A landmark year for nature in the Cairngorms

2024 has been a huge year for nature conservation in the Cairngorms National Park. Thanks to the dedication of local communities, land managers, farmers, conservation groups, and passionate individuals, we’ve made significant strides forward.  

The year has proven that when we work together, real, positive change is not just possible, it’s happening. A prime example of this is the Cairngorms Nature Action Plan, which began in 2019 and wrapped up this summer. The plan united over 40 organisations and inspired over 7,000 residents and visitors at Cairngorms Nature Festivals. It is a real testament to partnership working. 

Through the Action Plan, over 5,000 hectares of peatland has been restored, helping to trap CO2, improve water quality, and reduce flooding risk. Native woodland cover has increased by over 6,000 hectares, creating larger, healthier forests that support thousands of species. Rivers over 100 kilometres have been revived through partnership projects restoring natural features like bends, pools and shingle banks to once-altered waterways. And conservation work on a staggering 9,000 hectares of farmland has benefited farmland waders, including lapwing and curlew. 

But that’s not all – the Action Plan’s targeted conservation efforts have been crucial for the recovery of some of our most vulnerable species. Pioneering reinforcement and reintroduction programmes for the Scottish wildcat, beaver, pine hoverfly, and dark-bordered beauty moth have been launched – making significant strides in bringing biodiversity back to the Cairngorms. 

One of the most exciting milestones this year has been the success of the beaver reintroduction programme. After centuries of absence, beavers have bred successfully and given birth to two kits – the first wild-born beavers in the Cairngorms in over 400 years. Achieving this milestone would not have been possible without the many landowners and organisations that have helped us through over two years of planning, consultation and releases.  

Our thanks also go to all the organisations, groups, communities and volunteers that have been working together as part of the Cairngorms Capercaillie Project. The project, which came to a close this summer, has built an unprecedented community of likeminded champions for the species. In September, a new five-year Capercaillie Emergency Plan was published, and its success will depend on that same collective commitment and hard work. 

And as the year ends, attention turns to Scotland’s goal of becoming Nature Positive by 2030, with biodiversity restored and regenerated across the country by 2045. This year proves that when we pull in the same direction, we can restore habitats on an unprecedented scale, we can help some of our rarest species make real strides toward recovery, and we all have a part to play. After all, looking after nature is more than just saving wildlife – it is about protecting the very ecosystems that our lives depend on.