Rural businesses get £3m boost after Cairngorms blaze

A £3 million lifeline has been announced for rural businesses hit by the Cairngorms wildfire, as land managers step up calls for greater investment to prevent future blazes.

The Scottish Government package will support those affected by the Glenmore-Strathnethy wildfire, which broke out on 15 July in the Cairngorms National Park.

The fund will be administered by the Highland Council and is intended to help businesses cope with immediate financial pressures, maintain operations and support their longer-term recovery.

Full details of the scheme and application process are expected to be published by the council in the coming days.

Economy and Tourism Secretary Stephen Flynn said the wildfire had significantly affected businesses, particularly those within the cordon that had been unable to trade.

He said the funding would provide “immediate relief for impacted businesses”, while the Scottish Government would continue working with the Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Cairngorms National Park Authority on longer-term support.

Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) welcomed the announcement, saying rural businesses had suffered substantial losses while some had committed their own resources to efforts to bring the fire under control.

Ross Ewing, Director of Moorland and Strategic Projects at SLE, said: “This funding is welcome and will provide vital support to businesses affected by the Glenmore-Strathnethy wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park.”

Some businesses remain unable to operate at full capacity, while work is continuing to establish the scale of the private and third-sector response to the wildfire.

Ewing said: “Rural businesses are resilient, but the impact of a wildfire on this scale cannot be overcome without assistance. This funding will be crucial as recovery begins, and the Scottish Government deserves credit for responding swiftly.”

However, SLE said the size of the recovery package demonstrated the potential cost of tackling major wildfires after they have taken hold.

It pointed to planned investment of around £1.6 million over three years in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service wildfire strategy, contrasting it with the £3 million being made available following a single major fire.

The three-year investment covers specialist equipment, personal protective equipment, vehicles and training.

SLE argued that the comparison strengthened the case for sustained spending on prevention and preparedness.

Ewing said: “Recovery funding is vital, but it cannot be the whole answer.”

The organisation is calling for greater investment in training, specialist equipment and preparedness, alongside practical land management measures to reduce vegetation fuel loads.

It also wants a workable and proportionate muirburn licensing system that allows responsible land managers to use controlled burning as part of wildfire prevention.

Ewing said: “Controlled burning is one of the practical tools available to manage vegetation and reduce fuel loads, and the scheme must be straightforward enough to allow responsible land managers to use it safely and effectively.”

SLE said muirburn should form part of a wider approach involving stronger preparedness and closer co-operation between land managers, rural businesses, public bodies and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Ewing also warned that the threat posed by wildfires was becoming increasingly serious.

“Scotland faces a growing wildfire threat that is becoming more severe with each passing year,” he said.

He said recent fires had demonstrated the economic and environmental impact of major incidents, as well as the pressure placed on firefighters, gamekeepers, land managers, businesses and rural communities.

SLE is also calling on the UK and Scottish governments to invest in dedicated aerial firefighting capability.

It argues that rapid aerial intervention could be particularly important in remote and upland areas, where ground access can be difficult and wildfires can spread quickly.