Highland wildfire smoke blows into Aberdeen - 59 miles away
Residents as far away as Aberdeen have been advised to keep doors and windows closed as the fire reaches its 10th day.
A change in the wind direction caused a flare-up on Thursday night
Smoke from a wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park can now be seen 59 miles away in Aberdeen following a change in wind direction.
RSPB Scotland said the situation was "serious" again at its Abernethy reserve, following a "major flare-up" due to the change in conditions as the fire entered its 10th day.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said residents and businesses in the east area of Aviemore, as well as across parts of Aberdeenshire - including Inverurie, Banchory and Kintore and surrounding areas - and as far as Aberdeen city, may see or smell smoke on Friday and into the weekend.
They advised anyone affected to keep windows and doors closed.
More than 100 firefighters have been tackling the blaze which first broke out near Ryvoan Bothy, south of Nethy Bridge, last Wednesday.
Eleven fire engines, wildlife units and a command support unit are still at the scene.
Firefighters said miles-long firebreaks had helped to contain the latest break-outs on Thursday night while drones were directing crews to hot spots.
The wildfire in the Cairngorms has brought a haze to Aberdeen
The SFRS said the fire remained "dynamic and unpredictable".
A spokesman said: "Changing wind strength and direction can cause flare-ups, reignition and the spread of smoke, with conditions continuing to evolve.
"Firefighters remain deployed to tackle the incident across a vast and complex landscape, supported by ongoing helicopter water-bombing operations.
"Crews, specialist wildfire resources and partner agencies continue to monitor conditions closely and work to prevent further spread."
SFRS deputy assistant chief officer Michael Humphreys told BBC Radio Scotland there had been progress.
"Aviemore is very much open for business but we still have an exclusion zone in place around the actual operational incident," he said.
He said the affected area had been split into two main zones, west and east, to surround and contain the fire.
Firefighters and estate workers had cut down trees and vegetation and used tactical burning to create a 2.5miles (4km) firebreak on the west side and a 1.2mile (1.9km) firebreak on the east side, where the flare-up happened.
"So should a fire flare-up and move towards those areas, there is no longer any fuel there to burn," he said.
Teams have been given air support with helicopters waterbombing the area and drones to help identify where the fire is moving.
Despite road closures and police cordons, emergency services have continued to receive reports of visitors atte
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