Residents of the village of Nethy Bridge have been advised they can return to their properties after a major incident involving a large wildfire within bbc.co.uk was stood down by Police Scotland on Saturday night.
The evacuation, which began on Friday night, was triggered by a change in weather and stronger winds that caused unpredictable flare-ups. These conditions pushed the fire toward woodland and properties in Strathnethy, an area home to approximately 600 residents. To support those displaced, emergency services established a respite centre at the Macdonald Aviemore Hotel, though some residents reported having to sleep on the floor due to a lack of rooms.
Emergency Response and Containment
Police Scotland’s deputy assistant chief officer, Kenny Barbour, stated that the decision to lift the evacuation followed a detailed assessment by emergency responders. Barbour noted that the creation of effective fire breaks over recent days significantly reduced the risk to nearby communities. Additionally, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service reported “good progress” in strengthening fire breaks to protect residential areas and a reduction in the number of fire hot spots.
The wildfire, which began on July 15 near Ryvoan Bothy, south of Nethy Bridge, covered roughly six square kilometres of small trees and heather at its peak. The response involved more than 500 firefighters, specialist wildfire units, all-terrain vehicles, gamekeepers, and local estate workers. Due to large areas of the fire ground being inaccessible by foot or vehicle, responders relied on specialist wildfire tactics and helicopter water-bombing. Cabinet Secretary for Justice Neil Gray confirmed that two commercial helicopters, provided via a NatureScot-led contract, were available on Saturday, with more scheduled for Sunday.
Local Criticism of Government Handling
Despite the resolution of the major incident, residents and local leaders have criticised the government’s response. Nethy Bridge community council leader Sandy McCook claimed that the decision to declare a major incident came too late, stating they had been calling for such a designation for over a week. McCook further argued that too many decisions were taken from Edinburgh
and that there was insufficient communication with those who know the ground.
Local resident John McGlinchey described the evacuation as just not organised properly,
recounting that while he saw flames from his front door at 16:00 on Friday, his doorbell did not ring to request evacuation until nearly midnight. McGlinchey expressed fear that the entire village could have been lost and described the arrival of rain as an absolute godsend
in dampening the flames.
Ongoing Risks and Precautions
While the major incident status has ended, officials warn that the situation remains serious. First Minister John Swinney stated that the government and emergency services will continue to treat the blaze with the utmost seriousness
until the last flames are extinguished. As of Saturday, 75 firefighters remained on the ground to maintain an operational presence.
Other precautionary measures and advisories remain in effect:
- Residents in a small area of properties north-west of Dorback Lodge (Lain Thatchan) were evacuated as a precaution on Saturday morning.
- A smoke advisory is in place for Tomintoul, as well as parts of Moray and Aberdeenshire, with residents advised to keep all windows and doors closed.
Supt Judy Hill emphasized that the multi-agency response remains a high priority, with volunteers and partnership resources continuing to work in challenging circumstances to extinguish the fires.
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