Residents in the Cairngorms have voiced significant concerns over the management of a wildfire that has been burning for ten days, with many describing the official response as 'too slow'. The village of Nethy Bridge saw evacuations ordered on Friday evening after a shift in weather conditions heightened fears that the blaze was moving directly towards the community, leading to the declaration of a major incident.
However, local inhabitants argue that this crucial escalation came far too late. Sandy McCook, leader of the Nethy Bridge community council, stated that calls for a major incident declaration had been made for 'over a week' before it was finally actioned at 22:00 on Friday. Mr McCook highlighted that the fire, initially reported as the size of a small car last Wednesday, rapidly expanded to the size of a tennis court within an hour. He believes the opportunity to extinguish the fire early was missed.
Concerns were also raised regarding communication, with Mr McCook suggesting that decisions were being made 'from Edinburgh' without sufficient input from those with local knowledge. He praised the 'resilience of the Highlands', noting that people from across the country had come to assist, with some working 24-hour shifts on the hillside.
Another Nethy Bridge resident, John McGlinchey, recounted leaving his property around 16:00 on Friday as flames became visible from his home, well before official evacuation notices reached his door near midnight. He expressed fears that 'the entire village would be lost' and welcomed the subsequent rainfall as an 'absolute godsend' for dampening the flames, though he remains concerned about potential re-ignition. Mr McGlinchey criticised the lack of a comprehensive contingency plan, despite acknowledging 'good intentions' behind the evacuation efforts, which he felt were 'just not organised properly'. Some evacuated residents reportedly had to sleep on the floor at the Macdonald Aviemore Resort due to a shortage of rooms.
In response, Neil Gray, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, affirmed that the Scottish Government and emergency services are dedicating all possible resources to tackling the fire. He stated that decisions on the best course of action are made on an 'evidence basis', with the government taking its lead from the emergency services. Mr Gray confirmed that the government had requested additional helicopters from the military after exhausting commercially available options, and that two commercial helicopters were operational on Saturday, with more expected on Sunday, secured through a contract led by NatureScot.