Cairngorms National Park Historic Environment Audit

AOC Archaeology Group was commissioned by the Cairngorms National Park Authority to undertake an audit of the historic environment of the Cairngorms National Park.

A wide range of data sources were collated into a GIS database for use by the National Park Authority. The GIS allowed the historic environment of the Park to be viewed as a whole for the first time. Using the GIS, the audit established those sites and landscape areas of greatest importance, and recommended these areas as candidates for further research. In some areas, the archaeological record is poor and new research initiatives have been recommended.

The historic environment represents a non-renewable resource that is often very susceptible to damage, destruction or the erosion of character. Existing known risks to the historic environment are identified by the audit and a number of options for minimising these risks are identified.

The historic environment of the Cairngorms National Park is a considerable asset in its own right and plays a crucial role in the local economy. Some of the most popular visitor attractions in the Park, as in the rest of Scotland, are part of the historic environment and visitor surveys have demonstrated a desire for more promotion and interpretation.

Several ways of enabling the National Park Authority to enhance public understanding and enjoyment have been outlined by the Historic Environment Audit, for example, through imaginative educational initiatives and detailed interpretation strategies. The initial steps towards creating a historic environment interpretation plan have been taken with the identification of interpretation topics and possible focus areas.

The Historic Environment Audit represents the first ever large-scale initiative aimed at the study, of the archaeological landscapes of the whole Cairngorms National Park: some of the most spectacular, yet least recognised, archaeological landscapes in Britain. Preserving and enhancing the cultural heritage is one of the statutory aims of Scottish National Parks and the Historic Environment Audit has helped to identify the ways and means by which the National Park Authority could fulfill this statutory obligation.

AOC Consultant: Lynne Fouracre 
Client: Cairngorms National Park Authority