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Fire crews extinguish blaze at Arthur's Seat

News imageBBC Arthur's Seat with burnt vegetation down its cliff face.BBC
The hillside at Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh was left blackened by the blaze

Fire crews have extinguished a large blaze at Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh.

Plumes of white smoke could be seen from as far as Fife after the fire broke out below Salisbury Crags at about 18:40 on Sunday.

Six fire engines were sent to tackle the grassfire, with crews working overnight to douse the flames and dampen hotspots.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said there were "no reported casualities" and crews have now left the scene.

Police Scotland said Queen's Drive, the road that encircles the Holyrood Park hills, had reopened and the fire was not being treated as suspicious.

Fire crews tackle blaze on Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh

It is the second fire in the last three months at the landmark, an ancient extinct volcano that offers panoramic views of the Scottish capital.

Small plumes of smoke could still be seen on Monday and large swathes of vegetation below the cliff face had been burned black.

SFRS area commander Davis Dourley said: "We were alerted at 18:38 on Sunday 19 July to reports of a fire in the open at Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh.

"Our crews remained on scene until today, working to extinguish remaining hotspots and dampen down the area."

News imageMalcolm McFadyen Burning vegetation on the side of Arthur's Seat. There are orange flames and plumes of smoke.Malcolm McFadyen
Vegetation on the hillside burned as the fire spread

A "very high risk" wildfire warning for the central Highlands, southern and eastern Scotland has been extended to Friday as warm weather is forecast to continue.

The warning was extended by the SFRS, in conjunction with the Scottish Wildfire Forum (SWF).

Dourley added: "We urge people to remain vigilant during this hot spell of weather, and to follow our advice to take care outdoors to help us avoid fires as much as possible."