Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) has contacted the police in Perthshire after a fire was started by an overturned disposable barbecue.

The incident took place on FLS managed land on the shores of Loch Rannoch opposite Kilvrecht campsite.

Several young men are reported to have arrived at the site by car and lit the barbecue that initial impressions suggest was later kicked over.

Robin Lofthouse, FLS Area Visitor Services Manager in Tayside, said;

“It’s unbelievable that in spite of all the issues that Scotland has had in the past three weeks with fire, there are still some people who would do this.

“And it is really disheartening to know that last week (3 or 4 June) we had an incidence of youths in Tentsmuir spreading and attempting to light some sort of accelerant in a bid, we presume, to start a bigger fire.

“The fire service, our staff and any number of other land managers are doing everything they can and then some to try and deal with fires and get the message about fire safety across to people.

“When we get things like this happening it just makes us all very, very angry. I would urge anyone with any knowledge of either incident to contact Police Scotland.”

The fire at Loch Rannoch, near but not in the Blackwoods of Rannoch, was discovered before it had a chance to catch and was dealt with by Perth & Kinross Council rangers who were assisted by two members of the public. SFRS attended the site to ensure the fire was extinguished.

The Tentsmuir incident included burning a small area of a brash recovery site that could have started a significant fire. The FLS harvesting and visitors services teams have increased the frequency of their visits to this area and the contractor on site has scheduled works to cover a 24 hour period of operation.

Police Scotland have been passed the registration numbers of two vehicles seen leaving the scene.

Bailie Mike Williamson, depute convenor of Perth and Kinross Council’s Environment, Infrastructure and Economic Development Committee, said:

“It’s extremely disappointing that some visitors have so little respect for the beautiful countryside we have in Perth and Kinross that an incident like this could happen.

“If it had not been for our Rangers and two members of the public at Kilvrecht, this could have spread further and caused even greater damage.

“On behalf of the Council I’d like to extend my thanks to the two ladies who were on site before our rangers arrived and who were trying to put out the fire.

“I’d urge people to follow the Outdoor Access Code, which allows for responsible access to our countryside.

“We all have a duty to protect our environment and must remember the risks of fire are all too real.”

Notes to editors

1. Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manages forests and land owned by Scottish Ministers in a way that supports and enables economically sustainable forestry; conserves and enhances the environment; delivers benefits for people and nature; and supports Scottish Ministers in their stewardship of Scotland's national forests and land.

2. forestryandland.gov.scot | twitter.com/ForestryLS

3. Media enquiries to Paul Munro, Media Manager, Forestry and Land Scotland Media Office 07785 527590 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.