Swinney to visit Cairngorms wildfire as questions grow over Scotland's fire response

Firefighters on day three of the Cairngorms wildfire | RSPB Scotland/PA Wire

The First Minister is to visit the scene of the Cairngorms wildfire this morning, six days after it broke out in the national park.

John Swinney’s visit comes as another wildfire hit Edinburgh’s Arthur’s Seat over the weekend.

Speaking ahead of the trip, during which he will thank firefighters who have been tackling the blaze, which burnt through a 4 mile stretch of land, Mr Swinney said the “dangers cannot be underestimated” from such incidents.

Read more: Wildfires are burning now: Scotland needs a dedicated aerial response

An exclusion zone remains in place in the national park’s Glenmore area, with walkers warned to avoid the affected area. Officers are assisting those displaced by the wildfire to return briefly to collect essential belongings before confirming when it is safe for them to return permanently.

The Scottish Government faced criticism during the early stages of the fire after the health secretary, Neil Gray, described the incident as “contained” on Thursday. Shortly after his comments, two helicopters were called in to assist firefighters tackling the blaze.

Rural groups and estate workers at the scene also highlighted what they described as a noticeable absence of comment from the rural affairs and climate action secretary, Gillian Martin.

Questions have also been raised over the availability of helicopters to tackle wildfires after an earlier request for one during the Cairngorms blaze was turned down because none were available. The SFRS said the aircraft had been requested as a precaution and was not necessary at the time.

READ MORE: Scotland must ‘act now’ as threat of ‘wildfire disaster’ looms

Two helicopters were latr deployed to waterbomb the area as part of efforts to contain the blaze, alongside fire appliances, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and a wildfire support unit.

Ross Ewing, director of moorland at estates membership organisation Scottish Land and Estates, said despite years of warnings about increasing wildfire risk, Scotland still lacks a dedicated aerial wildfire team controlled by SFRS and relies on helicopters contracted from the private sector.

“That gap matters because large wildfires are often won or lost during the earliest stages of an incident,” he said.

“The private helicopter companies relied upon currently have a broad range of commitments and contracts, and it is not always possible to guarantee their support when it is required.”

The SFRS said it remains fully prepared and equipped to respond to wildfires across Scotland.

Deputy assistant chief officer Michael Humphries said: “The decision to request helicopter support at any incident is a multi-agency decision which should be made at the discretion of the incident commander and their professional assessment of the incident.

READ MORE: What can Scotland learn from Catalonia about wildfires?

“Helicopter support can of course be beneficial, and we will use them as and when they are available, however it is not always essential. Where a helicopter is not available, the tactical plan to fight the fire will always account for this.”

He said the Cairngorms fire was “appropriately and proportionately resourced throughout.”

Mr Swinney said SFRS crews, Police Scotland, land managers, volunteers and other organisations “have been absolutely outstanding tackling this substantial fire” in the Cairngorms.

Questions over whether Scotland is prepared for more frequent wildfire incidents have gathered momentum in the last year, particularly since last year’s Dava Moor and Carrbridge wildfires which, combined, were believed to be the biggest wildfire incident in the country’s history.

A Freedom of Information request obtained by the Scottish Conservatives showed the number of wildfire warning risks have grown from one in 2020 to 14 in 2025. There were zero ‘extreme’ warnings in 2020, but by last year that rose to 9.

The party’s rural affairs spokesperson, MSP Finlay Carson, said: “More extreme wildfires are going to become even more common in Scotland in the coming years and ministers should be pulling out all the stops to minimise the impact on our land.

“They should start by finally backing our calls for a dedicated national wildfire rescue unit so that land managers and firefighters can have confidence that support will be available from across the country.

“These alarming figures should be the wake-up call for SNP ministers to finally lay out a plan to support communities most at risk of these extreme wildfires.”