People warned to stay indoors as wildfire spreads near Inverness

The fire broke out in Daviot near Inverness at about 2.45pm on Saturday.
Wildfire on a hillside near Daviot, Inverness (Neil Wallace/PA)
Lauren Gilmour10 June 2023

Firefighters are tackling a wildfire near Inverness.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and Police Scotland on Saturday warned people to stay indoors and close all windows and doors, to prevent inhaling smoke, in the village of Daviot in the Highlands.

The fire started close to a caravan park at about 2.45pm on Saturday during what has been the hottest day of the year so far in Scotland.

A temperature of 26.7C was recorded in Auchincruive in Ayrshire and 23C in Inverness.

Images posted by Neil Wallace on social media show large plumes of grey smoke in the sky above Meallmore Hill.

A “very high” wildfire warning which was in place until Saturday has been extended until Monday, the SFRS said.

The fire follows one near Cannich in the Highlands, which began on May 28 and is believed to be one of the largest in the UK.

Firefighters said the total area covered by the fire was about 30 square miles.

Police Scotland and SFRS asked local residents to keep windows and doors closed due to smoke.

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