Crofters and farmers call for new plan to tackle wildfires

Crofters and farmers in the Cairngorms are calling for a new, comprehensive plan to deal with moorland fires to be put in place within six months.

The demand follows a second major summer wildfire in as many years in the UK's largest national park.

The plea was made to Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie and a senior officer from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) during a public meeting in Aveimore on Friday.

More than 300 people attended the gathering, organised by the group Cairngorms Crofters and Farmers.

It came after Highland Council agreed to write to the Scottish government seeking an independent review of the incident.

Firefighters, gamekeepers and land managers spent almost five weeks tackling the wildfire which broke out in the Glenmore area on 15 July.

The fire destroyed about 10 sq miles (25 sq km) of moorland and forestry, with the damage described as 'apocalyptic'.

A major incident was declared on day 10, with some residents and businesses evacuated from Nethy Bridge.

Robert MacDonald, chairman of Cairngorms Crofters and Farmers, said they had received assurances at Friday's meeting.

"We were assured that they were making all the efforts possible to put protocols in place and that they hoped to have systems going forward that would enable them to bring fires like this under control a lot quicker and a lot more efficiently," he said.

SFRS deputy assistant chief officer Kenny Barbour said it was important to record the views of the community.

"I would like to thank everyone who attended the meeting to share their insights, which will be captured in the formal debrief to ensure learnings are identified," he said.

"We will of course reflect on the findings to ensure we continue to enhance our operational response in the future."

He confirmed the fire service was developing a new long term wildfire strategy.

And he added: "We are committed to enhancing partnership working to meet future challenges and build resilience in our communities."

Last month, Scotland's chief fire officer called for an improved, more formal approach to wildfire prevention in order to "protect lives".

The Scottish government previously said a multi-agency review and debrief would be carried out into the wildfire.

Meanwhile more than £500,000 has been distributed to support businesses affected by the Cairngorms wildfire.

The Scottish government's Cairngorms Fire Recovery Fund is being administered by Highland Council and 14 grants have so far been paid to businesses.