More access to Cairngorm plateau pathways could be on the way

Cairngorm Mountain (Scotland) Ltd (CMSL) plans to use mobile phones to track walkers’ movements and ensure they keep to the designated paths within the ski area to protect the environment.

Staff are currently testing the new system and plan to extend the trial to enable small numbers of visitors to take part in the coming weeks.

Access restrictions were introduced as part of a visitor management plan when the mountain railway first opened in 2001. These were designed to protect the environment around the plateau, which includes designated Natura sites.

A planning condition under Section 50 of the Town and Country Planning Act led to the creation of a ‘closed system’ that only permits walkers who ascend Cairn Gorm on foot to continue past the Ptarmigan and on towards the summit. 

CMSL chief executive Mike Gifford says the move is being considered in response to customer feedback and emphasises that careful consideration will be required before a permanent change to the present visitor management plan may be considered.

“Currently, passengers who ride up the mountain in the funicular can only leave the Ptarmigan building for snowsports or to take part in guided group walks led by the Ranger Service,” said Mr Gifford.

“The Ptarmigan is a great attraction in its own right, with the UK’s highest restaurant, shops, a mountain exhibition, children’s activities and a recently expanded viewing platform.

“However, many customers also want to experience the mountain fully by stepping outside of the building and are disappointed when they learn that that option is denied to most non-skiing visitors at present.

“We’re really interested in exploring options to permit more people to use the well-established pathways that run from the Ptarmigan to the summit, while also ensuring that the environment will continue to be protected rigorously.

“Evidence gathered in the trial period will be really valuable to establish the feasibility of access improvements and inform discussion with partners including NatureScot, the Cairngorms National Park Authority, the Highland Council and our parent company Highlands and Islands Enterprise.”

The visitor management plan has been amended before, notably to allow ranger-guided group walks to the summit, which were launched on a trial basis in 2010 and made permanent in 2013.

In 2020, Cairngorm Estate owner Highlands and Islands Enterprise published the Cairngorm Masterplan, a 25-year vision which includes a strategic aim to evolve the Section 50 agreement and visitor management plan.

Proposals to improve access at the mountain top were also included in a review of the visitor management plan that was completed in 2023.

Any possibility of a trial at that time had to be put on hold, however, when the funicular railway was taken out of service for remediation in August of that year. The service resumed in February 2025, following completion of all safety-critical works.