Firefighters have worked through the night tackling a gorse blaze on Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh.
Although the cause of the blaze is still unknown, it was almost certainly caused by humans, fire chiefs have said.
Emergency services were alerted to the blaze just after 4pm on Sunday, with dramatic pictures showing flames raging on the hill.
Smoke could be seen billowing into the sky from the hill, an extinct volcano in Holyrood Park to the south-east of the city centre.
People have been advised to avoid the area. No casualties have been reported so far.
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “Operations control mobilised four fire appliances and specialist resources to the area where firefighters are working to extinguish a fire affecting a large area of gorse.”
Reports have suggested people were seen fleeing the area as the flames spread.
Arthur's Seat is a short distance from the Scottish capital’s historic Old Town in Holyrood Park and is popular with tourists for hikes.
Arthur's Seat fire: Key points
- Huge wildfire breaks out at beloved Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh
- People seen 'running down face of hill', according to reports
- Smoke seen across Edinburgh as fire rages on Arthur's Seat
- Firefighters work through night tackling Arthur’s Seat blaze
Climate activists warn Arthur's Seat blaze sign of 'new normal'
12:40
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Climate activists have said the fire should be a cause for concern and another example of our “new normal”.
Robert Palmer, the deputy director of pressure group Uplift spoke to The National and said: “The wildfire at Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, and the ongoing heath blaze in Dorset, are really worrying. Wildfires like these are becoming more likely because of climate change.”
He explained that Scotland is facing the fourth heatwave of the summer and has only just started to recover from Storm Floris.
“These are just the latest examples of extreme weather becoming the ‘new normal’,” he added.
Watch: Huge fire sweeps across landmark Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh
12:20
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Arthur's seat also caught fire six years ago
12:00
,
Rebecca Whittaker
The blaze has come after severe water shortages and several wildfire warnings across the country.
Scotland had the driest spring on record since 1964. It had a deficit of 60m litres a day during droughts.
Earlier in July, parts of the north of the country were hit by wildfires on a “vast scale” which burned for several days, prompting a police investigation.
This is also not the first time the extinct volcano has caught fire. In 2019 a similar fire broke out and the fire service spent eight hours battling the affected area of about 800 sq metres.
Firefighters pictured at the scene of the fire
11:40
,
Rebecca Whittaker
People were seen 'running down the hill away from the fire', resident says
11:20
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Rebecca Whittaker
A resident from Edinburgh said he saw people running down the hill away from the blaze.
“I was oblivious at first, I was visiting Dr Neil’s Garden for a Fringe event and when I came out I saw the fire on the side of the hill. People were running down the hill away from the fire and others were standing around watching it and taking pictures,” Tom Whittaker told the Independent.
“ I was surprised to see a wildfire, it hasn’t been that dry or hot,” he added.
Most wildfires in Scotland are caused by human activity, Professor says
11:10
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Rebecca Whittaker
Most wildfires in Scotland are caused by human activity, according to Professor Rory Hadden, chair of fire science at the University of Edinburgh.
Speaking to Good Morning Scotland he said: "Some of these can kind just be people in the countryside trying their best to enjoy themselves and making some mistakes."
He explained that wildfires in the country are becoming more common and larger as a result of climate change causing more extreme heat and milder winters.
This causes drier conditions and more vegetation to grow, giving wildfires more fuel.
Increases in rewilding and was also a contributory factor.
What is Arthur's Seat?
11:00
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Rebecca Whittaker
Arthur’s Seat is a famous landmark in Edinburgh. It stands at 251m tall making it a popular climbing spot to look at views of the city.
It’s located in the Holyrood area in the east of the city near the bottom of the historic Royal Mile.
Arthur's Seat is an extinct volcano that was formed millions of years during the Carboniferous period - with lava samples from the site dated at 341 to 335 million years old.
There are several theories behind the name Arthur’s Seat.
One legend is it was the potential location for Camelot, the castle and court of King Arthur.
Another connects it to the Gaelic phrase "Ard-na-Said," meaning "Height of Arrows.” It’s thought this could refer to the volcanos use as a strategic location for archers.
The fire was probably started by human activity, fire chief said
10:54
,
Rebecca Whittaker
The fire on Arthur’s seat was probably started by human activity, a Scottish Fire and Rescue service group commander has said.
Neil MacLennan said the exact cause of the fire is still unknown, but that a deliberate act could not be ruled out.
Mr MacLennan said the "challenging" fire spread quickly through gorse and heather on the side of the hill.
He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland: "We don't have specifics … but what we can pretty much be certain of is it would have been some form of human behaviour or intervention of some sort.
"It's very rare for any natural wildfires to start in this country.
"How that manifested we don't know at this stage but there will have been some form of human interaction and that's part of the risk for that area – it is a busy area.
"The risk is there for that type of fire to start."
'It’s absolutely devastating to see,' says local resident
10:41
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Edinburgh resident AJ Stewart said as soon as firefighters extinguished one fire another started.
He told Edinburgh Live at 4.53am: "It seems as soon as it’s extinguished, another area begins to burn. It’s absolutely devastating to see.
“Sending my best wishes to all emergency services involved, I am truly grateful for each and every one of them."
Firefighters are still at Arthur's Seat following the fire
10:20
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Firefighters are still at the scene at Arthur's Seat and have told members of the public to stay away from the area.
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "We were alerted at 4.05pm on Sunday, 10 August, to reports of a fire in the open at Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh.
“Operations Control mobilised four fire appliances and specialist resources to a fire affecting a large area of gorse.
“Two fire appliances currently remain at the scene where crews are continuing to dampen down hotspots.
"There are no reported casualties at this time.
“Members of the public are advised to stay away from the area.”
Dramatic pictures show Arthur's seat on fire
10:00
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Frightened eyewitness tells of watching flames spread as he hurried down hill
09:40
,
Rebecca Whittaker
A frightened eyewitness has said he watched as the flames spread while he made his way down Arthur’s Seat.
Nick Brice, from Brighton, told BBC Scotland News: "We could see this little plume of smoke on the ridge at the far side and it just got bigger and bigger.
"All of a sudden we could see these flames starting to come up and people noticed it spreading fast.
"The smoke started to really build and then these flames started to cover the ridge and we realised the wind was blowing it right towards us.
"We had to get down to the road fast because it was going to come across the whole area."
Mr Brice said urged people he passed who were still going up the hill to turn around.
He added: "Now the whole hillside is covered in flames and smoke coming down over the path we walked."
This is not the first time Arthur's seat has caught fire
09:20
,
Rebecca Whittaker
The blaze has come after severe water shortages and several wildfire warnings across the country.
Scotland had the driest spring on record since 1964. It had a deficit of 60m litres a day during droughts.
Earlier in July, parts of the north of the country were hit by wildfires on a “vast scale” which burned for several days, prompting a police investigation.
This is also not the first time the extinct volcano has caught fire. In 2019 a similar fire broke out and the fire service spent eight hours battling the affected area of about 800 sq metres.
Watch: Huge fire sweeps across landmark Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh
08:50
,
Rebecca Whittaker
Public urged to stay away from the area
08:24
,
Jabed Ahmed
In a update this morning, firefighters have urged the public to stay away from the area.
Crews remain at the scene, the Scottish fire and rescue service said.
In pictures
07:49
,
Jabed Ahmed
Firefighters work through night tackling Arthur’s Seat blaze
07:34
,
Jabed Ahmed
Firefighters have worked through the night tackling a gorse blaze on Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh.
Emergency services were called to the scene at around 4.05pm on Sunday.
Smoke could be seen billowing into the sky from the hill, an extinct volcano in Holyrood Park to the south-east of the city centre.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service sent four fire engines and specialist resources to the incident on Sunday afternoon.
Two appliances were at the scene at 6.30am on Monday.
There were no reports of any casualties.
Blaze comes after Scotland suffered days of wildfires this summer
07:00
,
Tara Cobham
The blaze comes after Scotland has suffered days of wildfires this summer.
Earlier in July, parts of the north of the country were hit by wildfires on a “vast scale” which burned for several days, prompting a police investigation.
Dramatic pictures showed smoke seen across Edinburgh
06:00
,
Tara Cobham
Dramatic pictures have shown smoke could be seen across Edinburgh after the huge wildfire broke out on Arthur’s Seat.
People seen 'running down face of hill', according to reports
05:00
,
Tara Cobham
Reports have suggested people were seen fleeing the area as fire spread on Arthur’s Seat.
An eyewitness told Edinburgh Live: "There is a major wildfire on Arthur's Seat which spreading rapidly.
"People are running down the face of the hill to get away from it and smoke is spreading really fast."
What is Arthur's Seat
04:00
,
Tara Cobham
Arthur’s Seat, named after King Arthur, is situated at Holyrood Park, which overlooks the Scottish Parliament.
It is an extinct volcano and beauty spot to the south east of the city centre of Edinburgh in Scotland.
In pictures: Huge wildfire breaks out at Arthur's Seat
03:00
,
Tara Cobham
Scottish fire service full statement
02:00
,
Tara Cobham
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 4.05pm on Sunday, August 10 to reports of a fire in the open at Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh.
“Operations control mobilised four fire appliances and specialist resources to the area where firefighters are working to extinguish a fire affecting a large area of gorse.
“There are no reported casualties at this time and crews remain at the scene.”
Frightened eyewitness tells of watching flames spread as he hurried down hill
01:00
,
Tara Cobham
A frightened eyewitness has said he watched as the flames spread while he made his way down Arthur’s Seat.
Nick Brice, from Brighton, told BBC Scotland News: "We could see this little plume of smoke on the ridge at the far side and it just got bigger and bigger.
"All of a sudden we could see these flames starting to come up and people noticed it spreading fast.
"The smoke started to really build and then these flames started to cover the ridge and we realised the wind was blowing it right towards us.
"We had to get down to the road fast because it was going to come across the whole area."
Mr Brice said urged people he passed who were still going up the hill to turn around.
He added: "Now the whole hillside is covered in flames and smoke coming down over the path we walked."
Watch: Huge fire sweeps across landmark Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh
Monday 11 August 2025 00:00
,
Tara Cobham
Full story: Firefighters continue to tackle wildfire at iconic Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh
Sunday 10 August 2025 23:00
,
Tara Cobham
Fire crews are in attendance at a blaze on a landmark hill in Edinburgh.
Smoke can be seen billowing into the sky from the ongoing fire at Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano and beauty spot to the south east of the city centre.
The fire was reported at about 4.05pm on Sunday, according to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).
Read the full story here:
Fire at Arthur's Seat six years ago took eight hours to get under control
Sunday 10 August 2025 21:53
,
Tara Cobham
A similar fire at Arthur’s Seat broke out in 2019.
The fire service spent eight hours battling the affected area of about 800 square metres.
In pictures: Blaze rages on Arthur's Seat
Sunday 10 August 2025 21:20
,
Tara Cobham
No casualties reported so far, fire service says
Sunday 10 August 2025 21:00
,
Tara Cobham
No casulaties have been reported so far, according to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
They said in a statement: “There are no reported casualties at this time and crews remain at the scene.”
Four fire trucks sent to scene as firefighters tackle blaze
Sunday 10 August 2025 20:40
,
Tara Cobham
The Scottish fire service has confirmed that four fire trucks have been sent to the scene of the fire as firefighters tackle the blaze.
An Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 4.05pm on Sunday, August 10 to reports of a fire in the open at Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh.
“Operations control mobilised four fire appliances and specialist resources to the area where firefighters are working to extinguish a fire affecting a large area of gorse.”
Edinburgh particularly busy this month
Sunday 10 August 2025 20:20
,
Tara Cobham
Edinburgh is particularly busy this month as visitors have flocked to the city for annual festivals such as the Fringe.
Oasis fans also descended on the Scottish capital this past weekend as the band put on two nights of shows at Murrayfield stadium.
Blaze comes after Scotland suffered days of wildfires this summer
Sunday 10 August 2025 19:58
,
Tara Cobham
The blaze comes after Scotland has suffered days of wildfires this summer.
Earlier in July, parts of the north of the country were hit by wildfires on a “vast scale” which burned for several days, prompting a police investigation.
People seen 'running down face of hill', according to reports
Sunday 10 August 2025 19:45
,
Tara Cobham
Reports have suggested people were seen fleeing the area as fire spread on Arthur’s Seat.
An eyewitness told Edinburgh Live: "There is a major wildfire on Arthur's Seat which spreading rapidly.
"People are running down the face of the hill to get away from it and smoke is spreading really fast."
Smoke seen across Edinburgh as fire rages on Arthur's Seat
Sunday 10 August 2025 19:41
,
Tara Cobham
Smoke can be seen across Edinburgh after the huge wildfire broke out on Arthur’s Seat.
Police and emergency services were called shortly after 4pm and people have been advised to avoid the area.
Full statement from Scotland's fire service
Sunday 10 August 2025 19:40
,
Tara Cobham
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said in a statement issued just after 5pm this evening: “Crews are in attendance at a fire in the open at Arthur's Seat, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh.
“Members of the public no longer need to alert our Operations Control room about this fire, as we are receiving a number of calls to this incident.”
Huge wildfire breaks out at beloved Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh
Sunday 10 August 2025 19:37
,
Tara Cobham
A huge wildfire has broken out on the beloved landmark Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh.
Police and emergency services were called shortly after 4pm and people have been advised to avoid the area.
