New Fire Management Byelaw Cairngorm National Park

For many of us, gathering around a campfire or sizzling sausages on a barbeque is one of our earliest experiences of the great outdoors. Sadly, irresponsible behaviour from a small minority of Park users and a changing climate yielding lower rainfall and drier soils and vegetation in spring and summer has led Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) to take action to help prevent wildfires.

The Byelaw prohibits campfires and barbeques within the Park from 1^st April to 30^th September. Camping stoves however are allowed. Camping stoves heat water and cook food quickly and efficiently, are light and packable, and cause far less environmental damage so are usually a much better option for wild campers. You still need to be aware of fire risk when you use them though; place your stove on a level, non-flammable surface and away from dry grass and vegetation - and your own kit! Never leave a camping stove unattended.

You can also still use the stove or fireplace in a bothy. We recommend bringing your own fuel – deadwood may be in short supply and it is an important part of woodland ecosystems so should be left where it falls. Never cut living wood for a fire – you will be damaging the place you have come to enjoy and it burns poorly.

Some mountaineering clubs have club huts within the Park which are used by their own members as well as visiting clubs. Club members, as the owners or leaseholders of the property can choose to have a fire or barbeque within the hut grounds. As owners or leaseholders of the hut, clubs can also choose to give or refuse permission to visiting clubs.

CNPA undertook an extensive consultation on the Byelaw prior to its implementation, which Mountaineering Scotland took part in. Although we did not support the implementation of a Byelaw, we are pleased to see that our requests for clarity around the use of camping stoves and fireplaces and stoves in bothies have been taken on board. We also emphasised the importance of communication and education alongside enforcement, so we look forward to CNPA taking steps to increase everyone’s knowledge of the risk of wildfires in the coming months.

More recently some of our affiliated clubs raised concerns about how the new Byelaw might affect mountaineering club huts within the Park. Following discussions with CNPA they have included a specific section for mountaineering club huts within their guidance for owners which is available here.