Abernethy: It's been a period of heartbreak and gratitude, mourning the scorched landscape and staying away from home when the smoke got too close. In the Cairngorms, parts of the moorland have been on fire for over three weeks, because apparently, nature decided to test our resilience with a long, smoky endurance round.

Many places that are usually a casual stroll away are now off-limits. Huge swathes of moorland that should be purple with heather, understoreys thick with blaeberries, granny pines, and younger trees, are instead scorched black. In some spots, the fire has burned down into the tree root system and the peat layer, where it may smoulder for weeks, because why not add a slow-burn sequel to the inferno?

The period has been one of uncertainty and despair. The author will never forget the day the wind changed direction and a huge plume of smoke rose behind the trees immediately beyond their house. They waited to see if they would be evacuated, gathering passports, important documents, medicines, and packing a bag of clothes. When residents of nearby Nethy Bridge were advised to evacuate, they stayed with a friend just outside the perimeter for the night - something they never imagined having to do, but hey, new experiences in the climate crisis era.