First Minister John Swinney has asked the UK Government for military aerial support to help tackle a major wildfire near Nethy Bridge in the Cairngorms, as residents voice frustration over the response to a blaze that has now burned an estimated 1,000 hectares of land.
The military has been called in to help fight a wildfire in the Cairngorms, ten days after it first broke out, amid growing frustration among residents over how the response has been handled. First Minister John Swinney confirmed on Saturday that a formal request had been made to the Ministry of Defence for aerial support, following a second meeting of the Scottish Government’s resilience room, attended by several ministers. The request came after Police Scotland declared a major incident on Friday night and asked residents of Nethy Bridge to consider evacuating as a precaution.
Scale of the wildfire
The fire, which broke out last Wednesday near Ryvoan Bothy close to the RSPB’s Abernethy reserve, is estimated to have burned around ten square kilometres, roughly 1,000 hectares, of moorland, heather and ecologically sensitive land since it began on 15 July, making it one of the largest wildfires seen in Scotland in recent years. Smoke from the blaze has been reported as far away as Aberdeen, underlining the scale of the fire and its impact on air quality across the wider region.
Around 500 firefighters are currently deployed to the blaze, supported by helicopters contracted from the private sector, high-volume pumps drawing water from Loch Morlich, specialist wildfire units and all-terrain vehicles working to tackle hotspots across difficult terrain. There has been frustration on the ground, however, that Scotland has no dedicated wildfire aerial support, and that a helicopter was not available on the day the fire first started.
Government response
The Scottish Government’s Resilience Room met three times within a 24-hour period as the situation escalated, with ministers from justice, transport and net zero joining emergency agencies to coordinate the response. Officials said air support is now being prioritised for the areas where it can have the greatest impact, while crews continue constructing additional firebreaks to protect nearby communities.
Speaking on Saturday, Swinney said the situation in the wildfire area was “improving” but cautioned that “events can change very quickly due to weather conditions.” He added: “This remains a major and serious incident, so it is still extremely important that people follow the advice of emergency services and the Cairngorms National Park – it is essential people avoid the affected areas for safety reasons and to allow responders to focus on tackling the wildfire. A request has been made today to the UK Government for military assistance in aerial support that can be used to supplement existing resources that are being deployed to tackle the Cairngorms wildfire and we await a response.”
As of Saturday afternoon, the Ministry of Defence had not yet approved or rejected the Scottish Government’s request for military aerial assistance.
Impact on residents
Around 600 residents of Nethy Bridge were affected by the precautionary evacuation after the major incident was declared. Many chose to remain in their homes after a change in wind direction pushed smoke and flames away from the village, while others were taken to a makeshift respite centre at the McDonald Hotel in Aviemore, with some residents sleeping under tables. A number of hotels in the area have cancelled bookings in order to free up rooms for emergency workers.
Residents in a small area of properties north-west of Dorback Lodge, known as Lain Thatchan, were also evacuated as a precaution. The Scottish Government said a firebreak around Nethy Bridge was established overnight, with further breaks being constructed as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service deploys additional resources. A smoke advisory remains in place for Tomintoul, where residents have been advised to keep windows and doors closed because of smoke from the wildfire.
Residents voice frustration
Sandy McCook, chairman of the Nethy Bridge and Vicinity Community Council, described the scenes witnessed by residents before evacuation. “Apocalyptic is the word for the pall of smoke that was on the go yesterday,” he said. He noted that by Saturday midday, the smoke had shifted direction and was blowing towards Aberdeenshire and the North Sea, though flames remained “very plain to see” from the outskirts of the village. He said there had been a major increase in firefighting units from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in and around Nethy Bridge, alongside multiple wildfire response units.
McCook said many in the community were “running on adrenaline,” adding: “A lot of people are upset, angry and frustrated at the ongoing situation because the Scottish Government said a week ago [on Wednesday] that they had enough resources to deal with it, and they said on Thursday that the fire was contained. My argument with that is, if you said the fire was contained and you had enough resources last Wednesday and Thursday, why are we still fighting it 10 days later and it’s still running out of control? It is still not controlled in any way shape or form.”
Another Nethy Bridge resident criticised the emergency response, comparing it to “closing the stable door now that the horse has bolted.”
Wedding cancelled amid wildfire spread
The spread of the wildfire also led to the cancellation of a large wedding at Castle Roy, a semi-ruined 12th-century fortress near Nethy Bridge, on Saturday. Around 90 guests had been due to attend the celebration, travelling from both the US and London, before it was called off on Friday night. Some guests were reportedly forced to change accommodation in order to free up rooms for emergency services personnel working in the area.
Patricia Eccles, a trustee of Castle Roy, reflected on the cancellation: “It was going to be the most fabulous wedding – they had the stretch tents, the caterers, the posh loos and it had to be cancelled. It is such a shame as today the weather is beautiful and the smoke is now moving in the other direction.”
