06-05-2025
New muirburn laws risk fuelling wildfires, campaigners warn
SNP ministers risk worsening the threat of wildfires in Scotland, campaigners say, amid fears that a new muirburn licensing scheme will delay the controlled burning of moorland.
Critics argue the proposal could leave vast areas of land unmanaged, exacerbating the threat posed by combustible vegetation.
Muirburn, which burns vegetation such as heather and grass, is a longstanding land management practice used to promote new growth for grazing, reduce fuel loads and manage biodiversity.
Experts including the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) have emphasised its importance in preventing uncontrolled wildfires when carried out responsibly.
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However, rural organisations including Scottish Land and Estates (SLE), the National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) and the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA)
