Formal board meeting - paper 5 annex 1 - June census for Cairngorms National Park 2003-23 comparison - 26 September 2025
Summary agricultural statistics for parishes within Cairngorms National Park and all Scotland Source: June 2003 & 2023 Agricultural Census Comparison of data, Malcolm Smith Cairngorms National Park Authority
Formal Board Paper 5 Annex 1 26 September 2025
| Cairngorm National Park statistics | Parish partially or wholly within Cairngorms National Park | Parish wholly outside Cairngorms National Park | All Scotland | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 2023 | Variation over 20 years | 2003 | 2023 | Variation over 20 years | 2003 | 2023 | Variation over 20 years | |
| Ha/No | Ha/No | % | Ha/No | Ha/No | % | Ha/No | Ha/No | % | |
| Number of holdings | 941 | 854 | -87 ‑9.2% | 49,377 | 43,844 | -5533 ‑11.2% | 50,318 | 44,698 | -5620 ‑11.2% |
| Owned | 519 | 589 | 70 13.5% | 32,680 | 32,114 | -566 ‑1.7% | 33,199 | 32,703 | -496 ‑1.5% |
| Rented | 422 | 265 | -157 ‑37.2% | 16,697 | 11.730 | -4967 ‑29.7% | 17.119 | 11,995 | -5124 ‑29.9% |
| Land use, livestock and labour | |||||||||
| Total agricultural land (excl. common grazing) | 562,973.08 | 509,257.19 | -53716 ‑9.5% | 4,954,386.57 | 4,820,697.48 | -133689 ‑2.7% | 5,517,359.65 | 5.329.954.67 | -187405 ‑3.4% |
| Region 1 area (crops and grass) | 63,615.44 | 55,087.11 | -8528 ‑13.4% | 1,829,521.78 | 1,873,018.36 | 43497 2.4% | 1,893,137.22 | 1,928,105.47 | 34968 1.8% |
| Region 2 area (rough grazing DA or better quality land) | 3,592.59 | 546.41 | -3046 ‑84.8% | 58,643.20 | 59,404.14 | 761 1.3% | 62,235.79 | 59,950.55 | -2285 ‑3.7% |
| Region 3 area (rough grazing SDA land) | 469,040.02 | 402,370.29 | -66670 ‑14.2% | 2,782,111.72 | 2,372,328.29 | -409783 ‑14.7% | 3,251,151.73 | 2,774,698.58 | -476453 ‑14.7% |
| Woodland | 22,347.76 | 38,751.09 | 16403 73.4% | 214,253.75 | 364,222.31 | 149969 70.0% | 236,601.50 | 402,973.40 | 166372 70.3% |
| Other land (rocks, roads, yards & buildings etc.) | 4,377.28 | 12,502.29 | 8125 185.6% | 69,856.13 | 151,724.38 | 81868 117.2% | 74,233.41 | 164,226.67 | 89993 121.2% |
| Common grazings | 9,951.73 | 8,773.17 | -1179 ‑11.8% | 582,745.77 | 570,335.20 | -12411 ‑2.1% | 592,697.50 | 579,108.37 | -13589 ‑2.3% |
| Total sheep | 344,359 | 316,069 | -28290 ‑8.2% | 7,661,927 | 6,294,592 | -1367335 ‑17.8% | 8,006,286 | 6,610,661 | -1395625 ‑17.4% |
| Total cattle | 49,804 | 35,656 | -14148 ‑28.4% | 1,889,129 | 1,648,273 | -240856 ‑12.7% | 1,938,933 | 1,683,929 | -255004 ‑13.2% |
| Total full-time employees | 615 | 684 | 69 11.2% | 27,198 | 25,756 | -1442 ‑5.3% | 27,813 | 26,440 | -1373 ‑4.9% |
| Total part-time employees | 720 | 700 | -20 ‑2.8% | 39,747 | 39,613 | -134 ‑0.3% | 40,467 | 40,313 | -154 ‑0.4% |
| Total workforce | 1,335 | 1,384 | 49 3.7% | 66,945 | 65,369 | -1576 ‑2.4% | 68,280 | 66,753 | -1527 ‑2.2% |
Based on agricultural parish list supplied by Cairngorms National Park Authority Statistics prepared by Scottish Government RESAS Statistics (Agriculture)