Photograph: Markus Stitz

‘It’s hard to imagine the fires of July’: a bike ride through the Cairngorms in Scotland

The Cairngorms National Park in Scotland is showing signs of recovery this autumn after a devastating summer wildfire. The blaze, which started near Glenmore and Abernethy on July 15, scorched over 33 square kilometers (13 square miles) of moorland and forest, requiring the efforts of more than 500 firefighters and lasting more than a month.

Local communities faced evacuations as the fire spread, but much of the damage remains hidden from view, high on the hillsides far from main roads. With the park spanning 4,528 square kilometers (1,748 square miles), the burned areas are surprisingly easy to overlook amid the vast, largely untouched landscape.

Autumn’s arrival brings a sense of relief, as the landscape transitions from summer’s scars to the rich hues of fall—golden birch leaves and russet bracken contrasting with the enduring green of Scots pines.

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