Residents of the Cairngorms have been forced to evacuate their homes as firefighters battled a large wildfire through the night.
The blaze, which ignited in heathland at Ryvoan Bothy, near Nethy Bridge, late on Wednesday morning, had spread to over two kilometres wide by evening.
Numerous properties and businesses, including campsites and ski resorts within the Glenmore Forest Park area, were closed and evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Four fire engines remained at the scene at 6.45am on Thursday.
There have been no reports of any casualties.
Duncan Ferguson, who lives in Glenmore, a village near Aviemore, said police came to his house in the afternoon to urge him to evacuate.
He said that they told residents to “leave your pets and go”.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) urged people to avoid the area.
It has also advised residents in Aviemore, Glenmore and the surrounding communities to keep their doors and windows closed due to the smoke.
Group commander Raymond King said: “While we want people to enjoy the good weather, we ask that anyone in the Cairngorms National Park near to Aviemore and Glenmore avoid the area.
“This part of the Cairngorms National Park is popular with hillwalkers, and we ask that people remain vigilant while active firefighting continues.”
Cairngorms National Park Authority said that firefighters have been working with landowners to contain the incident and create fire breaks, with high winds causing the fire to spread across areas of trees and woodland.
A spokesperson for the Cairngorms National Park Authority said: “The ongoing incident near Ryvoan Bothy is deeply concerning, and we are grateful to all those who are working to tackle the fire.
“We would echo the advice of SFRS to avoid the area while firefighters and partners work to bring this blaze under control.
“This incident – alongside wildfires we are seeing across the UK this week – serves as a stark reminder of the risks that periods of drier, hotter weather can pose.”
The blaze comes while parts of Scotland are at very high risk of wildfire over the next few days.
The SFRS, in conjunction with the Scottish Wildfire Forum, has issued wildfire warnings for the central Highlands, southern and eastern Scotland.
The alert, warning of a very high risk of wildfire, came into force on Wednesday and lasts until Monday.
It follows days of hot and dry weather in many parts of the country.
