Visitor management resources for land managers
The Cairngorms welcomes around two million visitors every year, who make a valuable contribution to the local culture, vibrancy, and economy of the National Park.
To help respond to the impact of high visitor numbers in some of the more popular locations, the Park Authority works closely with landowners and partners to provide advice and guidance for Managing for Visitors in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, on topics such as managing visitor pressures to organised events and sign guides.
Guidance
From signage to outdoor events, the Cairngorms National Park Authority has a range of guidance documents on hand to help guide land managers on a variety of access topics.
This document contains a toolkit designed to help land managers create effective and consistent signs within the Cairngorms National Park. It emphasizes that signs should be simple, clear, and respectful of access rights, offering guidance on topics like livestock grazing and stalking. The toolkit also suggests using positive messaging and providing clear information, including alternative routes, to help the public behave responsibly and safely enjoy the National Park. If further advice is needed, you can contact the Outdoor Access team.
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This document contains guidance to help event organizers and land managers plan and manage outdoor events in the Cairngorms National Park. It offers information on the three planning stages that require to be followed to ensure that an event can be run successfully and also provides useful websites for relevant information. The document also provides guidance for land managers who are approached about events and sets out the National Park's aims, including conserving the area's heritage and promoting sustainable use of its resources. It encourages organizers to follow Park Authority guidance, minimize impact on sensitive areas, and provide economic benefits to communities.
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This document contains design guidance for directional path signs in the Cairngorms National Park. It aims to provide clear and consistent signage to encourage responsible path use and healthier lifestyles. The guidance covers fingerposts and intermediate waymarkers, emphasizing a user-based, simple, and consistent approach. It details standard designs, materials, and placement, while advising against cluttering the landscape. The document also addresses maintenance and special circumstances, like agreed settlement sign formats, ensuring the signs are effective and appropriate for the park.
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This document contains guidance on managing informal camping in the Cairngorms National Park, recognizing that while most campers are responsible, some cause issues. It outlines the roles of land managers and the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) in addressing problems, emphasizing a sensible approach of communication and education. The document highlights the importance of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, encourages visitor management plans, and mentions the possibility of bylaws if other measures fail. It also details what to do if irresponsible or criminal behaviour is encountered, and how the CNPA will monitor camping activity to inform future management strategies. Annexes provide definitions of camping types and a breakdown of responsible vs. criminal behavior related to access rights and the environment.
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This document contains guidance from the Cairngorms National Park Authority (Park Authority) for land managers on how to manage recreational use of lochs and other water bodies. The aim is to minimize negative impacts and maximize benefits for visitors, particularly with the increase in accessible sports equipment like paddleboards and kayaks. The guidance emphasizes a staged approach, starting with evidence-based evaluation, stakeholder engagement, and testing visitor management techniques. Suggested techniques include promoting responsible behavior, site layout and design, and agreed local guidance, with formal measures like byelaws as a last resort. The Park Authority's access team can offer advice and support, especially when developing advisory management measures. The document also notes that while responsible access is permitted under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, certain activities like using motorized watercraft require landowner permission.
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Strategic documents
Visitor management comes under two of the Park Authority’s strategic documents – you can download both below.
This document contains the Managing for Visitors Plan 2023 for the Cairngorms National Park. It outlines the background, strategic context, and objectives for managing visitors, including addressing visitor distribution, behaviour, and the impact on the park's environment. The plan prioritizes fire management, species recovery, and improving opportunities for all visitors, with a focus on reducing wildfire risk, supporting species, and ensuring accessibility for diverse groups. The plan includes actions such as developing wildfire management plans, supporting capercaillie, reviewing active Cairngorms initiatives, and enhancing path and cycle networks. It emphasizes collaboration with partners, monitoring visitor behavior, and implementing measures to minimize disturbance to vulnerable species and habitats. The plan also identifies key visitor hot spots and warm spots, along with the necessary on-site support and prioritizes communication, wildfire prevention, managing informal camping, parking management, visitor infrastructure, and ranger patrols. The plan will be embedded in the Active Cairngorms Action Plan by the end of 2023, which includes the #CairngormsTogether campaign to promote responsible visitor behaviour.
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This document contains the Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development Plan for the Cairngorms National Park from 2023 to 2028, aiming to create a more strategic approach to investing in and maintaining tourism infrastructure while balancing the needs of visitors, local communities, and the environment. The plan outlines objectives to assess current infrastructure, identify gaps, prioritize improvements, develop facility maintenance strategies, and gather data for future management with the purpose of prioritizing local investments and future funding applications. It acknowledges visitor growth and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need for accessible facilities, sustainable practices, and collaboration among partners, all while aligning with the National Park Partnership Plan and promoting the area's unique natural and cultural heritage.
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Signs and posters
We have a variety of 'tread lightly' signs on different topics to encourage responsible outdoor access. These are best placed at point of arrival locations like car parks, notice boards or visitor centres.
There are versions of these signs with a blank top section should you wish to add your own logo or estate name.
We can also supply printed copies for outdoor use. If you require hard copies or need assistance adding logos, please email us at [email protected]
This poster contains advice for dog owners in the Cairngorms National Park to keep livestock safe. It encourages owners to keep their dogs on a short lead around farm animals, and to avoid taking dogs into fields with lambs or calves. Owners are also advised to choose routes that avoid livestock. This information relates to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
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This document contains information for visitors to the Cairngorms National Park on how to protect wildlife, particularly ground-nesting birds. From April to August, when birds are breeding and raising their chicks, visitors are asked to keep their dogs on a short lead and stay on the path. The document encourages people to "Take the Lead" and be responsible around wildlife in the National Park.
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This document contains information for responsible wild campers visiting the Cairngorms National Park. It encourages campers to "Tread Lightly in the Park" and provides a checklist of essential items: a stove (instead of campfires), a bag for rubbish, a good camping spot away from roads and paths, and a trowel to bury human waste. The document also references the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
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This document contains information about fire safety in the Cairngorms National Park. It emphasizes that even one match from a campfire or barbeque can cause a wildfire. Because the forests, woodlands, and peatlands are internationally important, people are urged to not light open fires, use gas stoves for cooking, and fully extinguish cigarettes to help protect this special landscape.
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This document contains advice for having a safe barbecue in the Cairngorms National Park this summer. If you are planning a barbecue, follow all on-site signs and advice from rangers, and don't have a barbecue if there is a high fire risk. If it is safe to have a barbecue, place foil trays on a solid, fire-resistant surface like stones, sand, or shingle. Make sure the barbecue is fully put out with water, and when you have finished, take your barbecue home and dispose of it safely.
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This document contains information about campervan facilities in the Cairngorms National Park. It encourages visitors to tread lightly and offers a campervan map guide with an interactive map of facilities and services to help plan adventures. There is a QR code to scan to access the map, and the document promotes the hashtag #RespectProtectEnjoy.
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Featured
Wildlife
The Cairngorms National Park is home to a quarter of the UK’s rare and endangered species. Its rich habitats are a haven for an array of wildlife, from iconic birds to elusive plants and flowers.
Need to know
Everything you need to know on how you can help to take care of the National Park on your visit.
What we do
From pioneering conservation projects to community engagement and active travel, find out more about the range of work happening across the National Park.