Sep 06 2012
Located in the northeast of Scotland, the Cairngorms National Park is the largest one in the UK, covering an area of 4,528 km2 (1,748 sq mi). The Cairngorms was established in 2003, and inhabited by a population about 70,000 people in the area, where 75% of the land is privately owned by individuals or companies, while 10 to 15% is possessed by NGOs; and the rest is governmental property. The Cairngorms National Park Authority has therefore devoted its efforts to collaborate with the landowners, and encouraged them to plan their lands beyond boundaries. This idea and the economic value of joining the national park have interested the neighboring citizens and led to the park extension in 2009.
Cairngorms owns Britain’s highest and most massive mountain range and also the biggest native forests. Most of the forests and woodlands are well managed not just for timber products, but more importantly, to sustain the biodiversity, habitats, and landscape value.