- Have YOU seen the fire? E-mail tom.lawrence@mailonline.co.uk
A large fire has broken out at Arthur’s seat in Edinburgh this afternoon sending clouds of smoke into the air.
The flames at the beauty spot can be seen for miles across the Scottish capital.
Police Scotland has advised motorists and pedestrians to avoid the area.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘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.’
Situated in Holyrood Park, Arthur’s seat is an ancient volcano which sits 251 above sea level, high above the city below.
It is the highest point of the park and offers views of Edinburgh. It is also a site of Special Scientific Interest due to its unique geology.
The park has four hill forts which have stood for 2000 years as well as a 15th century medieval chapel and Duddingston Loch, which attracts a wide variety of local birds.
The fire comes on one of the busiest weekends of the year in the city, with Edinburgh Fringe Festival in full swing.
The city also hosted two gig from Oasis on Friday and Saturday night, with the band returning for their third gig at Murrayfield on Tuesday night.
Hibernian fans were able to see the smoke from the stadium during their match vs Kilmarnock. Fans were told to avoid the Willowbrae, Duddingston and Holyrood areas when leaving the Easter Road stadium.
A witness told Edinburgh Live they saw people ‘running down the hill to get away from the smoke.’
