Tributes to man who led forerunner of Cairngorms National Park Authority
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Tributes have been paid to a man who led the forerunner of the Cairngorms National Park Authority so ably.
The funeral of Stewart Fulton, (80) took place last Friday at Warriston Crematorium at Lorimer Chapel in Edinburgh.
Mr Fulton came to prominence as a civil servant in the planning office of the Scottish Office and later become CEO of the Cairngorm Partnership based in Grantown.
He was instrumental in helping Strathspey Thistle gain Highland League status and was a regular visitor at the club before returning to Blackhall in Edinburgh around three years ago.
There was a minute's silence ahead of the recent midweek game against Brora Rangers by the Grantown club to show their appreciation of his contribution.
Mr Fulton was listed as working as a director of the Cairngorms Partnership from March 1995 to June 2005.
Former Highland councillor and member of Cairngorms National Park Authority first boards Stuart Black was a good friend of Mr Fulton.
He told the Strathy: "Stewart was the chief executive of the Cairngorms Partnership and it was quite obvious from an early stage that he really loved this area and its people and he was extremely helpful in lots of ways with a host of different projects many of which are still going today.
"Setting up and running the Cairngorms Partnership was a very difficult task involving a huge amount of work.
"But Stewart had a tremendous number of good contacts in Scottish public life and a wealth of experience in planning and he brought a lot of matter of fact professionalism and thoughtful kindness to the role.
"Stewart had a great sense of humour and was a larger than life character.
"I am really going to miss him as he was a great friend and even more importantly a great friend to this area."
The Cairngorms Partnership was set-up to develop a management strategy for what was to become the Cairngorms National Park region.
In effect the advisory panel was laying the groundwork for a national park – there were none at the time in Scotland – but without the official designation.
This was before the creation of the Scottish Parliament and following the establishment of Holyrood there was political backing for national parks in the country.
As part of the creation of the Cairngorms National Park, the work programme and staff of the Cairngorms Partnership transferred to the new park authority.
But this excluded Mr Fulton who chose the change-over as the time to retire.
The national park was created in March 2003 and assumed full operational powers in September, later that year, with Jane Hope, another experienced civil servant, appointed as the first chief executive.
Mr Fulton's other local roles had included being director at the Nethy Bridge Interpretive Project and for the Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust.
He passed away on February 23 at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Mr Fulton is survived by wife Jeni and children Niall and Holly.
