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Pine trees in woodland with sunshire shining through.

Cairngorms Rare Plants Project

Building on our previous work, Plantlife’s project, Rare Plants and Wild Connections, empowers people to take action to save and support our rarest wild plants

The Cairngorms are home to some of our rarest wild plants. Habitats include wildlife-rich grasslands, ancient waxcap grassland sites, rare Caledonian pinewood forests, and breath-taking high mountains.  

Our current Cairngorms project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It is supported by the Cairngorms National Park Authority and NatureScot.  

Guardians of the Flower

Without intervention, the delicate white blooms of the rare Twinflower could disappear from Scotland.

However, volunteers from across the Cairngorms have been working hard to bring this iconic Scottish wildflower back. Watch in this beautiful video as the community comes together to save Twinflower, and learn more about the project and this special plant.

Live from the Cairngorms

Watch as Project Manager Sam Jones went live on Instagram to showcase the rare plants that are thriving after 3 years of the Rare Plants and Wild Connections project.

Which habitats are Plantlife protecting in the Cairngorms?

Four people sitting on a grass and one person standing up surveying the grazing

Mob grazing volunteers hard at work in wildlife-rich grasslands. Img by: Sam Jones

A person looking at the grass and taking samle

Hill walking volunteer digging for mountaintop samples. Image by Andrea Britton

Caledonian Pinewoods 

We’re working to save rare the rare pinewood species One-flowered Wintergreen Moneses uniflora and Twinflower Linnaea borealis. The remaining populations of these plants are fragmented and struggling to survive. We are taking direct action to save these species.  

White bell like flowers called One Flowered Wintergreen

Cairngorms, Scotland. Image by: Keilidh Ewan

Wildlife-rich grasslands 

The Cairngorms are home to some of the last remaining wildlife-rich grasslands in Scotland. We are working with volunteers and farmers to restore and reconnect these rare habitats.  

A red coloured waxcap mushroom among grass

Blackening Waxcap Hygrocybe conica in a waxcap grassland, Glen Clova, Cairngorms Scotland

Mountaintops  

Working with the James Hutton Institute (JHI) and dedicated hill walking volunteers , we have carried out ground-breaking new research on the summit of the mountains. This research is helping us to understand the impact of climate change on Scotland’s mountain top habitats. 

It’s always rewarding to volunteer with a clear purpose, but at the same time it’s a great excuse just to get out and explore. I’d never have visited these places otherwise, there’s no paths or signs – just the opportunity to get close to nature, both physically and in understanding. Winter’s fast approaching now, so the fieldwork is easing off, it’s a time to write up and reflect, but I’m also carrying a huge responsibility. Outside my window are trays of twinflower seedlings which I need to see safely through to next year

Volunteer Colin MacLennan

How can I get involved?

Plantlife is always looking for volunteers to assist in project like this, either through the translocation process, site monitoring, or removal of invasive non-native species, like Rhododendron ponticum.

Keep informed of opportunities by following Plantlife Scotland on Facebook or Twitter. Live too far to assist? Getting the word out about our work is just as important as participating.

Project Details

Our current work builds on the legacy of the Cairngorms Wild Plants project, which ended in September 2020. This project was funded through Cairngorms LEADER, the Cairngorms National Park Authority and Nature Scot. Through this project we are working with land managers, local communities, organisations and visitors to the National Park.

The project is made possible by our funders

The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Cairngorms National Park Authority, NatureScot

The National Lottery Heritage Fund logo, Cairgorms National Park Authority and Nature Scot Logo