'Climate change is happening' warns John Swinney as Cairngorms wildfire continues

Scotland's first minister has paid tribute to all those tackling the wildfire within the UK's largest national park.

Multi-agency emergency crews have contained the blaze within Cairngorms National Park - which began last Wednesday and is estimated to have burnt around six square kilometres of heather and small trees.

A number of homes and businesses within the Glenmore Forest Park area - including campsites, Loch Morlich and Cairngorm Mountain Resort - were evacuated and remain closed as a precaution.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is being supported by partner agencies, landowners and local authorities as crews continue their efforts to extinguish all the flames.

Visiting the area on Tuesday, First Minister John Swinney said there needs to be a "combined effort" to ensure the fire service has the required resources, following criticism of how the SFRS is funded.

"We're clearly facing significant changes in our climate and the prevalence of wildfires in Scotland on a now, unfortunately, frequent basis is an indication that climate change is happening," he said.

"So, what we've got to make sure is that we have the resources and the skills in place to tackle the wildfires.

"I want to pay tribute to everybody that was involved in extinguishing the fire here in Strathspey, that's been a combined effort led by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, but involving land managers in the locality, involving organisations like the RSPB and the Cairngorms National Park and also Forestry and Land Scotland.

"It's got to be a combined effort to make sure that we have the skills, the expertise and the resources to make sure such circumstances can be tackled and the great natural beauty of Scotland protected."

Mr Swinney said the Scottish government awarded SFRS an increase in the budget for this year.

He added: "We have a much lower prevalence of house fires in Scotland, thankfully, but we have a much greater risk of wildfires and flooding.

"We've got to make sure resources are deployed in a way that meets the challenges that we face as a society and that will be at the heart of the dialogue that takes place around budget priorities with the SFRS."

Read more:
'It got scary very quickly'
Helicopters join efforts to waterbomb wildfire

Ross Ewing, director of moorland and strategic projects for Scottish Land and Estates, has called for a dedicated helicopter to help tackle wildfires.

He said: "We welcome the first minister's visit to Loch Morlich today and are grateful for the time he took to see first-hand the impact of this devastating wildfire.

"We particularly appreciate his willingness to engage directly with firefighters, gamekeepers, land managers, agencies and local residents, whose efforts have been vital in responding to this major incident."

Mr Ewing added: "There must also be a serious discussion about Scotland's preparedness for future wildfires.

"Scottish Land and Estates remains deeply concerned about the lack of a dedicated, aerial, firefighting capability.

"No helicopters were available on the first day of this fire, despite the fact that the battle against a wildfire is often won or lost in those crucial early hours.

"Similar challenges in accessing aerial assets were highlighted during the Carrbridge-Dava wildfire last year, demonstrating that this is not an isolated issue.

"Scotland needs a dedicated aerial response capability, available at the time of need and operating under the command and control of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

"As wildfire risk continues to grow, we must ensure our firefighters have the resources they need to tackle these incidents effectively."

(c) Sky News 2026: 'Climate change is happening' warns John Swinney as Cairngorms wildfire continues