Chamber and committees

The Cairngorms wildfire this summer was significant, and we are committed to working with partners to understand the impacts and the steps needed to support recovery and resilience to future events.

We are taking action to prevent future wildfires through our Strategic Action Plan on Wildfires, which sets out a coordinated approach to preventing, preparing for and responding to wildfires. A Scottish Government Strategic Oversight Group, that includes Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish Wildfire Forum representation, has been established to monitor progress of the Action Plan and all 18 of the actions contained within the Plan are underway. The Cabinet Secretary for Justice commissioned a review of the Action Plan to ensure every possible step is being taken to address the increasing risks posed by wildfires.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice announced on 3 September that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) would now be able to put helicopters on standby when a high or very high wildfire risk warning was issued.

Aerial firefighting support, actions to raise public awareness of risk, enhance danger assessments and ensuring a co-ordinated multi-agency response are key areas of focus. There is ongoing engagement with partners, including the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish Wildfire Forum, and those with experience at the forefront of wildfire management and we will use that experience and expertise to inform the implementation of the Action Plan.

In 2025-26, the Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme received 619 claims for payment. Of these, 520 claims were paid within 90 days, while 99 claims were paid over 90 days after being submitted.

Between April and the end of August 2026, the scheme received 170 claims for payment. Of these, 158 claims were paid within 90 days, while 12 claims were paid over 90 days after being submitted.

The Scottish Government does not conduct ghost gear retrieval activities and has no record of gear recovered by other organisations.

We fund KIMO’s Fishing for Litter initiative through our Marine Fund Scotland which supports fishers in bringing ashore and disposing of marine litter they catch at sea while conducting normal fishing activities. The waste brought in is mixed and includes old ghost gear.

Fishing for Litter waste since 2021

2021 – 195 tonnes

2022 – 139 tonnes

2023 – 185 tonnes

2024 – 214 tonnes

2025 – 176 tonnes

2026 – until 9 September 2026 – 79 tonnes

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has invested £1.6 million in its wildfire strategy over the course of its three year roll-out, which will be complete by the end of this year.

This has been used to obtain specialist equipment and support firefighter training and SFRS intend to continue to develop its Wildfire capability with enhanced equipment, vehicles and specialist Personal Protective Equipment that will continue to strengthen Scotland’s preparedness for wildfire incidents.

The SFRS budget for 2026-27 provides an additional £23.8m, noting the total SFRS budget for this financial year is £435.96 million. This clearly demonstrates the continued commitment to support the SFRS to deliver the high standard of services required to keep Scotland safe. The Scottish Government will continue to discuss future budget requirements with SFRS.

Yes, legal advice was obtained before the announcement of the proposed direct awards and since.

The Scottish Government is supportive of ensuring there is an effective fire safety regime for wildfire prevention and preparedness in natural and rural environments. This will help shape a more resilient and coordinated national approach to wildfire prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

The Scottish Government’s Strategic Action Plan sets out a coordinated approach to preventing, preparing for and responding to wildfires and was published on 5 March 2026. The plan represents a call to action for government, public services, land managers owners, rural businesses, community groups and individuals alike, to work together in partnership – which is key to its successful delivery.

As part of the recent multi-agency response to the Cairngorm’s wildfire a review of the strategic plan was commissioned and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) have commissioned an independent review at a wider partner and multi-agency level to identify issues arising from the wildfire and to maximise organisational learning and public confidence. These reviews will provide an opportunity to explore issues and experiences from this incident involving partners that participated in the response and ensure that future arrangements are informed by operational experience and the expertise of those at the forefront of wildfire management.

Published in March, the Scottish Government’s Strategic Action Plan on wildfires set out a coordinated approach to preventing, preparing for and responding to incidents of this nature. During the Cairngorms wildfire, an urgent review of the plan was commissioned to ensure that any necessary actions identified from this move forward at the appropriate pace to ensure we are prepared in light of the increasing risks we face. The Scottish Government Wildfire Strategic Oversight Group met on 26 August and there is ongoing engagement with SFRS and other partners.

Following the conclusion of operational activity associated with the Cairngorms wildfire, a multiagency and partner debrief was also commissioned by the joint sponsors of Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

This multi-agency debrief and lessons learned review will identify opportunities for improvement across the themes of preparedness, response, recovery and resilience arrangements and those findings will be used to strengthen Scotland's strategic approach to wildfire risk and resilience, including national resilience policy.

The training of firefighters, including controlled burn training, is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).

The SFRS has informed Scottish Government that ten fire stations are currently participating in tactical backburn training and these are listed by local authority area as follows:

• Ballater (Aberdeenshire)
• Dumbarton (West Dunbartonshire)
• Dunblane (Stirling)
• Elgin (Moray)
• Invergordon (Highland)
• Kilwinning (North Ayrshire)
• Musselburgh (East Lothian)
• Pitlochry (Perth and Kinross)
• Stornoway (Western Isles)Ullapool (Highland)

Tactical backburn training is an essential part of the SFRS wildfire training programme and this supports closer collaboration with land managers and partner agencies, helping to strengthen a coordinated response to wildfires across Scotland.

The location of fire stations and any specialist functions they deliver is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. All fire stations in Scotland respond to a wide range of emergency incidents, including wildfires, and SFRS keep all operational decisions under review depending on need.

The Scottish Government recognises and greatly values the commitment of on-call firefighters and the flexibility of their primary employers in allowing them time off to provide the essential fire and rescue cover across Scotland.

On-call firefighters have contracts of employment with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and receive an annual retainer fee together with additional payments for incident attendance, training and other approved activities. These payments are made directly to the firefighter rather than to their primary employer.

The Scottish Government is providing Highland Council with £3m to provide support to business affected by the fire and this funding will support their immediate recovery while also contributing to the longer-term economic recovery and resilience of the area.