Firefighters have worked through the night tackling a wildfire which has led to the evacuation of residents in the Cairngorms.
The wildfire started in heathland at Ryvoan Bothy, near Nethy Bridge, late on Wednesday morning and stretched more than 3.5km wide by Thursday morning.
A number of homes and businesses, including campsites and ski resorts in the Glenmore Forest Park area, have been closed and evacuated as a safety precaution.
Smoke could be seen for miles around the site of the fire on Thursday morning, as at least four fire engines and other resources were tackling the blaze.
Firefighters tackling the wildfire (RSPB Scotland/PA)PA MediaThere have been no reports of any casualties.
The RSPB, which runs the nearby Loch Garten nature reserve, said approximately 300 hectares of land have been burnt so far.
The charity said 27 of its staff and volunteers were out helping fight the blaze on Wednesday, using equipment including all-terrain vehicles with water bowsers, backpack hoses and shovels.
It added that there is currently no helicopter support available for fighting the blaze, saying it believes they have all been deployed to wildfires south of the border.
Some locals expressed concerns that tourists were still trying to access the area despite road closures being in place.
One local woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “The absolute selfishness of tourists – isn’t that insane?
“‘There’s a fire but we still want to go to Loch Morlich’ – I think it’s just ignorance.”
The wildfire has been raging since Wednesday (RSPB Scotland/PA)PA MediaShe added: “It’s like going to somewhere in America during tornado season.
“You know what you’re getting into.”
Ian McMeekin, head of prevention at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), said they expect to be at the scene for the rest of the day.
He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme: “We’re still fighting the fire, working with a range of different partners, with the landowners and local authorities and so on to deal with the incident. Currently we have a fire front of just roughly about three-and-a-half kilometres wide.
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“We are reassessing the situation, and our resources may change throughout the morning.
“This is very much a multi-agency situation. As a precautionary measure some of the areas have been evacuated, including a campsite and some properties in close proximity.
“We have been working with our local resilience partners to make sure they try and support people where possible, and we’re advising people to keep an eye out for key messages coming from the partners, whether through Police Scotland or other trusted local media outlets.”
Mr McMeekin said it is too early to determine what may have caused the fire.
Duncan Ferguson lives in Glenmore, a village near Aviemore.
Mr Ferguson, operations manager at the Spey Fishery Board, said police came to his house during Wednesday afternoon, telling residents to “leave your pets and go”.
The fire service has urged people to avoid the area and 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 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 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.