Firefighters have been battling overnight to try and contain a "large-scale" wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park
The fire broke out about at about 11:50 on Wednesday
There is currently a "very high" risk of wildfire in place for the central Highlands, southern and eastern Scotland
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service says it is "very much an ongoing incident" with fire crews expected to be there for the remainder of the day
Elsewhere, seven Britons were among those killed in the recent wildfires in southern Spain
Image source, Jim HaytonJim Hayton took this photo of the smoke from Loch Garten when the fire broke out.
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Heatwave conditions are set to continue in many areas of the UK over the next few days.
Some parts are on course to have gone almost a month without any measurable wet weather.
Large swathes of England have so far recorded 0% of the rainfall they would normally expect in July, with Wisley in Surrey having gone 27 consecutive days without any.
Weather forecasters say heatwave conditions are likely to continue for several more days in places, probably reaching a total duration of two weeks in a few locations.
However, most areas in north west Scotland have seen 40% or more of their normal monthly rainfall.
Aultbea (Highland) has already had 95% of its typical rain for July.
Giancarlo Rinaldi
South Scotland reporter in Dumfries
Rally organisers have issued a wildfire risk warning to fans heading to stages in the forests of south-west Scotland this weekend.
The latest round of the RSAC Scottish Rally Championship is being held in Dalbeattie after a prolonged dry spell in the area.
Clerk of the course Jonathan Lord said: "The Forestry and Land Scotland roads are ideal for our purposes but it can be a problem if people don't respect the fire safety code when they go in to watch the event.
"So no smoking in the forest, no barbecues - nothing like that. Please ensure that we have a safe day and everyone goes home happy with a good event."
BBC Weather cameras at the Cairngorm Mountain show visibility in the area is low.
On a clear day the view is panoramic with mountains visible for miles around. Today the view at the top of the ski lifts is obscured by what looks like smoke.
The camera is at the Ptarmigan restaurant on the slopes of Cairn Gorm, about five miles south of Nethy Bridge.
It's worth noting the area is often quite foggy so it could be a combination of smoke and fog.
Angela McCusker from Bishopton was staying at the Glenmore Campsite before it was evacuated last night.
She contacted BBC Your Voice to say they were luckily able to pack up their belongings.
"Many other families were not so lucky," she says. "Lots of people had gone out for the evening and returned to find they couldn't get back into the campsite.
"They were left without access to their cars, clothing, medication and other essential belongings. Some had nothing with them except the clothes they were wearing."
She says they were directed to a nearby hotel where there were families, including young children, "lying asleep on the foyer floor as they had nowhere else to go."
Glenmore resident Duncan Ferguson said being evacuated was "quite an experience" because people at a local campsite were "sitting drinking coffee" and a band was playing outside a bar.
He said residents asked for a fire plan five years ago because they knew something like this would happen.
Residents in Glenmore evacuated from homes due to wildfire
By Alex Murray
BBC Verify has been reviewing satellite data from wildfires in the Cairngorms National Park.
Data from Nasa’s Fire Information for Resource Management Systems - which uses satellites to detect heat signatures on the Earth’s surface - shows that a fire was first detected at 12:47 yesterday about 250m (820ft) south of a trail to the east of Loch Morlich.
The most recent information from Firms shows heat signatures were still being detected at 03:19 this morning.
Image source, NASA FIRMSMultiple red and orange rectangles in this satellite image represent where Nasa's FIRMS satellites have picked up heat signatures in the Cairngorms
Smoke billows over Cairngorms National Park
Thick fog was earlier hampering firefighting efforts in the Cairngorms.
Ross Ewing from Scottish Land and Estates: “We are hearing from land managers involved in the containment of this wildfire that there is thick fog this morning which is making it difficult to see the fire and assess accordingly.
“The indications we have received so far is that the fire has expanded overnight, including into very difficult, steep and rocky terrain.
“We understand that bulldozers were used to create fire breaks at Glenmore which will hopefully help to contain the spread.”
By Alex Murray
Satellite imagery reviewed by BBC Verify shows the early stages of the Cairngorms wildfire as it began to spread yesterday.
An image captured by specialist satellite firm Planet Labs shows the fire taking hold at 12:30 on Wednesday.
Image source, Planet Labs PBCSmoke can be seen to the top-right of this satellite image of the area
Another image, taken by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite a few minutes later shows smoke near this location and a separate pall spreading southwards from the seat of the fire.
Image source, Copernicus Sentinel-2Another satellite image taken a short while later shows smoke from the fire drifting southwards
BBC Verify will continue monitoring satellite imagery of the area to show the spread of the wildfire.
Dramatic video shows wildfire surround freight train in Canada
In Canada, dramatic video shows a freight train surrounded by wildfire flames with workers requesting an emergency rescue as they report being "encased" in fire.
"This could potentially overtake us here, this has gotten a little scary," a crew member says as the train rushes past burning trees near Armstrong, Ontario.
There are more than 100 wildfires burning in the province, with several northwestern communities under threat. Smoke blanketed Toronto, which woke up to hazy skies and some of the worst air quality in the world.
The wildfires have led to concerns smoke will drift into US cities over the next few days - including in New Jersey, where Sunday's World Cup final is due to take place.
Image source, Ana Beltran / ReutersSeven Britons were among those killed in the recent wildfires in southern Spain, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.
In a statement, officials said seven of the victims were from the United Kingdom, three from Belgium, one from France and another from the United States, as cited by AFP and local media.
The last victim was a Spanish citizen.
The wildfires, which tore through Spain's Almería province on Thursday, have become some of the country's deadliest.
Image source, Devon and Somerset FireA number of wildfires have broken out in England and Wales
A number of wildfires have also broken out in England this week.
Yesterday, a wildfires expert said she had never seen the UK be so at risk of a fire breaking out as the area experiences a record-breaking heatwave.
Claire Belcher, who is an Exeter University professor, explained how a fire prediction system built by a group of universities recorded the likelihood of a fire being ignited by a spark in Somerset at 100% on Wednesday.
"If you had an ember from a bonfire or a barbecue or a spark perhaps from agricultural machinery or something, there is a extremely high chance it could start an ignition," she said.
Capercaillie have recently been spotted around Ryvoan
There has been concern for Capercallies that live in the area surrounding the Cairngorms fire.
The capercaillie is a native species that became extinct in Britain in the mid-18th Century but was reintroduced in Perthshire in 1837.
Earlier this year, the National Park and NatureScot announced an emergency plan to boost numbers in the Cairngorms.
A visitor centre which runs guided trips to see free-ranging reindeer in the area said that the animals had been let out onto the mountains, adding "they are not close to the fire and will keep themselves safe".
Image source, David GruarRyvoan Bothy is about 3.5km beyond the public road at Glenmore Lodge
According to a police statement, emergency crews first responded to the wildfire when they were alerted to a large blaze "in the open near to Ryvoan Bothy within the Cairngorms National Park".
So, what is a bothy?
Generally speaking, they are shelters in the wilderness of Scotland and parts of the rest of the UK which can be used free of charge, usually by hikers.
The Mountain Bothies Association (MBA) maintains about 100 shelters in the more remote parts of UK and Ryvoan is one of them.
The stone building with a corrugated iron roof was originally part of a 19th Century farm which has been abandoned for about 150 years.
It was saved in 1960s by a local climbing club and the MBA took it over in the 70s.
The single-roomed bothy has no running water, electricity or toilet facilities but it does have a multi-fuel stove.
Occupants can sleep on a wooden bench or on the stone floor.
Ryvoan is considered on of the easier bothies to access, lying just 3.5km beyond the public road at Glenmore Lodge in the Cairngorms.
Photo by David Gruar, external
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Although the numbers recorded have varied in recent years, last year was the worst on record in Scotland for wildfires with 239 in total.
This is keenly felt in the north of Scotland where 57% of all wildfires were recorded in 2025 as shown in .
The huge fires that burned across moorland at Carrbridge and Dava in the Highlands last summer - the largest on record - are included in this haul.
A Scottish Land and Estates estimate said these fires affected 29,225 acres (11,827 hectares) - an area almost 30 times bigger than Lanarkshire's Strathclyde Park.
Do you live near the fire in the Cairngorms National Park? Have you been evacuated? Can you see the smoke from your home? Help us build up a picture of what is happening by sharing your experience.
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The Cairngorms National Park is the UK's largest national park and spans over 4,500 sq km.
The area includes five of the UK’s six highest mountains, 43 munros, nine nature reserves and about 18,000 residents.
Chris MacLennan
Highlands and Islands reporter
The area around this wildfire is well known with locals and visitors, both in the summer and winter months.
Glenmore Campsite, which has been evacuated, sits near Loch Morlich, which tends to become the hive of activity in warm weather.
Residents in Glenmore, where about 20 people live, were also asked to leave their homes last night.
The wildfire has taken hold in a remote and difficult-to-access area, with a hilly backdrop and rough terrain.
The only road in and out, the C7, known locally as the Ski Road, remains closed today, with Cairngorm Mountain Resort also shut.
Firefighters are expected to remain on scene for most of today.
McKeekin told the BBC's Radio Scotland Breakfast programme it was "far too early" to identify the cause of the fire but reminded members of the public to be responsible when enjoying the outdoors.
"We understand that, in the summer months in particular, people will be wanting to enjoy the outdoors and we know people play a key role in trying to reduce fires," he added.
Advice includes taking picnics instead of disposable barbeques, not leaving litter behind - especially glass - and disposing of cigarettes fully.
