Cairngorms landscape survey

We want to know what you think is special about the Cairngorms National Park landscape, and how it could be conserved and enhanced in the years ahead as we address the needs of communities as well as the climate and nature crises.  

The Park Authority is carrying out a study as part of its Heritage Horizons: Cairngorms 2030 programme, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. This involves developing a method for people who live, visit and work in the Cairngorms National Park to inform decision-making in the future.

Share your thoughts by completing our survey on your phone, tablet or computer, and as a wee thank you we’ll enter you into a prize draw to win a £100 gift voucher (terms and conditions available here). The closing date for entries is Thursday 22 December 2022.

Click here to complete the landscape survey

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Additional information

About Heritage Horizons: Cairngorms 2030

Inspired by the Gaelic word Dùthchas – meaning the deep-rooted connection between people and nature – Heritage Horizons: Cairngorms 2030 is putting the power to tackle the climate and nature crises in the hands of people who live, visit and work in the UK’s largest national park. 

The programme will put local people at the heart of decision-making; work with land managers to restore and enhance landscapes; make getting around the Park easier, safer, and greener; and foster healthier, happier communities with wellbeing at their heart. Heritage Horizons is an unprecedented partnership of over 45 organisations and is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. 

About the Cairngorms National Park

The Cairngorm National Park was established in 2003. It is the UK’s largest national park at 4,528 sq. km, covering parts of Aberdeenshire, Moray, Highland, Angus and Perth and Kinross. The Park is home to 18,000 residents and welcomes two million visitors a year. Nearly half of the National Park is considered ‘wild land’, with one quarter of Scotland’s native forest and a quarter of the rare and endangered species in the UK found here.

About the Cairngorms National Park Authority

The Cairngorms National Park Authority (Park Authority) was set up to ensure that the unique aspects of the Cairngorms – both the natural environment and the local communities – are cared for, sustained, and enhanced for current and future generations to enjoy. The Park Authority provides leadership to all those involved in the Cairngorms and works in partnership with a range of communities, businesses, non-government organisations and public sector partners to deliver practical solutions on the ground.

Aim of the study

We want to build a better understanding of what is special to people about the Cairngorms National Park landscape, and how it might be conserved and enhanced in the years ahead as we address the needs of communities as well as the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis. 

How we will use your responses

This is a pilot study, which means we’re testing different methods in preparation for a more extensive study that will follow from 2023. Your responses to the study will help us to check whether our methods are correct, or whether we need to make adjustments.

What is landscape?

Landscape is much more than just ‘the view’. It’s the product of interaction between natural and human processes. It’s the pattern of elements that exist in a place – such as the rocks and soils and how they support different plants and animals. It’s how the land has been used over time and how this has shaped our relationship with it. The landscape is also about how we feel; it’s what exists in our minds and our emotions when we experience or think about a place. This study is focused on what you prefer about some of the special qualities of the Cairngorms. There are no right or wrong answers. We want to know what you think about the Cairngorms landscape.

Personal information

We are collecting personal information as part of this study. This information will be used to help us monitor whether the study is reaching as many different people as possible. All personal information will be stored separately from the study responses; this means that your answers will remain anonymous. Your personal information will only be used for the purpose of this study and the prize draw if you choose to enter and won’t be shared with anyone else. 

Prize draw competition 

We value your contribution to this study, including your time spent on it. As a way of saying thank you, you’re invited to enter a prize draw competition to win a £100 gift voucher. Details of how to enter are included at the end of the survey.