The controversial "closed system" is to be lifted later this month to allow rangers to lead small groups of up to 10 people on a 90-minute circular walk up to the summit of Cairn Gorm - the UK's sixth highest peak.

The announcement has been welcomed by those opposed to the EU-imposed restriction which has been in place since the funicular opened in December, 2001.

However, visitors will have to pay a small price for the experience, which has been dubbed as "Walk @ The Top".

An adult funicular ticket normally costs £9.75, but it will be £13 to also join the two-mile walk which takes in a steady ascent of 486 feet (148 metres).

The cost for seniors is £12, and £10 for children, compared to the normal prices of £8.45 and £6.15.

On a busy summer the attraction welcomes in the region of 1,000 visitors per day on the mountain railway.

The trial allows for a maximum peak capacity of 140 people per day taking part in a walk to the summit of Cairn Gorm.

Ian Whitaker, chief executive of CairnGorm Mountain, said the move would considerably improve the visitor experience.

He said: "For the first time, we can allow visitors to immerse themselves in a wild mountain experience by using the mountain railway and taking part in the trial.

"Visitors to the summit will be able to view the Cairngorm plateau, the most extensive area over 3,000ft in the British Isles, and experience the impact of weather and climate at this altitude." He added: "We have 10 years' experience operating the existing visitor management arrangements, and this trial allows us to address a key visitor frustration with the existing arrangements which do not permit access out at the top station.

"The trial allows us to test the visitor appeal of short guided walks within the ski area in a measured and responsible way." The trial will continue until October 31, when a detailed report on the walks will be submitted to SNH.

A CairnGorm Mountain spokesman said: "As well as keeping a record of the numbers who book onto a walk, we will also record the numbers we have not been able to accommodate but who wish to undertake the activity.

"The trial will provide useful data on the demand for this activity, which will guide decisions on any long-term changes to the Visitor Management Plan (VMP) in future.

"The VMP is a dynamic document and there is a process in place to ensure that management arrangements can be reviewed.

"Any change to these arrangements must demonstrate that it will have no adverse impact on neighbouring EU sites.

"The use of managed and monitored trials is both a logical and sensible approach to managing permanent change in the VMP arrangements." Trials have already operated successfully for the change that resulted in walkers being able to enter the top station building and use the down trains. CairnGorm Mountain has said that the guided trial walks from the top are no different.

SNH and Highland Council would have to consult publicly before agreeing to any long-term changes to the closed system.

Guides will make it clear to visitors that the walk is part of a trial and provide them with interpretative information on their stunning surroundings.

Mr Whitaker defended the charge, stating that they were not lifting the closed system but offering an extra product for their visitors.

Following an invitation-only trial launch next Wednesday (July 14), the first public walk will take place on Saturday July 17.

Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey MP Danny Alexander said this latest development was "really excellent news".

"The more visitors can actually experience what the Cairngorms are like, the more people will recognise the need to protect these unique and special places, not least in the fight against climate change," he said.

"The trial will allow all the impacts to be assessed - I hope including economic benefits and changes to attitudes - and would hope this will then become a regular part of the Cairngorm experience." Local MSP Fergus Ewing said: "Loosening of these restrictions is something that I have argued for from day one - there's no reason why visitors can not enjoy the walk from the funicular top station to the summit.

"Whilst I welcome this small relaxation of the access ban, the making of a small financial charge, whilst perhaps needed to cover the cost of rangers, does run contrary to the principle of the Freedom to Roam which is the whole ethos of access to the countryside in Scotland." Dave Fallows, SNP Highland councillor for Badenoch and Strathspey, said: "This is a welcome first step but it's a real pity that there is a charge, which will inevitably lower demand and could open up a whole new can of worms regarding access." Both Aviemore and Kincraig community councils made official requests in February this year to CairnGorm Mountain Ltd for the restriction to be removed.

Bill Lobban, vice-chair of the Aviemore watchdog, said: "This development is a step in the right direction and will hopefully lead to fully opened access in the future." Visitors using the funicular have so far been barred from exiting the Ptarmigan station outwith the ski season and from heading beyond the designated ski area during winter.

The restriction was introduced as a means of safeguarding the environmentally-protected sites adjacent to the Ptarmigan station under Europe's Birds Directive, and Habitat and Species Directive which are enshrined in UK law.

The funicular project received £2.6 million of European Regional Development Fund money subject to the visitor management agreement being in place.

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