Flames leapt 25ft into the air and smoke could be seen for miles around as firefighters battled a major blaze near Loch Ness this afternoon.
A road had to be closed to allow extra crews to be drafted in as a tinder dry stretch of gorse and heather covering nearly 250 acres of Ashie Moor burned fiercely.
Units from Inverness, Nairn, Dingwall and Foyers were called to the scene south of the Highland capital and used water jets and beaters to try to stop a plantation of conifers being engulfed.
A total of five appliances, a water carrier and an all-terrain vehicle were sent to the Loch Duntelchaig area, east of Dores.
Some of the firefighters used breathing apparatus as crews surrounded the blaze and slowly drove it back from all sides.
Plumes of white smoke could be seen for miles around, including from as far away as Inverness and the Black Isle.
Two crews from Inverness were sent initially at 2.55pm, but the situation quickly worsened and reinforcements were called.
Part of the B862 road south of Dores was closed to allow firefighters easier access.
And as they were battling the blaze, another one broke out near Dingwall
Crews from Invergordon and Beauly were sent to the Heights of Docharty just after 4pm and managed to stop flames reaching a building.
The incidents were the latest in a spate of wildfires across the north.
Firefighters saved houses in the Fort Augustus area which were threatened by a blaze on Wednesday night.
Crews were at Loch Unigan Hill, south of the village, throughout the night and only put out the fire around 5.30am yesterday – nearly nine hours after the initial call-out.
At one stage, the fire came within about 55 yards of a property.
Fire chiefs said easterly winds exacerbated the difficult conditions and were fanning the flames.
The crews – from Fort Augustus, Drumnadrochit, Foyers, Spean Bridge and Cannich – used knapsack sprayers, fire beaters and a hose reel jet to tackle the fire on two fronts.
They remained on scene until after 7am, checking for hot spots.
Fort Augustus watch manager Alistair MacKinnon said: “The crews did very well in difficult conditions and managed to keep the fire away from one property.
“We also had a covering jet on a water tank to protect it from the fire. There was a plantation down one side of the hill about half a mile away, but we managed to get the fire under control and prevent it spreading there.”
The latest incident has prompted further reminders to the public to be careful to try to reduce the number of fires this summer.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has attended a number of wildfire incidents in the north this year already, and is often assisted by land managers, who provide specialist firefighting equipment including fogging units and all-terrain vehicles, and pay for helicopter support where appropriate.
The fire brigade is also working closely with land managers and appealing to tourists and communities to help reduce the number fires.