The Scottish Government

Regional Priority Code

Landscape priorities

Relevant Packages

Valued and attractive landscapes which contribute positively to people's environment, through:

GRA13a

a. The safeguarding and enhancement of the diverse character of rural landscapes. Particularly:

• through activities on designated landscapes including Cairngorms National Park, degraded landscapes, historic gardens and designed landscapes.

GRA13b

b. Enhanced experience, understanding and enjoyment of the landscape.

• particularly through activities on designated landscapes including Cairngorms National Park, degraded landscapes, historic gardens and designed landscapes
• promoting recreational and educational facilities and the management, creation of viewpoints within national and local scenic areas.

GRA13c

c. High quality design in both new build and natural elements that enhance and strengthen the landscape character of an area. Particularly proposals which:

• promote quality environmental design and architecture, respecting policy objectives of landscape designations and utilising sustainable design guidelines.

GRA13d

d. Actions at a landscape scale which strengthen and/or enhance the landscape character of an area and contribute to sense of place. Particularly proposals which:

• promote developments and landscape management/enhancement activities that respect the scale of the landscape location and character, contributing to the local sense of place in Grampian.

GRA13e

e. A strengthening and/or enhancement of the special qualities within National Scenic Areas (NSA), National Parks and locally designated landscapes. Actions should contribute to delivery of NSA Management Strategy where one is in place. Particularly proposals which:

• contribute to the delivery of the Cairngorms National Park Plan and are aligned with management strategies for Lochnagar and Cairngorms NSAs and other local landscape designations in Grampian.

GRA13f

f. Action for landscapes whose qualities have been degraded by past use. Particularly proposals which:

• support removal of old tip sites, remedial action on hill tracks and best practice design, repair of deteriorating dykes, restructuring conifer plantations based on forest design best practice, historic gardens and designed landscapes
• address erosion and damage resulting from heavy access use and lack of maintenance in fragile areas and popular footpaths in the hills and uplands of Grampian.

GRA14

An increased contribution to the diversity and character of landscape form Scotland's woods and forests, through restructuring planted woodlands, particularly through the use of Low Intervention Silvicultural Systems, and diversification of a range of well designed woodland types in the preferred areas, as identified in regional Indicative Forestry Strategies or Woodland Strategies or in line with Forest Habitat Networks, particularly the improvement of degraded or unsightly local environments. Particularly proposals which:

• support woodland management and expansion which help to deliver Moray, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City Forest and Woodland Strategies, Cairngorms Forest and Woodland Framework, Grampian Scottish Forestry Strategy Implementation Plan and/ or Forest Habitat Networks
• support Forest Plans and associated actions to restructure large-scale, first-rotation conifer forests
• support positive management of ancient/ heritage trees; the management and establishment of single, rows and small groups of trees as landscape features.