Cairngorms National Park wildfire declared major incident as hundreds of villagers evacuated

A major incident has been declared by Police Scotland as firefighters continue to battle a wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park.

As a result of the fire spreading, all residents of Nethy Bridge, a village of around 650 people, are being evacuated as a precaution, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said.

The wildfire has been raging since 15 July, but weather conditions experienced over the past 24 hours have aggravated the situation.

Residents of Nethy Bridge are being sent to a dedicated respite centre at the MacDonald Aviemore Resort.

More than 500 firefighters have tackled the blaze over the last nine days, alongside specialist wildfire appliances, all-terrain vehicles, helicopter water-bombing operations and partner agencies.

The Scottish Government's Resilience Room (SGORR) met on Friday night to discuss the evacuation of Nethy Bridge, with the meeting chaired by First Minister John Swinney.

It was attended by the SFRS, Police Scotland, Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth, Justice Secretary Neil Gray and other ministers and partners.

The first minister said: "This is clearly a very serious situation and is a hugely concerning and anxious time for residents and businesses in Nethy Bridge, and my thoughts are with them.

"As a result of changes in wind conditions that intensified the pace of spread of the wildfire, Police Scotland declared a major incident requiring the evacuation of the village of Nethy Bridge as a precaution.

"SFRS resources are focused on creating a fire break and additional police resources are being deployed to assist with the evacuation, including identifying vulnerable residents who may need extra support."

He continued: "I am extremely grateful to all the first responders who have been working hard to control this fire since it was first reported last Wednesday. I remain in continued contact with SFRS and partners and SGORR will convene again.

"This is a serious situation and I strongly urge people to continue to follow all advice from emergency services and transport authorities and continue to avoid the affected areas in the Cairngorms National Park."

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SFRS deputy assistant chief officer Kenny Barbour said: "Our firefighters, specialist resources and partners have worked tirelessly over the past nine days to respond to this challenging and complex wildfire incident.

"The combination of prolonged dry conditions, strengthening winds and challenging terrain has created an extremely complex operational environment.

"Large areas of the fire ground are inaccessible by vehicle or on foot, making helicopter water-bombing operations and specialist wildfire tactics essential to our response."

(c) Sky News 2026: Cairngorms National Park wildfire declared major incident as hundreds of villagers evacuated