Arthur's Seat blaze sparks large emergency response in Edinburgh

27 February 2019, 07:16

Dozens of firefighters have been tackling a large gorse fire on Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh.

Around 800 square metres of gorse was ablaze on the Salisbury Crags, with the flames visible across the city.

Two fire engines initially went to the scene after the alarm was raised at around 6.30pm on Tuesday.

They were later joined by another two along with an all-terrain vehicle from Dunblane.

Dozens of bystanders went to watch as firefighters tackled the blaze.

Police said Queen's Drive was closed between Dynamic Earth and the Commonwealth Pool while emergency services dealt with the incident.

Many people took to social media to share images of the fire.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said they had received 197 calls about the fire by 8.30pm.

There were no reports of any injuries.

Crews managed to bring it under control but had to leave the site overnight for safety reasons and say remaining hotspots will be dealt with at daylight.