The Cairngorms National Park is a national park in North-eastern Scotland. It covers the Cairngorms range of mountains, and some surrounding hills.

It was the second of two national parks established in Scotland, created in 2003; the first was the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. It is the largest national park in the UK, with an area of 3,800 sq km (1,400 sq miles).

At the time there was some controversy; a large area of Highland Perthshire that many groups felt should form part of the park was in fact left outside its boundary. There was also controversy surrounding the construction of a funicular railway on Cairn Gorm mountain, a scheme supported by the new National Park Authority. Supporters of the scheme claimed that it would bring valuable tourist income into the area, whilst opponents argued that such a development was unsuitable for a supposedly protected area.

See also

• National parks of Scotland

External links

• Cairngorms National Park official site (http://www.cairngorms.co.uk/)