Overview of Cairngorms National Park, The

Designated in 2003, the Cairngorms National Park is Scotland's second national park. It extends over parts of Aberdeenshire, Angus, Highland and Moray Council Areas, from Strathspey in the north to the Angus glens in the south and Dinnet in the east to Laggan in the west. Towns within its boundary include Newtonmore, Kingussie, Aviemore, Grantown-on-Spey, Tomintoul, Ballater and Braemar. The population living in the park is 15,000. The Cairngorms National Park includes within its bounds the Cairngorm and Glenshee ski areas, the forests of Abernethy, Glenmore and Rothiemurchus and the high peaks of the Cairngorm Mountains rising to 1309m (4296 feet) at Ben Macdui, the second highest mountain in Britain.

The park was extended in 2010 to include areas of Northern Perthshire, such as Blair Atholl, Killiecrankie and Glen Shee.