More than a dozen firefighters battled a north wildfire through the night with efforts continuing into this afternoon.
The blaze was reported near Laide Wood around 7pm on Thursday with three appliances sent from Gairloch, Ullapool and Aultbea.
Firefighters used beaters and hose reel jets attempted to extinguish the blaze, and have now left the scene.
Road closed
Police have closed off the A832 Cromarty to Braemore road between Aultbea and Laide.
Motorists and members of the public have been urged to avoid the area.
ROAD CLOSURE – A832 LAIDE
Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service are currently dealing with a fire at Laide Wood.
The A832 is currently closed between Aultbea and Laide. The public are asked to avoid the area.
— Northern Police (@northernPolice) February 11, 2021
West coast vulnerable to wildfires
The fire service’s area commander Bruce Farquharson warned on Wednesday that despite freezing temperatures, parts of the west coast are vulnerable to wildfires.
Wildfires took hold on Harris and Benbecula yesterday with firefighters battling for hours to bring them under control.
He said: “There may have been a lot of snow in the eastern and central areas of Scotland, but that is not the case in the western coastal areas and fuel conditions are very different.
“As a result, there are currently vast areas of countryside all over the country that are tinder dry and vulnerable, this provides all of the ingredients for fire to take hold and spread.
“We are asking the public to exercise extreme caution and think twice before using anything involving a naked flame.”
The warning remains in place until later today.
A reminder ⤵️ https://t.co/zjyLL1st3Y
— Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (@fire_scot) February 11, 2021