Fire crews battle blaze on Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh
BBC News 2026-07-20 08:41:32
Context: Fire crews have been battling a large blaze on Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, Scotland, since Sunday afternoon, with six fire engines deployed to tackle the grassfire. The fire broke out in the evening and continued to burn overnight, with firefighters concentrating efforts on the area closest to the Pollock Halls of Residence, a large student accommodation site for the University of Edinburgh. The park remains closed to pedestrians and vehicles.
Key Facts
- The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) deployed six fire engines to tackle the grassfire on Arthur's Seat, with firefighters working through the night to control the blaze.
- The fire broke out on Sunday evening, with small plumes of smoke still visible on Monday morning along Salisbury Crags, and large swathes of vegetation below the cliff face were burned black.
- Police Scotland closed Queens Drive, the road that encircles the Holyrood Park hills, to all vehicles, and the park remains closed to pedestrians and vehicles due to the fire.
- Jon Henderson, SFRS assistant chief officer, stated that the service had dealt with a number of incidents over the weekend, and that resources would likely be on site for a couple of days to continue tackling the fire and damping out hotspots.
- The cause of the fire is currently unknown, with Henderson stating that it was too early to speculate and that a full fire investigation would be conducted once the response efforts were complete.