Crews remain on scene after Sunday evening ignition
Firefighters are continuing efforts to contain a wildfire on Arthur’s Seat and the adjoining Salisbury Crags in Holyrood Park, with the operation expected to run for several days. The blaze was reported shortly before 7pm on Sunday, and crews from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) were still tackling hotspots on Monday morning as smoke drifted over parts of Edinburgh.
Images shared online overnight showed a vivid orange glow on the hillside and thick plumes hanging over the city skyline. SFRS confirmed that six appliances were deployed at the scene as teams worked along the rugged slopes to hold the fire.
Incident scale and outlook
Speaking about the situation in Edinburgh alongside a larger wildfire ongoing in the Cairngorms, SFRS’s John Henderson explained the work under way and the expected timescales for making the site safe. He said the Arthur’s Seat fire currently covers around 0.01 square kilometres, while the Cairngorms blaze spans approximately 6.5 square kilometres.
“Protracted wildfire incidents, they’re weather-driven, we deal with them in partnership, they take a protracted period of time to deal with them… The feeling from the ground there is that we’ll probably be there for a couple of days, continuing to tackle that and dampen out hotspots from those,”
Mr Henderson added that crews often remain even after visible flames are out to ensure any residual heat is fully extinguished.
Timeline and response
According to the SFRS, the initial call came in at 6.38pm on Sunday. Firefighters established a presence across affected areas of Holyrood Park through Sunday night and into Monday, focusing efforts on preventing spread and extinguishing embers embedded in vegetation along the crags.
| Key detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Arthur’s Seat & Salisbury Crags, Holyrood Park |
| Initial report | 6.38pm, Sunday |
| Appliances deployed | 6 SFRS appliances |
| Estimated area | 0.01 km² (Arthur’s Seat) |
| Operational outlook | Crews expected for a couple of days to damp down |
Wider context
The incident arrives during a period when wildfire risk has been highlighted across parts of Scotland. While the Arthur’s Seat fire is comparatively small in footprint, the exposed terrain, summer vegetation and changeable winds on the city’s prominent dormant volcano can complicate containment and mop-up. By contrast, the wildfire in the Cairngorms—now stretching across roughly 6.5 km²—illustrates how quickly conditions can escalate in rural uplands.
From vantage points across Edinburgh, the glow and smoke from Holyrood Park were prominent on Sunday night, underlining the visibility and sensitivity of any incident at one of the capital’s most visited outdoor spaces. Emergency teams are maintaining a presence to ensure lingering hotspots do not reignite.
What we know so far
- Fire reported at Arthur’s Seat at 6.38pm on Sunday; crews remained overnight into Monday.
- Six SFRS appliances were dispatched to the scene.
- Estimated area affected on Arthur’s Seat is 0.01 km²; damping down could take a couple of days.
SFRS has not provided further details on the cause at this stage. The service has stressed that wildfires can be “weather-driven” and require sustained attention even after flames are knocked back, due to embers and concealed heat within dry groundcover.
