Crews battle wildfires near Inverness and Dingwall homes

Crews were called to a blaze involving a large area of gorse at Kindrummond on Ashie Moor, above Dores in Thursday afternoon.

Five appliances, a water carrier and an all-terrain vehicle were sent to the Loch Duntelchaig area, east of Dores.

Flames and smoke could be seen for miles around, including as far away as the Black Isle.

Part of the B862 road south of Dores was closed as crews battled the wildfire, which covered around 250 acres of gorse.

The blaze was brought under control at around 6.30pm, almost four hours after arriving at the scene.

Meanwhile, crews from Dingwall and Beauly were called to a wildfire covering approximately 50 acres at Heights of Docharty, Dingwall, which was reported just after 4pm.

Crews used a covering jet to protect a property in the area and firefighters also used knapsack sprayers and fire beaters to deal with the fire.

It was brought under control just after 5.30pm.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and the Scottish Wildfire Forum are urging tourists and communities to help reduce the number of wildfires by thinking about their actions whilst within rural environment.

It is the time of year when the risk of wildfire is at its highest and SFRS is already working closely with land managers and appealing to tourists and communities to help protect the countryside and its residents.

The demand on SFRS and land manager resources during wildfire season can be significant and it is hoped that raised awareness will help reduce that demand.