Careless campers spark forest blaze on Queen's Balmoral estate

Careless campers spark forest blaze on Queen’s Balmoral estate by abandoning campfire without putting it out properly

• Rangers took to Twitter to complain about an ‘abandoned camp fire’
• Photo showed scorched, blackened ground and smoking tree trunks
• It comes two years after rangers warned of the risk of wildfires on the estate 

Careless campers sparked a forest blaze on the Queen’s Balmoral estate after abandoning a campfire without putting it out properly.  

The 50,000-acre estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is open to the public and includes extensive areas of forest. 

Rangers took to Twitter to praise emergency services who put out a blaze caused by what they said was an ‘abandoned camp fire’.

A photo accompanying the post showed an extensive area of scorched, blackened ground, with charred tree trunks seen with smoke rising from them. 

It comes two years after rangers at Balmoral warned that still-smouldering campfires abandoned by campers could cause dangerous wildfires. 

The new statement on the Twitter account of the Balmoral estate read: ‘Thanks very much to the crews from @fire-scot who extinguished this forest fire yesterday which had been started by an abandoned camp fire.’

They added that the quick action of the fire crews meant a nearby nest of rare osprey birds was not affected. 

Careless campers sparked a forest blaze on the Queen’s Balmoral estate after abandoning a campfire without putting it out properly

A message on Balmoral estate’s Twitter account read: ‘Thanks very much to the crews from @fire-scot who extinguished this forest fire yesterday which had been started by an abandoned camp fire

Her Majesty is due to arrive at Balmoral for her annual summer break in a few weeks. 

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, she has mainly lived at Windsor Castle. Before that, she largely lived and worked at Buckingham Palace in central London. 

Last year rangers at Balmoral complained online after a suitcase of empty beer cans was left on the estate near the popular Loch Muick.

Loch Muick is a favourite walk for the Royals. The Queen even named one of her new dogs after it.

In June last year rangers on the estate made a new impassioned plea asking people not to become litter louts.

They say they spend ‘several days’ each week picking up the garbage.

On a few months earlier the estate blasted those littering Balmoral with bags of dog poo.

Balmoral has been plagued by litter louts – especially during lockdown.

In 2020 an array of haphazard tents and rubbish – all pitched around a fire with tree branches – were cleared.

In their warning about possible wildfires in September 2020, the rangers at Balmoral posted photos of the remains of camp fires, along with discarded beer cans and a tent.

They said: ‘Depressing to find more roots being cut off the old Scots pine trees that line the shores of Loch Muick just to be burnt on campfires.’

Photos from September 2020 showing damage caused to the Balmoral estate by campers who left fires and rubbish

In another social media post, they added: ‘Old camp fires are an eyesore! This one was made in the woods next to the toilets at Loch Muick, during this weekend’s high fire risk.

‘Our rangers clear these fires on a daily basis. Photos showing before and after this campfire was cleared.’

Her Majesty has previously been spotted walking near her Balmoral home. 

Royal protection officer Richard Griffin recounted how American tourists encountered her several years ago and did not realise who they were speaking to. 

They went on to ask if she had ever met the Queen. She gestured towards Mr Griffin and replied: ‘No but this policeman has.’

The group then moved on and remained oblivious to Her Majesty’s identity.  

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