Vast swathes of the Cairngorms National Park, a cherished jewel in the Scottish Highlands, have been left unrecognisable after 12 days of what residents describe as 'cataclysmic' wildfires. Large areas of moorland and forest continue to burn, with smoke billowing across the landscape and the night sky glowing an eerie orange. While emergency services are working to prevent further spread, authorities have warned that fully extinguishing the blaze could take weeks or months, and the environmental damage will likely take decades to rectify.
The fires have devastated significant portions of the park, including segments of the ancient Caledonian pinewood forest, home to Scots pine trees over 300 years old. While fire breaks, urgently bulldozed in the initial days, saved much of the older forest, the loss of rare habitats is considerable. Ian Allsopp, Forestry and Land Scotland's planning manager for the north region, indicated that larger animals like deer would have escaped, but countless smaller mammals, lizards, insects, and ground-nesting birds are believed to have perished.
Grant Moir, chief executive of the Cairngorms National Park, described it as the worst fire the park has ever witnessed, emphasising the precious nature of the affected areas, particularly the Cairngorm mountains and Abernethy. The cause of the fire remains unknown, though a national park bylaw banning campfires and barbecues was introduced in April 2026 to mitigate ignition risks. The vast majority of UK wildfires are human-caused, often from discarded cigarettes or glass bottles.
Despite Police Scotland no longer classifying it as a major incident, anxiety remains high among local communities. Residents of Nethy Bridge village were evacuated last Friday night after strong winds fanned the flames, just days after being told the fire was 'contained'. Though residents have now been permitted to return, a makeshift base for emergency services at the Nethy Bridge community centre highlights the ongoing effort, with exhausted personnel and volunteers supported by a flood of donated food.
Local anger is palpable, with many feeling the fire could have been prevented. Sandy McCook, a retired press photographer from Nethy Bridge, recounted seeing the fire when it was the size of a tennis court and believes a government-contracted firefighting helicopter could have tackled it within hours. He, along with others, advocates for a model similar to the Scottish air ambulance, providing specialist firefighting aircraft and crew for hard-to-reach blazes. Currently, three private helicopters are contracted, depositing approximately 750,000 litres of water daily on hotspots, a crucial effort in the 'extremely challenging landscape' of steep mountains and dense forests.
The Scottish Green party echoed these concerns on Monday, calling for publicly available firefighting aircraft during wildfire season. They argue that Scotland cannot continue to rely on a 'patchwork of private operators and borrowed resources,' a statement made after the UK government offered military support on Sunday but acknowledged it lacked access to firefighting aircraft.