Just days ago, I sat in a room in Aviemore with farmers, crofters, land managers and local residents discussing what happens when the next wildfire comes over the hill.
People were asking serious and practical questions. Should firebreaks be mandatory in the areas most at risk? Could properly trained local volunteers support our emergency services? Do our firefighters have the equipment, resources and aerial support they need?
These questions demand answers and action. Yet when MSPs return to the chamber on Tuesday, the SNP Government has chosen to use its parliamentary time for another debate on Scottish independence.
Meanwhile, communities across the Highlands face pressing challenges.
The Scottish Government proposes replacing Scotland’s 14 territorial health boards with two strategic boards. I am concerned that this could centralise decision-making even further and leave Highland patients with services that are more distant and less responsive to local needs.
The A9 still needs to be dualled. Communities affected by the Cairngorms wildfire need meaningful support, and Scotland must be better prepared before the next major incident.
Another constitutional debate will not repair the damage left by the wildfire, protect farms from future emergencies or improve access to healthcare.
People elect us to Parliament to concentrate on the issues affecting their everyday lives. I want ministers to bring forward practical measures that MSPs can scrutinise, improve and vote upon.
My priority is clear: protecting Highland communities, strengthening local services and delivering the infrastructure our region has been promised.