Various bodies including FCS, CNPA, Highland Council, HIE and SNH have formed a Glenmore Partnership: 'a partnership between public bodies for the strategic management of the Glenmore Forest Park including CairnGorm Mountain'. Almost 6000acres of Rothiemurchas Estate was sold to the FCS for £7.4m earlier this year, land that is continuous with the existing FCS land around Loch Morlich.
A few documents:
Partnership Agreement: [
www.highland.gov.uk]
[
cairngorms.co.uk]
Outline Document: [
visitcairngorms.com]
DURING 2014 THE PARTNERSHIP WILL WORK TO DELIVER:
•A 20 year vision and masterplan
•Land Management Plans
•Visitor Experience Plans
•Transport Infrastructure
•Communications
There certainly is potential to create an integrated year round world class visitor destination location, but the mountain has to be integrated with Glenmore. At present they are practically cut off from each other by the mountain road and out with a busy day in winter, the Coire Cas Carpark is about as unwelcoming a place as one can imagine - it simply doesn't cut it as the principe point of access to the mountain core of the Cairngorms.
If they are to fulfil their remit then they must at least explore the potential possiblites surrounding a Glenmore Gondola.
Transport:
Review and consolidate car parking, manage traffic flows and seek enhanced public transport provision.
A gondola allows total car parking in the corridor to be reduced, number of parking sites rationalised, while still being better able to meet the winter and summer peak demand.
Through having a lift base at Glenmore, the bus service reliability can be significantly enhanced. It currently takes 2 buses to sustain the present hourly service from Dalfaber to CairnGorm - it would be possible to sustain a half hourly service from Aviemore to a Glenmore Base with the same resources (which would in itself encourage public transport use over driving to and parking at Glenmore).
Thoughts on the Glenmore Gondola: [
www.winterhighland.info]
Previous Gondola Thread: [
www.winterhighland.info]
Scotsman Article on Downwards Expansion: [
www.scotsman.com]
Ramblers call for Glenmore Gondola: [
www.grough.co.uk]
Edited 4 times. Last edit at 13.27hrs Fri 9 May 14 by alan.