectives

Name	Narrative	Objective	Target / indicator	Actions by 2027	Partners (alongside the Park Authority)
A1 — Net zero	The climate and nature crisis is the single biggest challenge that we face and it is critical that the Cairngorms National Park — as the largest protected area in the UK — is an exemplar in achieving net zero, developing nature-based solutions and helping Scotland as a whole meet its targets as part of a just transition. The Park Authority is working with independent experts to establish the National Park’s existing carbon footprint and will use this to present a route map to net zero (and beyond) during 2023. This will present an ambitious but realistic action plan based on the best available evidence, helping us identify and track the key steps we need to take over the coming years.	Ensure the Cairngorms National Park reaches net zero as soon as possible and contributes all it can to helping Scotland meet its net zero commitments.	By 2023, establish the timeframe within which the Cairngorms National Park will be net zero and set a target for becoming carbon negative. Annual independent progress report on net zero for the Cairngorms National Park.	• Carbon audit and baseline established for the Cairngorms National Park in 2022. • Establish date for Cairngorms National Park to be net zero and carbon negative by 2023. • Establish a Community Climate Action Hub for the National Park. • Heritage Horizons: Cairngorms 2030 programme (see page XX above).	All
A2 — Woodland expansion	Woodland expansion to join up our existing woodlands is crucial to deliver biodiversity and landscape benefits, capture and store carbon dioxide, provide a sustainable	Increase the amount of woodland in the National Park to support larger, more natural woodlands, expanding	A minimum of 35,000 ha of new woodland cover created by 2045, which:	• Expand woodland by a minimum of 7,000 ha through the delivery of the Cairngorms National Park	Scottish Forestry, Forest and Land Scotland, Landowners, NatureScot, ConFor

| Name | NarrativeCAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY

|                                 | **Formal Board Paper 2 Annex | 10th June 2022**

| | National Park Partnership Plan 2022 – 2027

10/06/22 - CNPA Board Paper2 Annex1NPPP4

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