Cairngorm residents said the bushfire response was ‘very slow’

Neil Gray said decisions on how best to deal with the fire were made based on “evidence” and “in terms of our response, the emergency services are at the forefront”.

He said: “We have made it very clear that all resources that can be put in place will be put into place by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Gray added that the government had approached the military to request more helicopters and had “exhausted all the helicopters on the market” but had not yet received a response.

The Cabinet Secretary then said that two helicopters are available at Sachurai and more helicopters will be available on Sunday.

He said that these came from the commercial sector, and he said that he was covered by the contract led by the government body NatureScot.

The fire broke out near the village of Glenmore on Wednesday last week, prompting the evacuation of residents and campers.

More than 500 firefighters were deployed to cover six square kilometers of heather and small trees at the summit.