What Cairngorms National Park is known for

Cairngorms National Park, the namesake of the Cairngorms National Park Destination, is the biggest national park in the UK, located in the central part of the said destination. Aviemore, Ballater, Braemar, Grantown-on-Spey, Kingussie, Newtonmore, and Tomintoul are among the most significant settlements within the park's borders. Cairngorms National Park also represents one of the biggest attractions in the region as well as Scotland. Thus, about 80% of the area's economy relies on tourism. Reportedly, in 2018, approximately 1.9 million tourist visits to the national park were recorded. Presumably, one of the reasons for the considerable touristic popularity of Cairngorms is its wide offerings of outdoor activities in nature, such as walking, cycling, mountain biking, climbing, and canoeing. The national park is intertwined with touristic trails used mainly during the summer months. During winter, skiing belongs among the main reasons for visitation, as three of Scotland's five ski resorts are located in the Cairngorms.[2]

In the southern part of the Cairngorms National Park Destination is the city of Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city. Edinburgh represents another popular touristic destination for its rich history and architecture, which has been preserved to this day. The protection issued by UNESCO ensures the historical richness of Edinburgh's cityscape, as Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Edinburgh Castle, the church of St. Giles, and the Georgian New Town are two of the historical sites in Edinburgh.[9] However, Cairngorms National Park Destination's biggest agglomeration is Glasgow, the most populous city in Scotland. Glasgow also represents the largest seaport in Scotland, widely used in the 18th century for transatlantic trade with North America and the West Indies. Thus, the city's predominant industries are shipbuilding and marine engineering. Concerning the culture, Glasgow is home to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, People's Palace Museum, and more.[11]

On the eastern shores of Cairngorms National Park Destination can be found the Dunnottar Castle. The castle is situated atop a 160-foot high rock, surrounded on three sides by water, overlooking the North Sea. The castle is from the Middle Ages and is intertwined with Scotland's history, and its ruins are currently open to the public with guided tours. The area also offers onsite facilities.[10]

Scotland is a country known for whisky production. In the central part of the Cairngorms National Park Destination can be found the Glenturret Distillery, which prides itself on being the oldest whisky distillery in Scotland. Since 1763, the tradition of whisky production has been preserved in the Glenturret Distillery. Nowadays, the distillery is open for tours and also features a Michelin star restaurant.[12]

Geography

Cairngorms National Park Destination is named after the United Kingdom's largest national park, the Cairngorms. The national park is located in the central part of the destination. Within the Cairngorms National Park Destination borders are located some of Scotland's most significant cities and biggest agglomerations, such as Edinburgh and Glasgow, and one island, the Isle of Arran, all of which are separated from the rest of the territory by the Firth of Clyde. Cairngorms National Park protects the Cairngorms mountain range, lying in the heart of the park, and surrounding hills, with their animal and plant species. Angus Glens, Monadhliath, and lower areas like Strathspey and upper Deeside are among other hills contributing to the national park's territory. Concerning the waters and water flow of the Cairngorms National Park, three major rivers cross the region, Spey, Dee, and Don.[2] 

However, Cairngorms National Park isn't the only protected area within the Cairngorms National Park Destination. In the southern part of the territory, close to Glasgow city is located Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, which is known for the abundance of lakes within it's area. The central lake in the park, Loch Lomond, is the largest in Great Britain in terms of surface area.[5] 

The Cairngorm Mountains, the predominant mountain range of the Cairngorms National Park Destination, represent what is said to be a unique landscape, with large areas of upland plateaus. The area and climate conditions create alpine semi-tundra moorland, which is inhabited by a considerable number of protected and endangered plant and animal species. Bird species in particular, such as ptarmigan, dotterel, snow bunting, golden eagle, ring ouzel, and red grouse, are bred in the territory. Mammals in the area include red deer, mountain hare, and the only acclaimed herd of semi-domesticated reindeer in the United Kingdom.[2]

Climatic conditions in the Cairngorms National Park depend on the altitude above sea level. For the Cairngorms Mountains, the tundra climate is typical, with rapid and unexpected changes in weather. Plateaus of mountains are often stormy or misty, with occasional icy or powdery snow.[6] However, the climate in other parts of the Cairngorms National Park Destination can be considered oceanic, with cold rainy winters and mild summers, the same as the rest of Scotland.[7] The warmest month in the capital, Edinburgh, is July, with an average daily temperature of 19°C, while December is the coldest month, with an average temperature of 7°C. April tends to be the driest month in Edinburgh, with an average of 40 mm of rainfall. The most precipitation falls during October, with an average of 77 mm.[8]

History

Cairngorms National Park is Scotland's second national park, established in 2003. The national park was the largest in the United Kingdom even before its expansion in 2010, adding Perth and Kinross areas to the park's territory. Cairngorms National Park primarily protects the Cairngorms Massif, the mountains, and its nature.[2] In the heart of the national park can be found Rothiemurchus, which is currently privately owned Highland Estate. The estate was estimated to be established in the eighth century. Rothiemurchus currently offers various recreational and educational options and is often visited by tourists discovering the Cairngorms.[4]
Cairngorms National Park Destination includes Scotland's oldest cities, such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, and Aberdeen. The history and rise of the city of Edinburgh is considered to be particularly important as it is Scotland's capital city. Archeological excavations have discovered proof of habitation of Edinburgh's territory back to the Mesolithic Age, approximately 8500 BC.[1] Across the Cairngorms National Park Destination can be found numerous relics of Gaelic and Celtic inhabitation. Such an example is the Easter Aquhorthies stone circle, a prehistoric field of prayer of Gaelic tribes located in today's Aberdeenshire.[3] Brittonic Celtic tribes settled in the Edinburgh territory and later created the Gododdin kingdom, which lasted in the area until the early Middle Ages. Around the seventh century, the Angles seized control of the region. However, the strongholds were released in the 10th century to the Scots. Since then, several conflicts have occurred between Scotsmen and English people regarding the sovereignty of Scotland. Scotland and England were united in 1603, in the Union of Kingdoms, when King James VI of Scotland succeeded to the English throne. The Kingdom of Great Britain was officially established in 1707, parliaments of Scotland and Britain, as well as their whole kingdoms, merged into one.[1]