Cairngorm consultation set to end

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A year-long consultation on plans to transfer the Cairngorm Estate from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to the Forestry Commission is to end.

More than 80 organisations with an interest in the 3,500-acre estate have been asked for their views.

The area owned by HIE includes the summit of Cairn Gorm, the ski slopes and the mountain railway.

HIE said it was important to balance "conservation" of the area with the wider need for recreation.

Economic development

The estate, which now lies within the Cairngorms National Park, was earmarked for winter sports development in 1971 and has been developed by HIE and its predecessor body since then.

About a third of the estate is currently leased to CairnGorm Mountain Ltd, operators of the ski area and mountain railway, which opened in 2002 and attracts 200,000 paying customers each year.

CairnGorm Mountain have a long term lease on the £15m development so any change in ownership would not affect skiing.

Director of global connections, Douglas McDairmid, said: "We are really keen to see that the sustained contribution to economic development, which the facility on the mountain represents, is continued.

"But in addition we have got to make sure it is well managed in the public interest."

Forestry Commission Scotland said it had experience managing other sensitive mountain environments and had owned the estate before 1971.

Last week the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) urged any potential new owner of Cairngorm Estate not to be too hasty in removing mothballed ski tows from the area.

However, the authority said it would be supportive of Forestry Commission Scotland taking over.