Wildfire so big it could be seen from space rages across northern Scotland, with four-mile long blaze still spreading after 24 hours

By CLAIRE ELLIOT, SCOTTISH GENERAL NEWS REPORTER Published: 20:09, 16 July 2026 | Updated: 20:10, 16 July 2026 A wildfire raged across northern Scotland as fire crews battled to bring the inferno under control. Mass evacuations on the Cairngorm mountain saw residents, businesses and tourists forced to flee their properties and tents as flames and smoke engulfed the area. Satellite images showed the extent of blaze, covering a four-mile stretch of the national park, as fire crews warned the inferno was ‘continuing at a steady pace’ after more than 24 hours. Gamekeepers, landowners, RSPB staff and other volunteers joined the efforts using all-terrain vehicles laden with water supplies to extinguish the flames which are feared to have decimated local wildlife. James Reynolds, of RSPB Scotland, said nearly 1,000 acres of Abernethy National Nature Reserve, where the fire started, had been ravaged by the flames. The nature reserve, which lies within the national park, is home to more than 5,000 different species, including birds, red squirrels, badgers, lizards and deer. He said: ‘We won’t really know the full impact until after it’s out. But clearly when these things happen in a place where there are animals and wildlife it is of great concern.’ Locals described the scenes as ‘heartbreaking’, with Cairngorm Reindeer Centre forced to let its herd out of their enclosures to roam free to ‘keep themselves safe’. The wildfire became so intense it could be seen from space Mass evacuations on the Cairngorms saw residents, businesses and tourists forced to flee their properties But with reports of no helicopter support available to help efforts on the ground as the fire progressed, community leaders claimed nothing had been learned from the ‘mega’ fire which tore through Speyside last summer. Sandy McCook, chairman of the Nethy Bridge and Vicinity Community Council said: ‘We are seeing exactly the same situation. ‘We need a national facility for situations like this, where there’s always something [available]. ‘If a helicopter had been here and available within an hour of the fire starting yesterday, the fire could have been out a couple of hours after it started, but now here we are, and it’s 24 hours since it started, and it’s still spreading.’ By late on Thursday the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) confirmed that help from the air had arrived with ‘water bombing operations being undertaken in the area’. Roads on Thursday night remained closed and a strict cordon was in place with people urged not to travel after the blaze broke out east of Aviemore just before midday on Wednesday. It came as much of the country was warned of a ‘very high risk’ of wildfire lasting until at least Monday. The blaze broke out east of Aviemore just before midday on Wednesday Fire crews battled to bring the inferno under control Mountain rescue teams were forced to rescue a group of walkers who became stranded on the mountain as Glenmore Camp site at Loch Morlich and Cairngorm Mountain Resort also remained shut to visitors yesterday. Lee Hope, who lives in nearby Nethy Bridge said it looked like the fire was ‘getting worse’. He said: ‘Having spent time with several of the fire fighters coming off shift to rest, it’s apparent that the situation is unfortunately not going well. ‘Due to extreme dryness to the ground, prolonged temperatures and now a change in wind direction, the fire continues to spread but now even more worrying as it has reached areas that the fire crew and volunteers just can’t reach’. And many of those evacuated from camps sites, he said, had been advised to travel home. He said: ‘There were people dotted all around Aviemore sleeping in their cars because they had no where else to go - they had been told just to leave the site and all their stuff.’ Samantha Corden, from Derby, said: ‘We slept in our car. We had to leave our tent and most of our belongings and were advised to head home at 7am.’ Ann Conlin and her husband, from Glasgow, who have a seasonal caravan at Glenmore, were also evacuated to a hotel, but there were no beds available for her. She told the BBC there were ‘very limited resources at the hotel we were evacuated to, however NHS Grampian were superb finding a bed for my husband who has heart failure’. She also praised hotel staff for keeping spirits high. SFRS said that evacuation decisions were ‘taken only where there is genuine risk to public safety’. Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Ian McMeekin said: ‘The safety of our communities remains our priority, and we will continue to assess the need for any further evacuations alongside multi-agency partners as the incident progresses.’ Four fire appliances, a specialist wildfire unit and an additional 4x4 vehicle remained at the scene which SFRS confirmed had spread to an area affecting ‘approximately six kilometres, measuring around two to three feet in length, and is burning through 10-inch heather and small trees, with the fire continuing at a steady pace’. Mr McMeekin said it ‘remains a protracted incident’ and thanked crews for ‘their continued commitment and determination in challenging conditions’ as well as all those assisting. The ongoing efforts comes as four more areas of Scotland – including Aviemore - met the criteria of a heatwave yesterday after three or more days of temperature 25C and above. But as Scots elsewhere made the most of the sweltering conditions at beaches at Loch Lomond and Leven, Fife, and Gourock outdoor pool in Renfrewshire, Tyndrum, Perthshire, was the hottest place north of the Border reaching a sizzling 29.8C.