WARNING - By their nature, text files cannot include scanned images and tables. 
The process of converting documents to text only, can cause formatting changes and 
misinterpretation of the contents can sometimes result. Wherever possible you 
should refer to the pdf version of this document.


PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND NINETEEN

7.IMPLEMENTATION 

Image:  Cairngorms from Glenmore Lodge 



PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY

7. IMPLEMENTATION 

Images:  Red deer, hind; Rowan on a post;  Marsh near Tulloch 

Implementation of the plan begins at the start of
the 2007-08 financial year and runs for a five year
period until 2012 when the plan will be reviewed

for the next five year period. Figure 7.1 
summarises the ongoing process of 
implementation. 

Fig. 7.1 Implementation Process 

2007 
implementation starts 

Annual 
implementation 
and monitoring 

2012 
first review of plan 

5 yearly 
review of plan 

25 year 
vision 


PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE

7.1 A Partnership Approach 

The National Park Plan has been developed in 
partnership with a diverse range of organisations 
and interests involved in managing the Park (see 
Annex I). Implementation of the plan and 
realisation of the vision rely equally on this diverse 
range of partners.The agenda set out by the 
National Park Plan has a scope beyond the remit 
of any one organisation, including the National 
Park Authority. It sets out the co-ordinated 
approach needed across sectors to work towards 
the aims of the Park. 

The public, private, community and voluntary 
sectors, as well as individuals, all play a role in 
shaping the Park. Implementation of the plan will 
rely on further development of partnerships 
between these sectors, together with a shared 
sense of responsibility for the Park. 

There is no single model of partnership that 
applies to all aspects of the plan – the partners 
involved will vary, as will those responsible for 
taking the lead. However, the starting point must 
be to add value over and above the activities of 
each individual partner.A significant amount can 
be achieved through combining and better 
co-ordinating existing resources through the 
National Park Plan. 

Some formal mechanisms to bring partners 
together for both delivery and ongoing advisory 
functions are necessary. In establishing these 
groups, it is important to ensure cross-sectoral 
representation, but also to minimise the additional 
burden on partners. 

The National Park Authority will co-ordinate a 
series of mechanisms to bring the necessary 
partnerships together based on the framework 
shown on the following page. 

Image: Feshie Bridge in Autumn 


PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO

7. IMPLEMENTATION...cont 

Implementation Framework 

Mechanism   /  Role   /  Who? 

Priority for Action 
Delivery Groups 

To deliver and report progress on 
the actions necessary to achieve 
the five year outcomes for each 
priority for action. 

The partners taking action 
to deliver the priority. 


National Park 
Advisory Forums 

To advise and communicate on 
ongoing implementation of the 
three plan themes of Conserving 
and Enhancing the Park, Living and 
Working in the Park and Enjoying 
and Understanding the Park. 

Representation from across 
the public, private, 
community and voluntary 
sectors. 


Advisory Panel on 
Joined-up 
Government 

To co-ordinate the work of the 
public sector in achieving the aims 
of the Park. 

Senior representatives of 
public bodies. 


Forward Strategy 
Group 

To look ahead and beyond the 
National Park Plan, monitor the 
State of the Park, identify and advise 
on drivers of change, strategic 
research and forward planning. 

Expertise from across the 
public, private, community 
and voluntary sectors. 


The role of the present Advisory Forums, 
which have made a significant contribution 
to developing the National Park Plan, will be 
reviewed as part of the process to establish 
the most effective means of engagement to 
inform ongoing implementation. 

The necessary groups and their detailed remit 
and membership will be developed by the 
National Park Authority in discussion with 
partners to achieve the most effective and 
efficient ways of working. 

Image: River Clunie 



PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE

7.2 Adding Value to Existing Work

There is much ongoing work carried out by 
the public, private, community and voluntary 
sectors that is already contributing to the 
strategic objectives and aims of the Park. 
The National Park Plan provides a context for 
this activity to continue and a means of 
improving the integration and co-ordination. 

Above all, the purpose of the National Park 
Plan is to add value to the existing activity and 
policy context within the Park. It can do this 
through increasing the integration and 
co-ordination of activities and policies and 
through identifying new areas of work to 
deliver more for the people and places of 
the Park. 

Within the public sector, added value can be 
achieved through greater alignment of 
corporate plans, objectives and priorities in 
the National Park.The National Park Plan is a 
starting point for closer integration of both 
public policy and its implementation. 

More broadly, added value can be achieved 
through greater co-operation between and 
within sectors to combine effort and 
resources around the needs of the people and 
places of the Park and by working towards a 
shared vision. 

7.3 National Park Investment Programme 

There are many organisations currently 
investing in work and projects in the National 
Park that will contribute towards the strategic 
objectives of the National Park Plan. Several 
public bodies in the area facilitate activity 
through grant schemes which draw funding 
from a variety of sources. 

Greater co-ordination of this public investment 
between bodies and around the aims of the 
National Park has the potential to facilitate a 
significant contribution towards the National 
Park Plan.The National Park Authority will 
lead a process to achieve greater coordination 
and better value from public 
investment.This will include seeking to draw 
additional funding sources into the National 
Park, for example through a Landscape 
Partnership that could deliver actions across 
several of the priorities for action. 

Image: Twinflower 


PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR

7. IMPLEMENTATION...cont 

7.4 National Park Research Programme 

Research is a key tool in delivering the 
National Park Plan, managing change and 
understanding more about the management 
needs of the Park.The National Park Authority 
will lead a process to identify and prioritise 
research needs associated with the National 
Park Plan and share the information that 
results from this research.There are many 
organisations that carry out relevant research 
in and around the Park. Greater co-ordination 
will maximise the value of research to a range 
of partners and make the results easily 
accessible to all with an interest. 

There are some particular research needs 
identified in the strategic objectives and 
priorities for action which are required to take 
the plan forward.The research programme 
should also look beyond these horizons to 
improve our understanding of some of the 
drivers of change affecting the Park (Section 
3.3) and help to develop innovative 
approaches that will inform future 
management. 

Image: Juniper berries


7.5 Role of the National Park Authority in Implementation 

The role of the National Park Authority is to 
lead and co-ordinate implementation of the 
plan. In seeking to add value, the Authority will 
always promote the most effective and 
efficient means to achieve the objectives and 
aims of the Park.The key question regarding 
leadership should be ‘who is best placed to 
deliver in the interests of the National Park?’ 

In many cases this will be other bodies in the 
public sector, the private sector, communities 
or voluntary groups. In some cases the 
National Park Authority will also take a direct 
role in delivering actions as one of the 
partners.The National Park Authority will 
therefore act to facilitate, support, influence 
and deliver as appropriate to achieve the 
objectives of the plan. It is also the role of the 
National Park Authority to ensure the 
necessary linkages and communications 
between delivery and advisory groups and to 
ensure ongoing feedback between groups to 
inform implementation and review. 

The National Park Authority will co-ordinate 
reporting on implementation and take a lead 
in ensuring a continuing focus on the National 
Park, including publication of an annual review 
of progress in implementing the priorities for 
action (see Section 8). 


PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE

7.6 Implementation through Other Plans and Strategies 

The plans and strategies of many other 
organisations, public, private, community and 
voluntary, will have a significant influence on 
the delivery of the strategic objectives of the 
National Park Plan.The plan provides a 
framework through which other plans and 
strategies can contribute to the aims of the 
National Park. 

Where there is a need for further policy or 
guidance, subsidiary plans and strategies should 
provide this. For example, the National Park 
Authority, with its partners, has prepared the 
Outdoor Access Strategy and the Forest and 
Woodland Framework, both of which provide 
more detailed guidance on working towards 
some of the strategic objectives of the 
National Park Plan. 

Image:  Fisherman in the River Spey

The National Park Authority is also responsible 
for the preparation of the Local Plan for the 
area, setting out detailed policies to manage 
the spatial planning and built development of 
the National Park.The policies of the Local 
Plan set out the means by which built 
development will contribute to the strategic 
objectives of the National Park Plan. 

The plans and strategies of other groups in the 
area will also implement aspects of the plan, as 
appropriate to their area. For example, the 
Cairngorm, Rothiemurchus and Glenmore 
Group (CRAGG) has already considered a 
strategy to co-ordinate management of their 
area which shows how many of the objectives 
and priorities of the National Park Plan can 
be implemented at a more detailed and 
local level. 

Community Plans are particularly relevant to 
the delivery of many aspects of the National 
Park Plan. Community Plans provide an 
existing mechanism which brings together a 
partnership of relevant interests and provides 
a means for community engagement in 
implementing the National Park Plan. In these 
areas of common interest, the partners 
involved should use existing opportunities and 
mechanisms as far as possible. 

 

PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX

7. IMPLEMENTATION...cont 

7.7 Challenges and Risks 

A strategic plan covering such a wide range of 
objectives cannot in itself ensure delivery over 
the coming years.There are a number of 
challenges and risks that we face in terms of 
our collective ability to deliver the plan and 
realise the vision for the future of the 
Cairngorms National Park. 

There are a number of essential requirements 
to ensure the successful delivery of the 
National Park Plan: 

• Genuine commitment by all partners 
involved to actively pursue the National 
Park Plan (aims, strategic objectives, 
priorities for action and outcomes) and to 
actively set work in the context of the 
National Park; 

• Trust and co-operation between partners 
to ensure the National Park Plan is 
delivered as efficiently and effectively as 
possible; 

• Clarity as to who is responsible for 
delivering different aspects of the National 
Park Plan, a willingness to take 
responsibility and the allocation of 
resources to do so; 

• Access to the required information, skills 
and expertise to allow effective decision 
making and delivery of action plans; and 

• Regular communication with all interested 
parties on progress being made, 
opportunities to get involved and managing 
expectations as to what can be delivered 
within the available resources and 
timescales. 

In addition, there are a number of risks to the 
successful delivery of the plan: 

• New legislation or political priorities which 
divert public sector resources to other 
activities; 

• A reduction in external funding resources 
(such as the Rural Development 
Regulation, LEADER+, European Funds); 

• Environmental change that results in 
different conditions such as climate change 
or catastrophic events such as extreme 
weather, disease; and 

• Social and economic change influenced by 
national or international trends (such as 
ageing population, international tourism 
trends, cost of living). 

Image: Abernethy moorland and lochan


PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SEVEN

Image: Northern Corries



PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY EIGHT

8. MONITORING AND REVIEW 

Images: Chainsaw carving; Carr-Bridge Livestock in the National Park;  Invercauld Bridge 

The National Park Plan will be reviewed at five 
year intervals.There are two strands to 
monitoring and review of the plan: 

• Annual Report on the Priorities for Action; 
• Monitoring the State of the Park. 

8.1 Annual Report on the Priorities for Action 

An annual report will be prepared by the 
National Park Authority to monitor progress in 
the priorities for action.This will monitor the 
collective efforts of all partners in 
implementation and will be separate from the 
National Park Authority’s own organisational 
annual report. 

The report will monitor whether the National 
Park Authority and partners are taking the 
actions set out in the five year action 
programmes, essentially monitoring inputs and 
activities. It will also monitor progress towards 
the five year outcomes that are set out for 
each priority for action. 

This is about monitoring whether the 
management interventions being made are 
having the desired effects and whether we are 
collectively achieving the five year outcomes as 
a step on the way to the longer term vision. 

For each five year outcome, a measurable 
indicator will be identified against which 
progress within the five year period will be 
monitored. At the end of the five year period, 
the effectiveness of management responses 
will be judged against the same indicator.This 
will inform the review of the National Park 
Plan at that stage. It will help to determine 
whether sufficient progress towards the long-
term vision has been made in the priorities 
and therefore whether they still require a 
particular focus within the next five year 
period.The priorities for action will change if 
the issue is no longer considered pressing. 


PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE

8.2 Monitoring the State of the Park 

The annual report will only monitor whether 
progress is made in those areas that have 
been identified as priorities for the next five 
years.There remain many other aspects of 
the National Park that may change over that 
period and in the long-term priorities for 
action will come and go as circumstances 
change. 

Monitoring must also look to the longer term 
and identify changes in the National Park. 
This is about monitoring the ongoing state 
of the Park. 

Changes to the state of the Park are likely to 
occur for a number of reasons. Some changes 
will be the result of management actions – 
change may be actively sought or may also be 
an unanticipated effect. Others will be the 
result of external drivers of change influencing 
the National Park (see Section 3.3). 

To monitor changes in the state of the Park, a 
set of indicators will be identified reflecting the 
aims of the Park.These indicators will cover 
the four broad themes of the State of the 
Park Report: 

• Natural resources; 
• Cultural resources; 
• Visitor and recreation resources; and 
• Socio-economic resources. 

Within each theme, a number of headline 
indicators will be identified to give a snapshot 
of the state of the Park.These can only 
indicate the key relationships of interest – they 
are not intended to give a comprehensive 
survey of all aspects of the National Park.They 
will give an insight into the changing 
relationships between the pressures affecting 
the Park, the state of its resources and the 
impacts on the resources and special qualities 
of the Park. 

Over time, these indicators will help to guide 
management.The information will be collated 
and reported at five-yearly intervals, in an 
update to the State of the Park Report and 
will inform the five-yearly review of the 
National Park Plan. As well as informing a 
review of the long-term objectives, this 
information will also inform a review of what 
the priorities for action should be over the 
next five year period, as these may have 
changed. 

Consultation on proposed indicators in the 
Draft National Park Plan identified many 
organisations that are already involved in 
monitoring relevant aspects and many that 
wish to contribute to developing the most 
appropriate indicators to monitor the State of 
the Park.The National Park Authority 
therefore concluded that selection of 
indicators should be a collective process 
involving several stakeholders.This will take 
place during 2007 in order to establish a 
monitoring regime that can inform the first 
review of the plan in 2012. 



PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY

8.MONITORING AND REVIEW...cont 

8.3 Framework for Monitoring and Review 

The two strands are drawn together into a 
framework for monitoring and review that will 
give an insight into the relationships between 
the state of the Park, drivers of change and 
management actions.This framework identifies: 

• Pressures affecting the Park; 
• The current state of the Park’s resources; 
• Impacts on the Park; and 
• The management responses. 

This framework is known as the ‘Pressure – 
State – Impact – Response’ model. 

The State of the Park Report identifies 
significant information about the current state 
of resources, the pressures affecting the Park 
and the associated impacts on its special 
qualities. In turn, the management responses to 
these pressures, states and impacts are set out 
in the National Park Plan. In particular, the 
Priorities for Action set out responses to the 
most pressing issues. 

The relationship between these elements is set 
out in Figure 8.3. 

Fig. 8.3 The Monitoring and Review Process 

What factors are 
influencing the state 
of the Park? 

State of the Park Report 
-the current state of the Park 
-the pressures affecting the Park 
-the impacts on the Park 

What management 
interventions are needed? 

National Park Plan 
Vision and Strategic Objectives 
-management response to move 
towards the vision 

What are the most pressing 
areas to address? 

National Park Plan 
Priorities for Action 
-management response to achieve 
5 year outcomes on the most 
pressing issues 

What changes to 
management are 
required? 

Have the most 
pressing issues 
changed? 

What are the effects 
of management 
on the Park? 

What progress have 
these actions made 
towards the strategic 
objectives? 


PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY ONE

Image: The meeting of the rivers Dee and Quoich 



PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO

9.CONCLUSION

Images: Throwing the hammer, Highland Games; Mar Lodge, Braemar;  Highland Folk Museum, Newtonmore 

The National Park Plan sets out the long-term 
vision and management framework for the 
National Park, as well as identifying priorities 
for action for the five years from 2007-2012. 
The plan itself is only the starting point and 
the challenge for everyone involved in the 
National Park is to deliver our collective 
aspirations for the area. 

The vision of a truly world-class National Park 
is an ambitious one and this is only the first of 
a series of National Park Plans that will shape 
the Cairngorms in the future. It cannot and 
will not deliver everything in the first five years 
– but a collective effort will make significant 
progress in this period. 

This is a plan for the National Park as a whole, 
in which the public, private, community and 
voluntary sectors are all vital to success. It is 
critical that all interests continue to come 
together and build on the communications 
and partnerships that have already been 
established to deliver the outcomes identified 
in the plan. 



PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY THREE

ANNEXES

Image: Dalwhinnie Distillery 



PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR

ANNEX 1: Contributors to the National Park Plan 

The following organisations and groups have contributed to the development of the 
National Park Plan through the public consultation and discussions: 

Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Forum 
Aberdeenshire Council 
Aboyne Academy 
Alford Academy 
Alvie and Dalraddy Estates 
An Camus Mor 
Angus Council 
Association of Cairngorms Community Councils 
Association of Deer Management Groups 
Aviemore and the Cairngorms Destination 
Management Organisation 
Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation Group 
Ballater and Crathie Community Council 
Bňrd na Gŕidhlig 
Braemar Community Council 
Brechin High School 
British Association for Shooting and Conservation 
British Deer Society 
British Geological Survey 
Built Environment Forum Scotland 

Cairngorm, Rothiemurchus and Glenmore Group 
The Cairngorm Club 
Cairngorms Campaign 
Cairngorms Chamber of Commerce 
Cairngorms Housing Group 
Cairngorms Local Biodiversity Action Plan Group 
Cairngorms Local Outdoor Access Forum 
Cairngorms Moorland Project Steering Group 
Cairngorms National Park Economic and 
Social Development Forum 
Cairngorms National Park Integrated Land 
Management Forum 
Cairngorms National Park Visitor Services, 
Information and Tourism Forum 
Canoe Scotland 
Comunn na Gŕidhlig 
Communities Scotland 
Community Recycling Network for Scotland 
Confederation of Forest Industries 
Council for Scottish Archaeology 
Crofters Commission 
The Crown Estate 
CTC-RTR Aberdeenshire 

Dalwhinnie Community Council 
Deer Commission for Scotland 

East Grampian Deer Management Group 
Elphinstone Institute, University of Aberdeen 

Finzean Community Council 
Forests Trees and Livelihoods 
Forestry and Timber Association 
Forestry Commission Scotland 
Forest Enterprise Scotland 

Grantown Grammar School 

The Highland Council 
Highlands and Islands Enterprise 
HIE Inverness and East Highland 
HIE Moray 
Historic Scotland 
HITRANS 

Invercauld Estate 

John Muir Trust 

Kincraig and Vicinity Community Council 
Kingussie High School 

Marr Area Partnership 
Moray Council 
The Moray Society 

National Farmers Union of Scotland 


PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE

National Trust for Scotland 
Nestrans 
North East Mountain Trust 

Ramblers Association 
Rothiemurchus and Glenmore Community 

Association 
Rothiemurchus Estate 
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland 
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors 
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds 
Royal Zoological Society 

Scottish Agricultural College 
Scottish Canoe Association 
Scottish Civic Trust 
Scottish Council for National Parks 
Scottish Countryside Rangers’ Association 
Scottish Crofting Foundation 
Scottish Estates Business Group 
Scottish Enterprise Grampian 

Scottish Enterprise Tayside 
Scottish Environment Link 
Scottish Environment Protection Agency 
Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department 
Scottish Native Woods 
Scottish Natural Heritage 
Scottish Raptor Study Group 
Scottish Rural Property and Business Association 
Scottish Water 
Scottish Wild Land Group 
Scottish Wildlife Trust 
Speyside High School 
SportScotland 
SUSTRANS 

VisitScotland 

Webster High School 
Woodland Trust for Scotland 

During the public consultation a total of 31 consultation meetings were held with communities 
and special interest groups. A total of 61 individuals also submitted written comments during 
the public consultation. 



PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX

ANNEX II: IUCN Management Principles for 
Category V Protected Areas 

(Taken from ‘Management Guidelines for IUCN Category V Protected Areas’,World 
Commission on Protected Areas Best Practice Guidelines Series No 9, 2002) 

Principle 1: 

Conserving landscape, biodiversity and cultural values are at 
the heart of the Category V protected area approach. 
Though much emphasis is placed in this guidance on 
economic and social considerations,Category V is a 
conservation approach which should reflect the over-arching 
objectives of all protected areas. It is therefore about 
managing change in such a way that environmental and 
cultural values endure: change should take place within 
limits that will not disrupt those values. 

Principle 2: 

The focus of management should be on the point of 
interaction between people and nature. To recall part of the 
definition used in the 1994 Guidelines: “Safeguarding the 
integrity of (the) traditional interaction is vital to the 
protection, maintenance and evolution of the area” (IUCN, 
1994, p.22).Thus, whereas in many other kinds of protected 
areas it is nature itself that is the main focus of management, 
what distinguishes Category V is that management primarily 
addresses the linkage between people and nature. 

Principle 3: 

People should be seen as stewards of the landscape. As the 
occupants of lived-in, working landscapes that are of great 
value to society as a whole, the people living within 
Category V protected areas should be supported in their 
role as stewards of the landscape.They are the architects 
of much we value in the landscape, and their support is 
needed to ensure its survival. Ideally, they help to shape 
and care for the environment with the traditions of the 
past, but with an eye to the future. In that sense, they may 
more correctly be described as ‘the managers’ of 
Protected Landscapes than the professionals who are 
employed with that formal title: good managers in the 
professional sense will therefore see their role as 
‘facilitators’ and ‘negotiators’. 

Principle 4: 

Management must be undertaken with and through 
local people, and mainly for and by them. This principle 
recognises that the full involvement of local people is 
essential,and that Category V protected areas should 
never be planned against their long-term interests. It also 
recognises that local communities should play an 
important role in delivering protected area objectives and 
be among the principal beneficiaries of these. But note 
that local people are not the only source of expertise. 
Moreover, there are other stakeholders who can derive 
benefits from protected landscapes: for example, visitors 
from nearby urban areas or further afield, resource users 
from afar (e.g. consumers of water supplies downstream), 
or the wider community interested in biodiversity or 
landscape protection. 

Principle 5: 

Management should be based on co-operative 
approaches, such as co-management and multi-stakeholder 
equity. It follows from Principles 2-4 that structures and 
processes are needed to ensure that people are 
involved fully in shaping management decisions and 
come to see the protected area as theirs.This will 
require the operation of open, transparent procedures 
based on democratic principles. Co-management 
approaches may be particularly appropriate to 
Category V protected areas. 

Principle 6: 

Effective management requires a supportive political and 
economic environment. The foregoing principles cannot be 
followed unless broader governance structures and 
practices in society at large are committed to certain 
standards.The management of Protected Landscapes will 
be easier to achieve if the government recognises the need 
for a quality of life perspective, follows democratic 
processes, and engages willingly in participatory planning 
based upon a fair and equitable approach to all groups 
and respect for a plurality of cultures. It will also be greatly 
helped by a top-level national commitment to sustainability, 
the alleviation of poverty, addressing the root causes of 
inequality, promoting gender equity and supporting 
civil society. 


PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN

ANNEX II: ...cont 

Principle 7: 

Management of Category V protected areas should not only 
be concerned with protection but also enhancement. Because 
CategoryV protected areas are lived-in landscapes,the 
environment will have been manipulated more than is the 
case with the other categories of protected areas. It 
follows that a more active role for management is 
appropriate, not only in the protection but also in 
restoration of natural or cultural values that have been 
eroded or lost. It may on occasion also include the creation 
of new environmental and social assets which are ecologically 
or culturally appropriate: examples would be a new woodland 
or forested areas established on degraded soils, and the 
development of a new market for goods produced by local people. 

Principle 8: 

When there is irreconcilable conflict between the 
objectives of management, priority should be given to 
retaining the special qualities of the area. Because Protected 
Landscapes have important social as well as environmental 
objectives, there is considerable potential for conflict 
between objectives. As far as possible, management should 
seek to reconcile such conflicts. In the last analysis there 
need to be clear rules about what would have priority in 
such a situation.This principle states that when this 
happens, priority should be given to protecting the 
qualities that make the area special (what economists 
sometimes call ‘critical environmental capital’). Because 
such a claim is likely to be contested, the principle may 
need to be embodied in legislation. 

Principle 9: 

Economic activities that do not need to take place within the 
Protected Landscape should be located outside it. As a lived 
in,working landscape,a Category V protected area will 
contain a variety of economic activities and land-uses, such 
as agriculture, forestry, tourism and some forms of 
industry, commerce and retailing, as well as residential 
areas, some infrastructure, etc.The tests for whether such 
an activity or use is acceptable within the protected area, 
are whether (i) it is sustainable, (ii) it contributes to the 
aims of the area and (iii) there are strong reasons for it to 
be located within it. Where the proposed activity fails 
these tests, it should either be totally re-designed to fit 
Category V objectives or located outside the area 
altogether. 

Principle 10: 

Management should be business-like and of the highest 
professional standard. Not withstanding the strong social 
and environmental emphasis in the management of 
Protected Landscapes, the operation of management should 
be business-like, and hard headed if necessary. It requires 
effective marketing of conservation approaches too.While 
this may be difficult to achieve in the short term, financial 
sustainability should be an aim, rather than 100% reliance 
on public funding. Procedures should be put in place to 
ensure that public, private and voluntary funds and other 
resources are used with due regard to economy, efficiency 
and effectiveness. All decision-making concerning the use 
of resources should be transparent and accountable. 

Principle 11: 

Management should be flexible and adaptive. Like 
protected area management in general,that of Category V 
protected areas needs to be capable of adjustment over 
time in light of experience and changing circumstances – 
but since its scope embraces both natural and human 
systems, the need for flexibility is all the greater. 
Management of Protected Landscapes should also be 
flexible and adaptive in the sense that it should respond to 
the very different social, cultural and economic situations 
in which it takes place: it should always be culturally 
appropriate and economically relevant. 

Principle 12: 

The success of management should be measured in 
environmental and social terms. Though absolutely central, 
biodiversity measures are only one of several indicators: 
others include social and economic welfare and the quality 
of life for local and other people, other environmental 
considerations such as energy efficiency or natural resource 
management, and measures relating to the conservation 
of the cultural environment. An aim should be to 
demonstrate the maximum social and economic benefits 
for the local community with the minimum environmental 
impact.The setting of objectives, also allocation of 
resources and monitoring of effectiveness should all be 
undertaken with this breadth of interest in mind. 


PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY EIGHT 

ANNEX III: Glossary 

Arctic-alpine habitat 
Vegetation communities characteristic of high 
mountain environments. 

Biodiversity 
The variety of all living organisms. 

Biomass 
Material derived from plant or animal matter including 
agricultural and forestry residues that can be used 
for fuel. 

Boreal Forest 
The once extensive forest of northern Europe. 

Cairngorms Partnership 
A Partnership Board operational from 1995 to 2003 
tasked with developing a coherent management 
strategy for the Cairngorms area. 

Cairngorms Working Party 
A working party which in 1992 recommended the 
establishment of the Cairngorms Partnership. 

Cairngorms Local Plan 
The Local Plan prepared by the Park Authority to 
guide planning and development control within the Park. 

Caledonian Forest 
Native Scots pine forest that has regenerated from 
generation to generation from the extensive boreal 
forest that once covered larger areas of northern Europe. 

Community Planning 
A process which helps public bodies work with 
communities to plan and deliver better services. 

Core Paths 
Those routes seen to be the main routes which are 
needed to provide people with reasonable access 
throughout their area.The National Park Authority has 
a duty to prepare a Core Paths Plan by February 2008. 

Crofting 
A system of land tenure currently regulated by the 
Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993. 

Designed Landscape 
Grounds laid out for architectural effect and amenity. 
Those of national importance are listed in Historic 
Scotland’s Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes. 

Ecosystem 
The functioning system of habitats, species and natural 
processes that supports biodiversity. 

European Charter for Sustainable Tourism 
A charter developed by the Europarc Federation of 
Protected Areas to recognise and encourage the 
sustainable management of tourism. 

Favourable Condition 
Refers to the condition of notified interests within 
sites designated under statutory provisions for nature 
conservation. 

Geological Conservation Review 
A non-statutory list of sites identified as being of 
national importance for their geology, palaeontology, 
mineralogy or geomorphology. 

Geodiversity 
The natural diversity of geological, landform and soil 
features and processes. 

Geomorphology 
The landforms and features resulting from geological 
processes. 

Habitat network 
The interconnected pattern of habitats. 

Historic Environment 
The imprint of past generations in the countryside, 
buildings, settlements and archaeology. 

Hydrology 
Study of water processes. 

Hydromorphology 
The landforms and features created by water processes. 


PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE

ANNEX III: Glossary...cont 

IUCN (World Conservation Union) 
The IUCN brings together 900 states, government 
agencies and other organisations in a partnership to 
promote the conservation and sustainable use of 
natural resources. 

Landscape Capacity Studies 
Analysis of the landscape’s ability to absorb 
development and the implications for landscape character. 

Landscape Character Assessments 
A process designed to bring a consistent approach to 
describing and characterising landscapes. 

Listed Buildings 
Buildings listed as being of special architectural or 
historic interest and therefore requiring special protection. 

Local Plan 
A plan that provides the policy and locational 
framework for development in the area, forming 
part of the statutory planning framework. 

Montane 
Areas of high ground above the natural tree-line. 

Munros 
Mountains in Scotland over 3000 feet (914 metres) in height. 

Natura 2000 
A European Union network of nature conservation 
sites representing the best examples of the range of 
habitats found in the EU, comprising Special Areas of 
Conservation and Special Protection Areas. 

National Nature Reserves 
NNRs are designated by Scottish Natural Heritage as 
world-class sites for nature. Specialised and sustainable 
management practices, continual research, and the 
promotion of responsible access are central to the 
management of NNRs for the benefit of both wildlife 
and people. 

National Scenic Areas 
Areas of land considered to be of national significance 
for their outstanding scenic interest, which must be 
conserved as part of Scotland’s natural heritage. 

National Planning Policy Guidance (NPPG) 
Statements of Scottish Executive policy on nationally 
important land use and planning matters.They are being 
superceded by the Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) series. 

Priority Species 
Species that are qualifying criteria of Special Areas of 
Conservation and Special Protection Areas; listed in 
Annex I, II, IV or V of the EC Habitats Directive; listed in 
Schedules 1, 5 or 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 
1981; or listed in the UK and Local Biodiversity Action Plan. 

Public benefits 
The benefits enjoyed by the public and the nation that 
result from land management or business practices. 

Ramsar Sites 
Sites designated as globally important wetlands to meet 
the UK’s commitments under the Ramsar Convention. 
Registered Social Landlords Not-for-profit organisations providing homes for people 
in housing need regulated by Communities Scotland. 
Rural Housing Burden A mechanism under the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 
2003 obliging an owner to offer the house back to the 
Rural Housing Body on sale to ensure the property 
remains in the affordable stock. 



PAGE ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY

ANNEX III: Glossary...cont 

Scheduled Ancient Monuments 
Archaeological features recorded and protected by 
Historic Scotland. 

Scottish Outdoor Access Code 
Guidance on how the access rights and responsibilities 
under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 should be 
exercised. It details responsibilities when taking access or 
managing land and water. 

Section 75 Planning Agreements 
A legal provision to apply conditions of use or 
occupancy to a grant of planning consent. 

Sites of Special Scientific Interest 
A national suite of nature conservation sites protected 
as examples of the UK’s flora, fauna, geological or 
physiographical features. 

Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) 
Part of the Natura 2000 network, SACs are protected 
areas representative of the range of habitats and 
(non-bird) species of the European Union. 

Special Protection Areas (SPA) 
Part of the Natura 2000 network, SPAs are protected 
areas that are important habitats for rare and migratory 
birds in the European Union. 

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) 
A process to ensure that the significant environmental 
effects of plans, policies and programmes are identified, 
assessed, consulted on, mitigated and monitored. 

Sustainable 
A way of living and working which uses and manages 
environmental, social and economic resources in such a 
way that future generations will also be able to enjoy them. 


For a large print version of the National Park Plan, please contact the 
Cairngorms National Park Authority on tel: 01479 873535. 
This publication is also available in other formats on request.