Where are the wildfires in Scotland? Firefighters battle ‘mile long’ blaze on hottest day of year

Shocking pictures show a wildfire in the Highlands which continued to burn overnight.

The fire in Daviot, near Inverness, began on Saturday (10 June) and firefighters continue to battle the blaze on Sunday (11 June). It reportedly covers an area a mile long and six fire engines remain near the village.

Pictures showed a plume of smoke billowing above houses, while flames could be seen in the midst of a forest. The fire broke out on the hottest day of the year as temperatures of 30C were recorded in parts of the UK.

It comes as Canada experienced raging wildfires - which caused plumes of smoke to shroud New York City earlier this week.

Here is all you need to know:

Where are the wildfires in Scotland?

The blaze happened in Daviot, a village near Inverness, in the Scottish highlands. Wildfire warnings remain in place for Scotland under Monday (12 June).

The fire started close to a caravan park at about 2.45pm on Saturday during what was the hottest day of the year so far in Scotland. A temperature of 26.7C was recorded in Auchincruive in South Ayrshire and 23C in Inverness.The Daviot fire follows one near Cannich in the Highlands, which began on May 28 and is believed to be one of the largest in the UK. Firefighters said the total area covered by that fire was about 30 square miles.

Another wildfire started on the Campsie Fells to the north of Glasgow.

What has been said about the fire?

Dad-of-two Andy Walker, 54, who lives in Inverness, said: "There's quite a few houses nearby and it seemed to be getting very close to the houses.

"The smell of smoke in Inverness last night was very distinctive. I don't think there's any public access up there.

"In the Highlands there's a lot of fires being left to burn overnight by wild campers. I noticed it when there was a big plume of smoke you could see from Inverness.

"I took pictures at around 4pm. At 11pm it was still 22 degrees."

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland on Saturday warned people nearby to stay indoors and close all windows and doors to prevent smoke inhalation. On social media, people in Inverness reported being able to smell smoke during the night.

Duncan Macpherson, a Highland councillor for Inverness South, said firefighters were facing an “almighty challenge” on Saturday night. He tweeted: “The wildfire at Daviot south of Inverness stretches over a mile long between Craggie and Moy and presents an almighty challenge for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to try and contain as the wind blows the flames further across the landscape.”