Danyel Vanreenen

A fire broke out at a derelict building on Park Road in central Aberdeen. Four fire appliances and one height appliance were attending, while residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed and avoid the area. Road closures were imposed on several nearby streets, and no injuries had been reported.

Benjamin Ward completed the 96-mile West Highland Way in 36 hours and 48 minutes to raise money for Together for Short Lives in memory of his partner Natasha Goldthorpe’s son Liam, who died aged 13 from the progressive neurological condition BPAN. At the finish in Fort William, Ward proposed to Goldthorpe. The trek raised more than £3,000, building on an earlier fundraising walk for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland, which had supported the family.

Evacuations and smoke advisories remain in place as emergency services tackle a major wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park. Residents near Dorback Lodge and Nethy Bridge have been evacuated, while people in Tomintoul have been advised to keep windows and doors closed. Nine fire appliances, specialist wildfire resources, aircraft and more than 500 firefighters have been involved over ten days, with additional heavy machinery requested. Changing weather and stronger winds have caused the blaze to behave unpredictably, with smoke reaching Aberdeen. Evacuated residents are being directed to a respite centre at Macdonald Aviemore Resort, and the public is being told to avoid affected areas because of ongoing firefighting operations and helicopter activity.

Amazon apologised after entrepreneur Rachael Bews was told she could not attend a business course at the company’s Fife fulfilment centre because she needed to breastfeed her five‑month‑old daughter. Despite notifying Amazon in advance, she was informed while travelling that babies were not allowed on site due to health and safety rules. Bews had arranged for her husband to care for the child nearby and planned to leave sessions to breastfeed as needed. Amazon said it offers lactation support but cannot permit young children in fulfilment centres, acknowledging the communication failure and inviting her to a future event. Bews urged organisations to ensure leadership and accelerator programmes are accessible to breastfeeding parents and those with caregiving responsibilities.

A 17-year-old boy, Kerr Paterson from Saline, died in a collision involving two cars on the B914 near Kelty. His family expressed devastation and thanked the public and police for their support while requesting privacy. Police Scotland arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with the crash and continue to seek information, urging anyone with dash-cam footage or knowledge of the incident to come forward.

A confirmed case of squirrelpox in a red squirrel in Dollar has prompted conservation groups to urge residents to remove wildlife feeders to slow the virus’s spread. The disease, carried by grey squirrels but lethal to red squirrels, has been detected only twice north of Scotland’s central belt. Conservation teams are investigating another suspected case in Fife and encouraging the public to report sick or dead squirrels. Volunteers are being sought to help monitor populations, and landowners are credited for aiding containment efforts.