Practicalities
From Drumochter to Glen Feshie and Ballater to Glen Esk, the Cairngorms is the largest National Park in the UK. Boasting an area of 1748 square miles, it is 40 per cent larger than the Lake District, twice the size of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, and larger than Luxembourg. The official English name, Cairngorms National Park, means ‘Blue Hills National Park’ in Gaelic, whereas the official Gaelic name, ‘Pairc Naiseanta a Mhonaidh Ruaidh’, is translated as ‘Red Hills National Park’.
The Park was established in September 2003. Five years later it was announced that the area would be extended to take in Blair Atholl and Spittal of Glenshee, and in October 2010 it extended further into Highland Perthshire and Glenshee. Nearly half of the land is considered ‘wild land’. Recognised as being of international importance for nature,
