Funding opportunities

The Cairngorms National Park Authority fund a range of initiatives and projects across the National Park that support our vision of a National Park where people and nature thrive together. 

Below are the funds currently live, with opportunities ranging from sustainable transport to nature restoration. If you have a budding project idea or initiative that would benefit from funding but are not sure if or where it fits, complete our general enquiry form and the relevant team member will be in touch. 

Transforming Transport grant

The Cairngorms National Park Authority is welcoming applications for a Transforming Transport grant fund as part of the Cairngorms 2030 programme.

The £170,000 funding pot is open to projects working to make significant improvements to travel choices in the National Park. Applications are being invited for a minimum of £1,000 and maximum of £25,000.  

Climate Adaptation Fund 

The Cairngorms National Park Authority has launched a fund to support climate adaptation in the National Park. The fund is open to individual businesses, land managers, farmers, community bodies, registered charities and business associations to enable them to take action in response to the challenges caused by a changing climate. 

The fund has three guiding principles: 

• Adaptation - projects will contribute to climate adaptation within the Cairngorms National Park and help deliver the Scottish National Climate Change Adaptation Programme.
• Nature-based solutions - projects will promote nature-based solutions and green engineering to help adapt to climate change, while contributing to habitat and species recovery in the National Park.
• Economy - projects will endeavour to maximise their contribution to sustainable local employment and economic activity within the National Park.

Please read the guidance notes associated with the Climate Adaptation Fund.

Due to demand, expressions of interest will be closed on Tuesday 15 April 2025.

PeatlandACTION funding

The Park Authority is a direct delivery partner for the Scottish Government’s Peatland ACTION programme, receiving Peatland ACTION funding to support peatland restoration within the National Park. This includes Cairngorms 2030, a five year programme supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. 

The target in the National Park is to achieve a minimum of 38,000 hectares of peatland under restoration management by 2045. The Park Authority is working closely with local landowners and contractors to complete this work, and supporting new entrants to the peatland industry. 

Visitor Infrastructure Improvement Fund

The Visitor Infrastructure Improvement Fund is available to help plan and install appropriate visitor infrastructure in the National Park. Projects must deliver one or more of the following objectives: 

• Reduce potential conflicts between residents and visitors and / or between different recreational activities.
• Promote collaboration across land management and organisational boundaries.
• Help provide better opportunities for everyone to enjoy the National Park so the visitor profile is more diverse, especially with regards to people who are disabled.
• Deliver improvements at identified sites across all areas of the National Park, or improvements that address specific issues that are identified in the Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Plan or Active Cairngorms Action Plan.

Please read the guidance notes associated with the Visitor Infrastructure Improvement Fund. 

Woodland Challenge Fund

The Cairngorms National Park Woodland Challenge Fund is designed to help reduce the costs of preparing an application to Scottish Forestry Grant Scheme, administered by Scottish Forestry.

The Park Authority – with the support of partners Scottish Forestry, NatureScot and the Woodland Trust – is offering grants of up to £3,000 to help reduce the cost of developing woodland creation proposals within the Cairngorms National Park. 

This funding is to encourage planting proposals of native species within target areas identified in the Cairngorms National Park Forest Strategy, using one or more of the following woodland creation options in the Scottish Forestry Grant Scheme: 

• Diverse conifer (predominantly Scots pine)
• Native Scots pine
• Native upland birch
• Native broadleaves
• Native low-density broadleaves 

Networks for Nature Fund

The Cairngorms Trust is a small independent charity that promotes sustainable, community-led development across the Cairngorms National Park. The Networks for Nature fund was established to build nature's resilience to climate change and address biodiversity decline, this fund supports projects that enhance habitat connectivity and quality, protect threatened species, and promote education and awareness on environmental issues.

Community Led Vision Fund

The Cairngorms Community Led Vision Fund has been established by the Cairngorms Trust and the Cairngorms National Park Authority.  Using Scottish Government community led local development (CLLD) funding, the fund aims are to deliver inclusive community-based activity to meet one or more of the Scottish Government priorities of:  

• Tackling the climate emergency
• Eradicating child poverty
• Growing the economy   
• Ensuring high quality and sustainable public services 

Travel grants scheme

A variety of educational resources have already been produced to support outdoor learning in the Cairngorms National Park, with outdoor learning seen as a key approach to delivering the Curriculum for Excellence. However, one of the key barriers that teachers and groups face is the high cost of travel to or around the National Park. The travel grant scheme helps to overcome this barrier, offering schools and voluntary groups from across Scotland up to 75% of transport costs, up to £300.

Please read the guidance notes associated with the scheme.