1 week Ago By Katharine Hay
A seasonal ban on lighting fires in one of Scotland’s national parks is on track to come into force next summer. Almost 80 per cent of those who responded to a consultation earlier this year on whether a fire by-law should be introduced to the Cairngorms National Park between April and September were in favour. Campfires have been blamed for wildfire incidents in the park, and other parts of Scotland, in the past.
The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) said the results of the consultation gave the board a mandate for change. Members have now developed formal wording of the proposed legislation that will now go out for public consultation this Monday. Following this 12-week consultation, the CNPA will then submit the final wording of the new law to Scottish ministers for approval in January.
Sandy Bremner, convener at the CNPA, said: “The feelings of a large majority of those who took part in the first phase of the consultation were clear – the people who live, work in and visit the National Park would welcome the introduction of a fire management by-law. “They also told us that a by-law should be easy to communicate, should not be heavy-handed, and should cover the period with the greatest risk – namely the busy summer months. “I’d urge all those with a passion for the Cairngorms National Park to participate in this second stage consultation to help shape the detail of a fire management by-law.
” Chief executive of the CNPA Grant Moir is said to have told a meeting in Grantown last week that the by-law could be brought in as early as June 2025, depending on the response from the Scottish Government. More than 1,600 people took part in the survey on whether a fire by-law should be introduced in the national park. A total of 79 per cent supported the proposed legislation.
Some 16 per cent were against it, and 5 per cent were unsure. The respondents included local residents (58 per cent), visitors (31 per cent), businesses (11 per cent) and land managers and workers (10 per cent). The proposed legislation looks to ban recreational fires, such as campfires, during the season when wildfires are more likely to happen.
The park authority (CNPA) said it would not cover muirburn - the act of controlled burning of moorland. The Cairngorms is the UK's biggest national park and includes parts of the Highlands, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Perthshire and Moray..
