Geography For Schools

The Cairngorms officially became Scotland’s second National Park in September 2003. As well as being a National Park, this area is also used by for a number of tourist activities.

The Cairngorm funicular is a means of transport, pulled by cables over a track bed, allowing visitor access from the car park area up the mountain plateau. It was designed primarily for winter sports enthusiasts (skiers and snow-boarders) to replace the outdated chairlift system, but is in use all year round. In summer, however, visitors are not allowed to leave the restaurant viewing platform area, due to the potential damage their walking would inflict on the fragile mountain environment and local ecosystem. Much controversy surrounded the granting of the permission for the development to take place, with heated conflicts between conservationists and the developers.

At present there are two carriages, which pass at the half way station. Each carriage has capacity for 120 people standing and 43 seated, within four compartments, plus a carriage attendant compartment, which can take two wheel chairs, so long as prior notification has been received.

The funicular was officially opened 7 June 2002, by Mike Watson, the then Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport at the Scottish Executive, the funicular had been in operation for skiers and snow-boarders from 24 Dec 2001.

The funicular cost £15m, of which £12.1m came from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, £2.7m from ERDF, and Highland Council put in a further £1m, specially for the new mountain exhibition.

New Ptarmigan restaurant is the UK’s highest restaurant (at 1097m). The funicular also boasts the UK’s highest interpretive exhibition, highest retail outlet and highest underground station. These can be referred to as the unique selling points.

Leaflets recommend allowing 2 hours for the full visit, which assumes some refreshments will be consumed. There are some doubts as to whether or not visitors get value for money, for their £8.75 return ticket as of 2006 (eight minutes each way in carriages).

At the bottom station, visitor surveys have been undertaken, of all visitors, whether for the funicular or walkers up/down the paths of the Cairngorms.

Visitor Centre

The visitor centre is based at the Funicular top station, Ptarmigan (enclosed and underground). Summer passengers leave the carriages at the lowest level and walk into the exhibition area. (This means that descending passengers have to wait in their carriage at the low station (car parks) until the ascending passengers all leave the carriage, then the descending carriage pulls into the lower station proper.)

Exhibitions

There are a number of exhibitions shown at the centre. Trains arrive every 15 minutes, by which time most of previous passengers have moved through the exhibition space and climbed to the next floor, the retail sales area.

Retail Sales

There is a large area with local crafts and winter wear clothing, plus books, beers, whiskies, toys and games. The shop area has been designed for visitors to walk through the shop area and out the other side to climb up to the next floor, to the Ptarmigan Restaurant.

Viewing platform

There are spectacular views, on a clear day. It is possible to see over the Aviemore area and far beyond.

Managing the visitor

A "closed system" of visitor management is being operated, i.e. there is no access from Ptarmigan Station onto the paths network of the Cairngorm plateau in the summer, a rule which is closely monitored. Those people buying tickets for the funicular at the lower station (car parks) are advised of this policy by notices and reinforced information at the point of sale. This policy is to ensure that the fragile plants, animals, birds and insects around the Ptarmigan station are not adversely affected.

Perceived benefits of funicular

Operation can be undertaken on windy days and in poor weather. The original chairlift could not operate in these weather conditions. There is a planned increase in visitor numbers (skiers) from present 50,000 to 165,000 per annum. The funicular helps maintain and enhance the year round profitability and sustainability of the local tourism economy.

Chronology of the development

• 1961: White Lady Chairlift opened 23 December. This is used all year round for access to Ptarmigan restaurant and the Cairngorm plateau
• 1989: Replacement of Chairlift discussed
• 1989-93: Researching of potential replacement transport systems
• 1994: First planning application for a funicular transport system
• 1995: Planning application amended with Environmental statement
• 1997: Planning permission granted
• 1998: Writ issued by Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) against the planning decision. A Judicial review was carried out and the action of RSPB and WWF was dismissed.
• 1999: European Rural Development Funds (ERDF) received. Funding in place. Construction work on site began. (No work was carried out in the winter months of November to March)
• 24 December 2001: Opened for skiers and snow-boarders, 40 years after original chairlift.
• 7 June 2002: Official opening

Reported in SCENES, Scottish Environment News in December 2002

The Cairngorm Mountain railway has attracted 162 000 non-skiing visitors and 80 000 skiing visitors in its first year of operation.

The railway kept the hill open for skiing/snowboarding for 37 additional days out of the 83 that the previous chairlift could not have run, because of severe winds.

CairnGorm Mountain Railway applied for planning permission to retain, increase the width and extend the length of the funicular access from the Coire Cas car park to the Ptarmigan restaurant. It had been previously agreed, as part of the planning conditions for the funicular, to reinstate the construction track as a two metre wide footpath. Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the landowners, now want to use the track for maintenance and emergency access.