This week we were delighted to complete our first wave of the Cairngorms Business Barometer – a quarterly survey of businesses located in the Cairngorms National Park which we have been commissioned to undertaken by Cairngorms Business Partnership (CBP). The survey provides CBP, their partners and the businesses that take part with information on business performance, confidence and barriers to growth. Particularly vital insights at this critical time.

Just over 100 businesses took part and the key results from the Quarter 2 survey have received coverage in the local press. As described in the article, we found that business confidence for the summer months is now higher than at any stage since before the pandemic. However, businesses told us that a number of barriers continue to restrain growth – most notably the burdens of bureaucracy and rising administration costs. Also for some businesses a shortage of local, affordable housing is making it difficult for them to recruit and retain staff.

We look forward to continuing to work with CBP on future waves of the Barometer: get in touch if you’d like to find out more about the approach or if you are a business based in the Cairngorms and would like to take part in the next wave.