Comparing National Parks: Cairngorms and Yellowstone

Visitors

Well, they both attract a huge number of visitors. Yellowstone attracts around two million visitors every year. Approximately half of these arrive in July! The Cairngorms receive around 1.4 million visitors spread more throughout the year. So they are both busy, major national attractions.

Size

The Cairngorms are about half the size of Yellowstone at 452,800 hectares.

The Cairngorm plateau in winter.

Geology

Yellowstone consists of various volcanic features such as the Yellowstone Caldera. This supervolcano is located in northwest Wyoming and is 40 miles across. In case you are wondering a supervolcano ejects over 1000 cubic kilometers of material when it erupts! The earth’s crust is thin in Yellowstone, hence so many geothermal features. One of the most famous being, Old Faithful, a spectacular geyser. The Cairngorms makeup is different. It is home to the greatest area of montane habitat in the UK. This includes some of the best glacial landforms outside of Arctic Canada.

Old Faithful

Wildlife

They are both reservoirs for important species and have large areas of habitat. The Cairngorms has 25% of the threatened species in the UK. This area also has the largest areas of native Pinewood in Scotland.  Yellowstone has the most intact ecosystem in the lower United States. Within the park roam a full suite of apex predators such as Wolves, Grizzly Bears and Bobcat.

Scotland’s version of the Bison, the Highland Coo.

Threats to the parks

Potential wild species reintroduction in Scotland? Eurasian Lynx (Photo by http://www.mindbox.at/gallery/)

Although both Parks have very important habitats there are some major issues affecting them. In the Cairngorms, the small area of woodland habitat, grazing pressures and lack of apex predators impact on the overall quality of its ecosystem.

• Read more on the possible re-introduction of Apex predators in Scotland.

In Yellowstone the problem is not so much inside the Park as outside it. Bison and Elk are more or less contained in the Park due to fencing. Increasing development has limited their historic migrations. They are now restricted to more benign lower altitudes in the wintertime.

The main difference is that the Cairngorms are a populated national park. You go through a Park gate in Yellowstone and apart from Park Staff no-one lives there. You can visit but not make a home there. The population is just under 300. In the Cairngorms you can just drive in past the signs, no Park pass required. 18,000 people live in the Park with that population almost doubling in the summertime.

Does it matter?

Both Parks are fantastic places to visit. Perhaps Scotland’s version seems less wild with more approachable wildlife. But both have a variety of natural wonders to behold and will render you awestruck.

More information on Yellowstone  More information on The Cairngorms

Fancy Visiting the Cairngorms National Park? Below are some of our tours that explore the area:

• Wilderness Walking – Cairngorms National Park and Royal Deeside
• Wilderness Walking – High Points of the Cairngorms National Park
• Wilderness Walking – National Parks of the UK