Fire crews have extinguished a large blaze at Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh after flames broke out below Salisbury Crags at about 18:40 on Sunday. The hillside at the landmark was left blackened by the fire, while crews worked overnight to douse the flames and dampen hotspots.
Plumes of white smoke could be seen from as far as Fife after the grassfire began. Six fire engines were sent to tackle the blaze, and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said there were "no reported casualities" and crews have now left the scene.
Police Scotland said Queen's Drive, the road that encircles the Holyrood Park hills, had reopened and the fire was not being treated as suspicious.
It is the second fire in the last three months at the landmark, an ancient extinct volcano that offers panoramic views of the Scottish capital. Small plumes of smoke could still be seen on Monday and large swathes of vegetation below the cliff face had been burned black.
What did firefighters say about the response?
SFRS area commander Davis Dourley said crews stayed on site until the following day to deal with remaining heat sources and dampen the area.
"We were alerted at 18:38 on Sunday 19 July to reports of a fire in the open at Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh."
"Our crews remained on scene until today, working to extinguish remaining hotspots and dampen down the area."
Why is there renewed concern about wildfires?
A "very high risk" wildfire warning for the central Highlands, southern and eastern Scotland has been extended to Friday as warm weather is forecast to continue. The warning was extended by the SFRS, in conjunction with the Scottish Wildfire Forum (SWF).
Dourley urged people to stay alert during the spell of hot weather and to follow advice on outdoor safety to reduce the risk of fires.
"We urge people to remain vigilant during this hot spell of weather, and to follow our advice to take care outdoors to help us avoid fires as much as possible."
