Farming
Cairngorms National Park covers over 452,000 ha of land with in excess of 600 registered agricultural businesses producing naturally reared beef, lamb and pork. High quality grain is produced on fertile valley floors for our globally renowned whisky industry.
Agriculture is recognised as the largest single land use in Scotland influencing over 80% of our landmass, with significant potential to slow climate change, support greater levels of biological diversity and reduce carbon emissions. It is a key objective to support integrating these priorities with high quality food production.
Climate change and biodiversity loss are urgent drivers and increasingly defining our approach to land management and the way agriculture will be supported is changing as the Vision for Scottish Agriculture develops. With these changes in mind, the Cairngorms National Park Authority is working to support farmers, crofters and small holders through the delivery of our National Park Partnership Plan to enhance nature, tackle climate change and produce high quality food.
We have nationally significant wader populations to enhance, species rich grasslands to manage, carbon emissions to reduce, nature networks to develop, river catchments to manage. These priorities are embedded across the agricultural landscape of the Cairngorms.
We have a Farm Conservation Advisor that can assist with:
- Farm and croft biodiversity planning
- Wader conservation habitat management and monitoring
- AECS advice
- Carbon auditing
- Establishing small woodlands and hedging on farms and crofts
- Agricultural support and advice
- Diversification
- Funding for nature friendly farming and climate resilience