The King visited Cairngorms National Park to thank those involved in tackling wildfire
Published 16/09/2026
His Majesty The King visited the Cairngorms National Park to thank the community leaders, firefighters, volunteers and landowners involved in tackling the major wildfire that affected the Glenmore and Abernethy area this summer.
The fire broke out on 15th July and burned more than 3,300 hectares of land. More than 500 firefighters were involved in tackling the blaze, which resulted in the evacuation of homes, businesses, campsites and a ski resort in the Glenmore Forest Park area.
During the visit, The King met community leaders, firefighters, volunteers and landowners to recognise and thank them for their efforts. His Majesty also viewed some of the disruption and damage caused by the fire, which is regarded as one of the most economically disruptive natural events to affect the Cairngorms tourism sector in recent years.
While in the Cairngorms, The King also marked the twinning partnership between mountains in the Scottish Highlands and Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, in the United States of America. His Majesty viewed the companion granite stone which commemorates the partnership.
More than 250 million years ago, the mountains of Scotland and Appalachia formed part of the same ancient mountain range before geological forces gradually separated them across the Atlantic Ocean.
The mountain partnership was announced during The King’s State Visit to the United States earlier this year, in recognition of the shared history between the United Kingdom and the United States.
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