23/08/2026
On 15th July 2026 a wildfire began on RSPB Abernethy. Immediately Abernethy staff and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service jumped into action, but soon it was clear that more help was needed.
Since that fateful day we have been overwhelmed with the support: from the tireless volunteers firebeating, digging and toiling all day to the limitless supply of sandwiches, comfort dinners, and cakes placed in front of us by kind and nurturing kitchen volunteers.
To see how the community has pulled together to save what is not just RSPB land but their forest, their home, has been truly inspirational and every single one of our team members has felt this support to their core.
So, without further ado, RSPB Abernethy would like to publicly acknowledge the monumental work of:
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service from stations across the country whose experience, equipment and operational expertise led us through.
๐๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ from PDG Aviation and Skyhook without whom this fire would have been impossible to get under control.
๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ from Abernethy who worked around the clock alongside SFRS to save the reserve they love, and teams from Broubster Leans, Central Highland Reserves, Corrimony, Forsinard Flows, Fowlsheugh, Geltsdale, Haweswater, Insh Marshes, Loch Lomond, Lochwinnoch, Orkney, Scotland HQ, and wider RSPB staff who brought their operational and firefighting experience with much needed equipment.
๐ก๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ Bobby MacKenzie, Cairngorms Connect, Cairngorms National Park Authority, Calum Smith, Calvin Smith, Corrour Estate, Dalnacardoch - Durrell Conservation Trust, Dorback, Foresty & Land Scotland, James Smith, Lynamer Estate, Lynbreck Croft, Malcolm Smith, Mar Lodge NTS, NatureScot, Neil Smith, Rothiemurchus, RZSS, Saving Wildcats and Wildland, whose staff & volunteers gave their time and effort to fighting fire, and provided key equipment and expertise.
๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ from Alvie & Dalraddy, Dunearn - Lethen, Glen Avon, Glen Doe, Glen Shero-Jahama, Kyllachy, Moray, Ralia, and Seafield & Strathspey Estates who provided incredibly valuable expertise, machinery and equipment and worked tirelessly side-by-side with us to fight this fire.
๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฏ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ Asherโs Bakery, Avie Mobiles, Boat of Garten Post Office, Cairngorm Brewery, Cairngorm Mountain, Cairngorm Mountain Rescue, Cairngorm Reindeer, Costa Coffee, Ellis Brigham, Foxfire Cafe, Glenmore Lodge, Highland Spring, Highland 4x4 Response, KJโs Bothy Bakery, Nethy Bridge Hotel, Nethy House, Premier, Scottish Communications Group, The Dell, The Lazy Duck, Wilderness Scotland, and Wise Women Village who provided incredible food, drink, supplies & accommodation that kept our volunteers going through tough times, as well as volunteering themselves.
๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ from Aaron Sterritt Woodwork, Arborecology, Ben Morrison, Bright Spark, D Smith Contracting, Duncan Grant, Euroforestry, FutureForestry, GS Campbell (Contractors Ltd), Highland Arborist, Mark Councill, McDougall Plant Ltd, Stephen Blair, and W MacQueen & Son, who brought in necessary machinery and expertise to create firebreaks and provide water for fire-fighting operations, in addition to volunteering with the firefighting effort.
The ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ง๐๐น๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ who not only volunteered their time and effort to firefighting, operational support, making unbelievable amounts of food, helping out in our kitchen & workshop, but also fundraised an incredible amount of money for the effort and showed amazing resilience in the face of risk to their homes.
๐ฃ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ who kept the public safe during the evacuations and exclusion zone.
And last, but most certainly not least, the 300+ ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ who fought fire, organised folk, sorted the workshop, fixed equipment, made food, managed the kitchen and patrolled the reserve: giving their time and effort to make this operation as smooth as possible. Every single one of you deserves a personal shout out and we canโt thank you enough.
We would also like to add thanks to the throngs of people who offered their help and expertise. To ensure the effective running of a safe operation, we couldnโt take every offer of help given to us, but it is people like you who keep community spirit alive.
THANK YOU
- The incredibly grateful Abernethy team
