Scottish Land & Estates welcomes ban on campfires and barbecues in the Cairngorms

Press Release

Rural business organisation Scottish Land & Estates welcomes the new by-law banning campfires and disposable barbecues between 1 April and 30 September every year in the Cairngorms National Park.
The by-law has been approved by Scottish ministers for the Cairngorms National Park, the largest national park in the UK.
Stephen Young, Director of Policy for Scottish Land & Estates said: “Uncontrolled wildfires can rage across vast areas in a matter of hours, posing a threat to people, property and the rare native species for which the Cairngorms is renowned. Wildfires also generate very high temperatures which can set light to the underlying peat, a vital carbon store.
“The recent wildfires in the Cairngorms were brought under control largely due to the skill and willingness of gamekeepers and estates’ staff, who put themselves in harm’s way to protect the environment.  
“We very much welcome this proactive step being taken by the National Park and Scottish Ministers. We understand that other areas are, rightly, looking to introduce similar measures, which would protect even more of Scotland’s treasured landscapes.”
Earlier this year wildfires at Carrbridge and Dava  burned for four days, devastating nearly 12,000 hectares of moorland and woodland and resulting in vast carbon emissions.
These were among more than a dozen significant wildfires recorded in Scotland this year alone.
The  recent wildfire  at Glen Finglas in the Trossachs is known to have been caused by a disposable barbecue.
Scottish Land & Estates, the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service and the regional moorland groups have warned for many years of the threat posed by campfires and disposable barbecues, particularly on the moors, which are home to rare species of ground-nesting birds, mammals and reptiles.