Cairngorms Trust

27/08/2026

We’re focussing on our different funds this week and it’s the turn of the flagship scheme – the Community Led Vision Fund.

This grant scheme has been at the heart of our work for the past six years, giving away more than £1million to communities in the Cairngorms. And what a range of projects that has included! As you can see from our photographs, there’s village hall refurbishments, educational workshops, environmental improvements and much more.

And the good news – it’s still open for expressions of interest. If your community has an idea that needs a boost, we might be able to help. Have a chat with our team about the process and maybe you’ll be in the next set of pictures!

26/08/2026

We're looking forward to the Greentown Show on Saturday - pop along to the Square in Grantown to chat to us about our funding and projects.

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Three weeks to go to Greentown Show, on Saturday 29th August at 10am-3pm in the Square in Grantown.

Cairngorms National Park Authority will be showcasing highlights of their Cairngorms 2030 projects. Anagach Woods Trust will be featuring their woodworking crafts and wildlife habitat restoration work. Speyside Fields for Wildlife will show how they have brought life-and colour- to the strath.

25/08/2026

CALLING YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK!

The Cairngorms Youth Local Action Group has reopened its fund for applications, and there’s £5,000 available.

Anyone under the age of 30 can apply and if you need a bit of inspiration just take a look at these pictures of past projects. Grants have previously been given towards events, artist residencies, first aid workshops, photographic equipment, forest bathing qualifications and woodworking tools.

This is the eighth round of funding and it’s focussed on individuals only. Members of the YLAG will make decisions on who to fund in October, and they’re looking for projects or activities that tackle priorities including health and wellbeing, sustainability and the climate emergency, skills development, inclusion and under-represented groups, as well as arts, culture and nature connection.

More information and application forms can be found through the Cairngorms Trust’s website: https://cairngormstrust.org.uk/apply-for-funding/cairngorms-youth-action-team-youth-lag/

22/08/2026

It is a busy time for the Trust - we have several funds available so this week we're going to highlight what each is for.

First up is the Networks for Nature Fund, which closes for Expressions of Interest on Monday August 31.

This fund aims to help develop nature projects specifically related to climate change and to tackle biodiversity decline within the Cairngorms National Park.

Our main themes are Creating Networks for Nature to thrive in; Nature Resilience; Community Nature Projects; Pollinator Projects and Youth Led and Youth Education projects to encourage young people to be able to access courses to encourage careers in the nature environment, although we will consider other nature-based projects that fit the criteria of the fund.

You can find out more on our website - along with details of all the other open funds: https://cairngormstrust.org.uk/apply-for-funding/

14/08/2026

🌟 FUNDING FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE PROJECTS NOW AVAILABLE!

Our Communities and Cultural Heritage Fund has reopened, with a £50,000 pot for projects in the Cairngorms.

We want to hear from organisations and businesses with ideas celebrating the identity and culture of the National Park.

The fund, which is a collaboration between the Trust and the Cairngorms National Park Authority, gave out £65,000 earlier this year, supporting 11 projects. That included a project to build traditional boats, creation of digital archives in Glenmore and Braemar and a textile exhibition at Grantown Museum.

A total of £50,000 is available this year, to be distributed over two funding rounds.
Organisations can apply for grants between £2,500 to a maximum of £10,000, though it is anticipated that the majority of awards will be around £5,000.

The deadline for expressions of interest is 9am on Thursday 3 September. Successful organisations will then be asked to complete a full application by midnight on Sunday 18 October, with decisions being taken by the Cairngorms Trust at their November meeting.

The deadline for EOIs in the second round is Monday 1 December.

You can find further information is available on the Funding page on our website.

Photos show some of the people and activities we funded in February!

06/08/2026

It's time for our AGM - when we look back at the past year of work and reflect on our achievements. You are very welcome to attend, whether in person at the Highland Wildlife Park or online.

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04/08/2026

This is an amazing gesture by the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival. We are so grateful.

We have had so many people contact us wanting to raise money towards the recovery from the awful wildfire in the Cairngorms, which has affected so many people and so much of our wonderful landscape.

The money from Clean Fields tickets will initially go into our Wildfire Response and Recovery Fund, which is open until September, and thereafter towards any other priority funding of the Cairngorms Trust.

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Clean Fields Booking Update 🌱

Ahead of Belladrum 2027 tickets going on sale tonight at 6pm, we would like to share an important update to the way Clean Fields places are booked.

Those staying in Clean Fields commit to our Leave No Trace charter and share its environmentally conscious ethos, helping us to keep the campsite clean, tidy and as waste-free as possible.

Clean Fields is one of our most popular campsites and, historically, tickets have been available free of charge.

➡ For 2027, we will be introducing a small charge of £2 per Clean Fields ticket.

Why are we introducing this charge?

Importantly, Belladrum will not retain any of the £2 ticket income.

Instead, the entire £2 from every Clean Fields ticket will be donated to Cairngorms Trust.

These funds will be ring-fenced initially to support the response to the recent devastating Cairngorms wildfires and then for any other funding priority of the Cairngorms Trust. ❤️

In previous years, we have unfortunately seen a significant number of free Clean Fields tickets booked but not used.

We completely understand that plans can change; however, this has meant that other festivalgoers have missed out, while also making it difficult for us to manage the campsite’s capacity accurately.

We hope that introducing this small charitable contribution will encourage people to book only the places they expect to use, helping more festivalgoers who genuinely want to stay in Clean Fields to secure a space. At the same time, every booking will contribute to an important environmental cause.

You can find more information about Clean Fields and its Leave No Trace charter here:
https://tartanheartfestival.com/campsites

You can learn more about the charity and its work here: https://cairngormstrust.org.uk

We thank you for your understanding,

Team Bella x

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Please remember it’s one ticket per person, and not one ticket per tent. 😊

20/07/2026

We have reopened our popular Networks for Nature Fund for Expressions of Interest this summer.

This fund was established to develop projects specifically related to climate change and tackling biodiversity decline in the Cairngorms National Park area. We are seeking ideas that protect and replenish our natural and social capital, and we’re especially looking for projects that fit our themes and priorities. They include nature resilience, community nature, pollinators and youth-led schemes.

There’s £18,000 available and we’re anticipating giving out grants of between £5,000 and £8,000, but we will look at smaller community projects up to and around £750.

In the past we’ve funded equipment for Anagach Woods’ volunteers, tree planting on Deeside and an outdoor classroom and polytunnel at Grantown Grammar School.

You can find more information on our website – the deadline for expressions of interest is August 31. Applications will be invited in September, with a deadline of October 18. The Cairngorms Trust board will then make their decisions at their November meeting.

Find out more on our website: https://cairngormstrust.org.uk/apply-for-funding/networks-for-nature-fund-2026-2026-2/

16/07/2026

Just a few days left to submit your application to our Accessible Paths Fund. This is a pilot fund of £16k, aimed at improving core paths in the Cairngorms National Park area.
Core paths are main routes that provide access to and around local areas, and they can be used for a range of activities including walking, cycling and horse riding.
Grants will range between £300 and £2,000 – these could be for installing a new bench, or sensory features , such as sound boxes or braille signs.
The deadline for applications is July 19 so you’ve still got time to polish your bid.

https://cairngormstrust.org.uk/apply-for-funding/accessible-paths-fund/

Photo: Jakub Iwanick/VisitScotland

13/07/2026

Time for another update from our Communities and Cultural Heritage Fund projects.

Grantown Museum received around £6,000 towards a series of events about the history of textiles in Strathspey. This has included setting up a floor loom at the museum and using it to recreate an 18th century plaid, using remnants acquired from a family in America.

There have also been several well-attended events, including a tartan weaving workshop with local schoolchildren and talks from tartan historian Peter Macdonald.

You’ve still got time to see the loom in action – the exhibition will run throughout the summer!