Local Access Forum for Cairngorms National Park

The Cairngorms National Park (CNPA) is to establish a Local Outdoor Access Forum for the park.

Proposals for the Cairngorms Local Outdoor Access Forum were agreed at the CNPA’s board meeting in Boat of Garten on Friday 5 November.

A series of workshops were held in September seeking people’s views on the structure of the Forum and an appointments mechanism. Feedback from these workshops, along with submissions from relevant bodies, helped to reach a conclusion that the Cairngorms Local Outdoor Access Forum should have 20 voluntary members.

Places will be allocated to people with relevant knowledge, skills and experience of outdoor access. The group will be made up of people who use the area for outdoor recreation, land managers, community interests and public bodies.

Appointments to the Cairngorms Local Outdoor Access Forum will initially be for a period of two years. Once established, the Forum – with guidance from the CNPA – will review this tenure and a full review of the Forum’s operation will be undertaken.

Now that the CNPA Board has agreed on the establishment of a single Forum for the area with 20 places, the next step is to form a panel to oversee the selection process. Appointments are expected to be made in the New Year with the Forum holding it’s first meeting in the early spring.