Cairngorms Connect - a 200 year rewilding vision

The Cairngorms is an area like no other. Across our largest National Park, you can find impressive floodplains, expanses of Caledonian pinewood, peaceful lochs, open moorland and towering mountains. As well as landscapes to take your breath away, it is a stronghold for magnificent species. There are more than 5,000 recorded species, of which 20% are nationally rare or scarce. Many of these species are iconic to Scotland such as capercaillie, Scottish crossbill, wildcat, pine hoverfly, and golden eagle, to name a few.

The nature and habitats found in this area are remarkable and vitally important. The mission to not only protect, but restore and enhance these habitats has brought RSPB Scotland, Wildland Limited, Forestry and Land Scotland, and Scottish Natural Heritage together with a bold 200-year vision. This partnership of landowners is known as Cairngorms Connect. Encompassing 600 sq. km of contiguous land, Cairngorms Connect is the biggest habitat restoration project in Britain and has a vital role in halting biodiversity loss.

How are we going to do it?

The Cairngorms Connect area ranges from 200m above sea level to 1,309m above sea level – Ben MacDui, the second highest summit in Britain. It encompasses varied and expansive habitat with different management and enrichment approaches required to achieve the restoration and renewal we hope to see.

Ancient pines

The area includes the biggest single remnant of Ancient Caledonian pinewood, with the potential for 13,300ha of new forest.

We will enhance our native woodlands with the eradication of non-native tree and shrub species that are at risk of dominating native woodlands, management of the impact of herbivores on the blueberry and heather, and planting of those tree species that have been lost and need a helping hand from us to recolonise – in particular, restoring high altitude montane woodland habitats: birch and willow communities rising to 1,000m above sea level. We will also diversify Scots pine plantations with birch, rowan, and juniper, and manage dense forest to improve the habitat for a variety of wildlife, both flora and fauna.

Blanket bogs

Within the Cairngorms Connect area there are 10,000 ha of peat-rich bogs, including some of the highest blanket bogs in Britain. In the next 5 years the project plans to restore over 1,000ha. Peatland and floodplain restoration will help to deliver important benefits to the ecosystem including binding carbon, reducing soil erosion, cleaning watercourses, cooling rivers and alleviating flooding.

Securing against erosion, supporting peat sediment build up, recovering bog vegetation, and reducing the impacts of grazing will all contribute to this vital restoration effort.

Community

As part of the project we are connecting with communities locally and nationally to raise awareness of how incredible and important the Cairngorms are. We hope to create a variety of opportunities for people to be a part of this transformative project through volunteering, learning, partnerships and employment.

This is just a snapshot of some of the ways we will be working to protect and enhance nature, and combat climate and biodiversity emergencies, within the Cairngorms Connect project. By working together, we can undertake bigger and better projects, make our funding go further, and have a greater impact. The amazing wildlife of the park transcends the boundaries we place on our land and working together allows us to work seamlessly across these boundaries to do what is best for our nature. Cairngorms Connect will benefit Scotland’s amazing wildlife and its people, and we’re excited to see that happen.

Find out more about this amazing project here.