The national park is administered by a national park authority, which is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government.
Under the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000, national parks in Scotland have four aims:
To conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area
To promote sustainable use of the natural resources of the area
To promote understanding and enjoyment (including enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the special qualities of the area by the public
To promote sustainable economic and social development of the area's communities
The first two of this aims are identical to those included in the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 legislation that governs national parks in England and Wales, however the Scottish national parks have two additional aims (3 and 4 above).
 The general purpose of the national park authority, as defined in the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000, is to ensure that these aims are "collectively achieved ...in a coordinated way".
 Although the four aims have equal status, in accordance with the Sandford Principle, the first aim (conservation and enhancement of the natural and cultural heritage) is to be given greater weight when it appears to the park authority that there is irreconcilable conflict with the other aims.

The Park Authority works with partners, defined as "business, land owners, communities and charities".
The Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan 2017 - 2022 includes three long-term goals: conservation, visitor experience and rural development.
 
The Cairngorms national park authority shares statutory planning functions with the five local authorities covering the area, and has the power to "call in" planning decisions made by them.
The authority also takes responsibility for managing access to the countryside that elsewhere falls to local authorities.
Aside from the planning and access functions, the national parks authority has considerable flexibility as to how the four aims are achieved.
It can, for example, acquire land, make byelaws and management agreements, provide grants, offer advice, and undertake or commission research.
The authority is headquartered in Grantown on Spey.

The national park authority is run by a board, consisting of 19 members.
Five members are elected by the community and seven are appointed by the Scottish Government.
The remaining seven members are nominated by the local authorities, with Highland and Aberdeenshire councils each appointing two members and the remaining three councils appointing one member each.
The national park is administered by a national park authority, which is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. Under the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000, national parks in Scotland have four aims:
To conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area
To promote sustainable use of the natural resources of the area
To promote understanding and enjoyment (including enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the special qualities of the area by the public
To promote sustainable economic and social development of the area's communities
The first two of this aims are identical to those included in the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 legislation that governs national parks in England and Wales, however the Scottish national parks have two additional aims (3 and 4 above).  The general purpose of the national park authority, as defined in the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000, is to ensure that these aims are "collectively achieved ...in a coordinated way".  Although the four aims have equal status, in accordance with the Sandford Principle, the first aim (conservation and enhancement of the natural and cultural heritage) is to be given greater weight when it appears to the park authority that there is irreconcilable conflict with the other aims. 
The Park Authority works with partners, defined as "business, land owners, communities and charities". The Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan 2017 - 2022 includes three long-term goals: conservation, visitor experience and rural development.  
The Cairngorms national park authority shares statutory planning functions with the five local authorities covering the area, and has the power to "call in" planning decisions made by them. The authority also takes responsibility for managing access to the countryside that elsewhere falls to local authorities. Aside from the planning and access functions, the national parks authority has considerable flexibility as to how the four aims are achieved. It can, for example, acquire land, make byelaws and management agreements, provide grants, offer advice, and undertake or commission research. The authority is headquartered in Grantown on Spey.
The national park authority is run by a board, consisting of 19 members. Five members are elected by the community and seven are appointed by the Scottish Government. The remaining seven members are nominated by the local authorities, with Highland and Aberdeenshire councils each appointing two members and the remaining three councils appointing one member each.
Cairngorms National Park