WATCH: Masterplan aimed at transforming fortunes of Cairngorm Mountain is unveiled
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Transforming Cairngorm Mountain into an international destination for mountain biking and ending the controversial closed system at the top of the funicular are two of the main proposals in a new 25-year vision for the resort.
Owners Highlands and Islands Enterprise have published a set of 10 strategies to shape development on the 3,500-acre estate which also includes developing a Scottish Centre for the Mountain Environment.
HIE has also stressed in the vision that skiing remains a key components whilst the sport is still viable.
The intention is to convert Cairngorm Mountain into a year-round destination and stop its reliance on the winter market.
The resort has suffered in recent years from a succession of poor winters, and ironically, was unable to open for the 2020/21 season which was the best in the past decade for snow conditions due to the Covid pandemic.
The Scottish Government and HIE agreed a funding package last year to return the funicular railway to operation for the coming winter.
It has been out of action since September 2018 because of safety concerns over the integrity of the two-kilometre concrete viaduct which carries the track.
The development agency said it has prepared the Cairngorm Estate Masterplan following widespread consultation including with the local community and business groups, sporting and nature conservation organisations, and public bodies with an interest in the mountain estate.
In addition, more than 2,100 people took up a public invitation to complete detailed online questionnaires and submit views directly to HIE.
HIE has said the outcome is an overarching vision for the estate as: ‘a world-class mountain environment where nature thrives and people of all ages and abilities enjoy access to outdoor sport, recreation and education opportunities in every season of the year’.
The masterplan will act as a framework to help inform future development plans and support delivery of a suite of strategies that focus on 10 inter-related topics.
These are:
* an all-year sustainable operating model;
* access from the Ptarmigan building;
* mountain biking;
* cohesive ecology and habitat restoration;
* promoting active travel and sustainable transport;
* a mountain for all;
* a Scottish Centre for the Mountain Environment;
* excellent visitor experience;
* decarbonising the mountain; and
* monitoring implementation of new activities.
Early priorities for HIE itself over the next two years include stabilising the present operating company, Cairngorm Mountain (Scotland) Ltd and reviewing options for future ownership and operating models.
Other areas of focus within the same timescale include ecology; sustainable transport; creating a plan for mountain biking; relocating the snow factory and electrifying snow cannons, and facilities development including options for new chairlift in Coire Cas.
Dave MacLeod, HIE’s head of property and infrastructure, said the agency’s ultimate aim was to unlock Cairngorm’s full potential as both an environmental and economic asset for the area.
“This masterplan is a really important tool to guide the development of lots of individual plans that will come forward in future,” said Mr MacLeod.
“Its impact will be felt for at least a generation and we really want to thank everyone, who took the time to engage with us and share their knowledge, experience and ideas.
“It was clear from the start that some issues will always be quite polarising.
"For instance, some people hold strong views both for and against changes to visitor management at the plateau and on the potential for mountain biking within the estate.
“Any future plans that might be brought forward on these subjects would need to be thought through very carefully and, of course, be subject to the regulatory planning process.
“Other aspects are more likely to win almost universal support, such as environmental protection and enhancement, decarbonisation, the quality of the visitor experience, improved accessibility, and a sustainable operating model that benefits the local economy throughout the year and not only in winter.”
Mountain education was another topic that found widespread approval during the consultation period.
The masterplan proposes replacing the present day lodge with a facility incorporating a centre of excellence for research and teaching that could also host businesses and community events.
The importance of creating a sense of arrival at Cairngorm Mountain is also emphasised, with clear way-finding to guide visitors to the range of experiences on offer.
It also notes that HIE’s decision to reinstate the funicular railway was taken while masterplan consultation was under way.
An HIE spokesman said: "This decision acknowledged the findings of a study carried out be specialist consultants SE Group in 2018-19 which concluded that the funicular was a unique Scottish attraction that should be maintained and enhanced, and was based on a business case that also considered options to remove and replace the present structure."
Once again the lack of plans for Coire na Ciste – a popular area with intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders - is conspicious by its absence.
HIE was supported in developing the masterplan by 360 Architecture and Jura Consultants.
The full document is available online here
More on this story and reaction in tomorrow's Strathy.
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