If you go down to the woods today - Beware of the 'widowmakers'

The 2026 summer forest fires which burned for weeks on end have left a dangerous legacy, according to environmental experts. They point out that on the periphery of the main wildfire sites are many patches of forest that look normal and seem unaffected, though are in fact quite dangerous.

Reason being that forest fire event often burn underground and this burns away the root system of trees, though the trees will not show any above-ground signs of being affected. Hence, one can be walking through what seems to be a perfectly normal woodland, though in fact many of the trees nearby could simply be standing up due to their structure.

They add that it only takes a quite windy day to blow these trees over and it can be fatal if one is underneath such a tree. Which is why they are nick-named 'widowmakers'.

Most of the 2026 summer fires were just north of Aviemore and officials and estate staff say that walkers should avoid these forests surrounding the main wildfire areas and that if one sees a sign warning about such (which seem to have been deployed in potentially dangerous areas), it is best to find another location for your hiking, cycling or riding.