Caring for the Cairngorms National Park

The Cairngorms National Park is the largest national park in the UK.

It has everything from castles and distilleries to family attractions and outdoor fun, offering masses of things to do including watersports, snowsports, wildlife watching, and some incredible high and low level walking and cycling routes.

But behind the scenes, there’s a dedicated team of volunteers who do their bit.

Nancy Chambers is manager of the Cairngorms Trust, a small, independent charity that encourages and supports community-led development projects within the Cairngorms National Park.

She said: ‘Being able to have a positive impact on the Cairngorms National Park is the best part of our job and it’s important that we support communities to get involved with projects that benefit their local area.

‘Over the past year we have supported so many great community-led initiatives, with our two latest campaign funding programme projects having a particularly fantastic impact for residents and visitoburnrs in the Cairngorms.’

 An Osprey Nest for the Osprey Village, Boat of Garten

Challenge

Milton Loch

Despite being known as the Osprey Village and a popular destination for visitors to the Cairngorms, Boat of Garten does not have its own osprey nest. The closest nest is the RSPB Abernethy Nature Reserve which is challenging for visitors to get to by public transport and has led to many disappointed people discovering that they wouldn’t be able to see any of the impressive birds.

Milton Loch is an important community woodland in Boat of Garten and so the Boat of Garten Wildlife Group was formed to enhance Milton Loch, to improve the experiences of visitors, increase the profile of the area and boost tourism in Boat of Garten.

The group planned a number of improvements for Milton Loch which included:

• Raising the water level to improve the habitat for fish, water birds and ospreys
• Improving signage to help visitors better understand local habitats, fauna, and climate change in the Cairngorms
• Creating a living willow sculpture to tell the story of the Osprey Village and support Milton Loch to become an exciting place for tourists and the local community to visit

Action

The Milton Loch osprey nest

An osprey nesting platform has been built by a team of local experts using natural materials found nearby in the hope that ospreys will now choose to nest in the Milton Loch area.

The water level of the loch has also been raised which has helped to dampen the reeds that clog up the clear water and improve the habitat for birds. Boxes for Goldeneyes have also been erected near the loch to attract more of the distinctive ducks to the area.

Although it was first suggested 15 years ago, through Cairngorms Trust funding ‘The Ark of Caledon’ has finally been constructed as a living willow sculpture with the assistance of an artist in residence who laid the foundation and taught interested members of the community how to willow weave.

‘The Ark of Caledon’ sculpture tells the story of how ospreys came to be in Boat of Garten originally and offers information about how local habitats are being affected by climate change and how these changes are being seen in the Cairngorms.

Impact

Volunteers planting and weaving the willow sculpture

• These new incentives have transformed the area, creating more opportunities for families to learn about this special area and drawing larger numbers of visitors to Milton Loch
• More young families have been visiting the site to play in ‘The Ark of Caledon’ sculpture, with more than 150 people taking part in the educational willow weaving workshops
• Improved signage has made it easier for visitors to learn about nature and wildlife and how to protect it
• Goldeneye ducklings have already been spotted popping out of the nest boxes
• Milton Loch’s new attractions have given residents more of an incentive to make use of the woodlands which is improving both mental and physical health for many in the community
• The Boat of Garten Wildlife Group is continuing to develop the project and has planned further community willow weaving sessions to support the addition of at least one more large willow sculpture at Milton Loch
• The perfect habitat has been created for ospreys to nest in this area – all the volunteers can do now is patiently wait for them to arrive!

Nancy added: ‘We were delighted to support the Osprey Project which is a great community initiative that is enhancing the lives of both locals and visitors alike.

Kingussie Path Network Improvement Project, Kingussie

Challenge

Volunteers repairing the Kingussie path network

Over the past 10-12 years, the Kingussie Community Development Company has done a fantastic job of establishing a varied and signposted network of paths around the Kingussie area, which also extends to Lynchat, Tom Baraidh/Pitmain and offers connectivity to Newtonmore and the Wildcat Trail.

The network plays an important part in the day-to-day lives of local residents and visitors to the Cairngorms, with many individuals and groups using the paths for dog walking, taking children to school, recreational activities, outdoor learning and accessing mountainous areas of the Cairngorms.

But regular and sustained use of the network has left many paths in need of repair and upgrade due to erosion and wear and tear.

Action

Volunteers moving boulders on the Kingussie path network

A survey was conducted by volunteer members of the Kingussie Community Development Company to identify the priority sections for repair and since then volunteers and community service groups have been working hard to maintain and improve the paths.

Eroded and poorly draining sections of the Creag Bheag route have been reconstructed, which is a popular route used by walkers and climbers. Fallen trees have been removed in the woodland approach to the Raitts Path and small bridges, decking and stepping stones have been added at various locations to facilitate safer stream crossings. Signage has also been replaced and upgraded on eight of the local marked paths.

Additionally, contractors have been hired for key upgrades to three sections of the network:

• Resurfacing of a large muddy section on the core path from Kingussie to Newtonmore
• Repair of a damaged bridge at Allt Gortan
• The making safe of a steep section of steps on the Golf Course Circular Path

Impact

Kingussie path after repair

The Kingussie path after repair

• Repair of the network has left the paths in much better shape and removed many of the dangers that were faced by residents and visitors to the area
• The path to Creag Bheag is an extremely popular route for both visitors and residents and has been transformed by the work carried out so far
• Volunteers of the Kingussie Community Development Company continue to meet on a weekly basis to maintain the network and ensure paths remain in good condition moving forward
• The project has been a labour of love and a wonderful achievement for the enthusiastic volunteers, with only short sections of the network repaired by contractors.

Nancy said: ‘The Kingussie Path Network Improvement project is another fantastic initiative for the Cairngorms Trust in the National Park and it’s also a great fit with our aim to support local people in making a difference to their community.’

To support the next campaign funding programme projects and make a positive difference to the Cairngorms National Park, get in touch for more information or alternatively make a donation on their JustGiving page.

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