The Cairngorms
The Cairngorms
The wider Cairngorms Futurescape contains the Badenoch & Strathspey and Caledonian Pinewood Futurescapes. Together, these encompass the whole of the Cairngorms – some 4583 square kilometres.
The lower altitude Badenoch & Strathspey is a semi-natural floodplain, with the Insh Marshes National Nature Reserve at its heart. Cattle and sheep graze the wet grassland – which is one of the UK’s most important sites for breeding waders. This floodplain also benefits flood management and water purification.
The Cairngorms is a high mountain plateau surrounded by Caledonian pinewood. Just one per cent of the original Caledonian pinewood forest remains, with more than half of this located in the Cairngorms.
The pinewoods are a vital part of the Cairngorms, delivering economic benefits through timber production, shelter for domestic and wild animals and leisure activities and tourism.
Downloads
PDF, 1.28Mb. Date: 5 September 2014
Futurescapes - Badenoch and StrathspeyPDF, 1.16Mb. Date: 14 October 2013
Futurescapes - Caledonian ForestExplore the area
Find out what’s going on near this Futurescape, including places to visit, news and local events, plus how you can work or volunteer for us.
Nearby reserves
Reserves and other protected areas are a key part of Futurescapes. They provide core areas for nature to thrive and eventually repopulate the surrounding landscapes. The key RSPB reserves within this Futurescape are:
Crannach
Crannach is a tranquil woodland site. The habitat supports priority species such as black grouse, Scottish crossbill and a range of other woodland birds.
Insh Marshes
Insh Marshes National Nature Reserve is one of the most important wetlands in Europe. Enjoy a springtime stroll and look out for nesting lapwings, redshanks and curlews, or visit in the wintertime when the marsh floods.
Loch Garten, Abernethy
When ospreys returned to breed in Scotland, this ancient Caledonian pinewood is where they chose to come. The Loch Garten Osprey Centre boasts fantastic views of these magnificent birds on the nest, as well as close up views thanks to our non-invasive CCTV camera.
Our partners
Futurescapes is all about collaboration. There are many organisations and people involved in managing land in the Cairngorms. Our challenge is working together to find ways of making more space for nature. To achieve this we’re working with:
Saving special places
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Victory for Harapan Rainforest
Beautiful Hutan Harapan forest is a precious remnant of the rainforest that once covered much of Sumatra (Photo: RSPB-images/Steve Roland) Hutan Harapan is one of the last remaining areas of dry lowland Sumatran forest and is among the most th...(r...
Posted 12/04/2019 by Heather Mitchell -
Rila Mountains: The Final Piece in Bulgaria's Protected Area Network for Birds
Daniel Pullan, our International Casework Manager writes: I was thrilled last week when my Bulgarian colleague Irina Mateeva told me that the Bulgarian Government had designated the last part of the Rila Mountains as a Special Protection Area. This a...
Posted 04/04/2019 by Heather Mitchell -
A net gain for nature
How can built development leave the natural environment in a better shape than it was before? This is the question at the heart of Defra’s recent consultation on ‘biodiversity net gain’. We know from the State of Nature 2016 report ...(read more)
Posted 01/03/2019 by Simon Marsh -
What will the new NPPF mean for places, people and nature?
On Tuesday the Government published a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for England. You can see our previous commentary on the draft version here , here and here . The NPPF sets out the Government’s planning policies for England...(read ...
Posted 27/07/2018 by Steph
