Police went door to door in the Highlands on Wednesday afternoon, delivering a stark message to residents: “Leave your pets and go.” The evacuation order came as a wildfire tore through the Cairngorms National Park, sending vast plumes of smoke towards nearby towns.
Duncan Ferguson, who lives in Glenmore near Aviemore, said officers came to his house telling people to abandon their homes immediately. “It’s going to be bad, it’s going to be major unless they get hold of it,” he warned. “It’s heathland at the minute, but it’s started to burn in the upper area of the regeneration of the Caledonian pine forest. Once it comes down into there, it’s dry, dry ground, with a real load to burn. It’s just going to get hotter and hotter.”
“Police evacuated homes as a wildfire spread through Cairngorms National Park, with residents told to leave immediately.”
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) was alerted at 11:49am and scrambled four fire engines and specialist wildfire resources to Ryvoan Bothy, near Nethy Bridge. Group commander Raymond King said there were no reported casualties but that large volumes of smoke were drifting towards populated areas. “Residents in Aviemore, Glenmore and the surrounding communities should keep their windows and doors closed,” he advised. “If you are within this area and can see or smell smoke, please follow the same advice.”
The fire comes as the UK endures its third heatwave of the year, with wildfires breaking out across the country. Ferguson, operations manager at the Spey Fishery Board, noted that a nearby campsite had not yet been evacuated. However, Glenmore Lodge, an outdoors centre, confirmed it was within the evacuation zone and urged travellers to avoid the area.
A spokesperson for the Cairngorms National Park Authority called the incident “deeply concerning” and thanked those tackling the blaze. “We would echo the advice of SFRS to avoid the area,” they said. The park is popular with hillwalkers, and fire crews urged visitors to remain vigilant while firefighting continues. Ferguson’s warning underscored the stakes: if the flames reach the pine forest, the dry ground could fuel an even more catastrophic inferno.