Visitor Management Plan

The special flora, fauna, soils and habitats of the Cairngorm plateau are protected by law under European Natura legislation. They are easily damaged by trampling or disturbed by walkers, mountain bikers and dogs off leads.

With your co-operation, CairnGorm Mountain Ltd operates a Visitor Management Plan (VMP) which aims to protect this special high mountain place. The VMP protects the areas which have been designated under the European Natura legislation from the possible impacts of visitors.

What does the Visitor Management Plan say?

During the winter skiing months (1st December – 30th April), skiers, snowboarders and others may use the mountain railway and exit the building at the top so that they can enjoy the snowsports as participants or spectators within the ski area (please refer to piste map).

In the non-skiing season (1st May – 30th November), visitors to CairnGorm Mountain who choose to travel on the railway to the Ptarmigan Top Station may not use the railway as a means of gaining access to the mountain. Passengers may use the facilities in the building and on the viewing terrace, but must not leave these areas to explore the wider mountain area.

Our terms and conditions of carriage for non skiing tickets specify that we do not allow the carriage of sports equipment. We cannot carry ice axes, crampons or mountain bikes.

As there is nowhere to exercise dogs in the building, CML does not carry dogs up the train.

So what can I do?

You are free to explore any part of the mountain area by walking from the car park and we ask you to use the network of established footpaths.

You may also enter the Ptarmigan building by the walkers’ entrance and use any of the facilities. We ask you to sign a visitor book on arrival. Later, you may leave the building by the same route and continue your journey. You may choose to buy a train ticket for you (and your dog if you have one) from the shop at the top and descend by train. You are advised to check the times of the last public train down before setting off.

For this year we have once again, been given permission to guide 90 minute walks from the Top Station on a circular tour to the summit and back. This Walk @ The Top runs between May and October 2011. Further information can be found on the Walk @ The Top page.

These arrangements are reviewed annually and operate together with a detailed monitoring programme which provides valuable information on the condition of paths, habitats, flora and fauna and helps inform the visitor and conservation management arrangements in operation.

Full details of the Conservation Management Plan that operate at CairnGorm Mountain can be found in the Further Information section below.

We remind all visitors that it is not permitted to use the railway at any time of the year as a means of access to go beyond the ski area boundary.