Firefighters battle gorse blaze at Edinburgh’s Arthur’s Seat

Firefighters in Edinburgh are working to contain a significant gorse fire that broke out at the base of the iconic Arthurs Seat in Holyrood Park on Sunday evening, July 19. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) was alerted at 6:38 p.m. and dispatched four fire appliances to the scene near Salisbury Crags, close to the Our Dynamic Earth visitor attraction.

Thick plumes of smoke from the blaze were visible across the city, with residents reporting sightings from areas several miles away. Authorities have urged the public not to report the fire further, stating there is no need for additional calls to emergency operations control. No casualties have been reported. Crews remained on the scene into the night battling the fire in the open terrain.

The incident in Edinburgh occurred as fire services across Scotland continued to manage another major wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park, which has been burning since Wednesday, July 15. Officials reported significant progress on that front by Sunday, stating the large-scale fire, which at its peak burned approximately four square kilometers, is now largely surrounded and under control. Resources including helicopter support have...