Firefighters battle blaze on Arthur’s Seat in the heart of Edinburgh
By Jack Guy, CNN
(CNN) — Firefighters in Scotland have been working to extinguish a wildfire at Arthur’s Seat, a famous hill near the center of the capital city, Edinburgh.
The blaze was reported on Sunday evening, according to a statement from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), published late on Monday morning.
“Operations Control mobilised six fire appliances and specialist resources to the scene where firefighters are working to extinguish a fire affecting an area of grass,” SFRS Area Commander David Dourley said in the statement.
“Our crews remain on scene this morning having worked tirelessly throughout the night fighting the fire. Operations will continue today until the fire is fully extinguished,” he said.
“There are no reported casualties,” added Dourley.
Arthur’s Seat is a landmark dormant volcano that rises 251 meters (823 feet) above sea level, according to the Scottish tourism board, offering hikers views of the country’s capital city.
It is also the site of a large fort dating back around 2,000 years, as well as St. Anthony’s Chapel, a picturesque 15th-century ruin, according to the tourism board.
It sits in Holyrood Park, close to the Scottish Parliament and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, King Charles’ official residence in Edinburgh.
Firefighters have responded to multiple blazes at Arthur’s Seat in recent years, tackling fires there in 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2025.
Dozens of firefighters have also been battling a fire in the Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands over the past five days, according to a separate statement from the SFRS.
A “very high risk” wildfire warning is in place for the Central Highlands, Southern and Eastern Scotland until Monday, the service added.
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CNN’s Catherine Nicholls contributed to this report.
