Understanding Land Management in the Cairngorms National Park

In the summer of 2024, the Centre for Landscape Regeneration conducted interviews with 18 landholdings across the Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, to explore current land management practices, along with associated costs, revenues, and employment within key enterprise sectors. The findings reveal a diverse mix of enterprises, reflecting both long-standing traditional practices and emerging sources of income. Core land uses, such as livestock grazing, forestry, and recreational sporting, continue to underpin the economic and cultural fabric of the region. However, evolving public and private funding structures are encouraging many landholdings to diversify through new income opportunities. Larger estates generally support a broader range of enterprises and access more varied financial support. Substantial investment is also being directed toward ecological restoration, including in peatland, woodland, and river systems. These efforts are enhancing biodiversity, restoring degraded habitats, and building the resilience of ecosystems. In many cases, restoration complements sustainable practices within traditional sectors such as forestry and livestock. This report provides a snapshot of current land management in the Cairngorms, highlighting how estates are balancing restoration and sustainable land use while adapting to changing economic, environmental, and policy contexts. It underscores both the dynamism and variability within the sector, and the important role that landholders play in shaping the future of these landscapes.