Fire breaks out on Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh’s famous dormant volcano

A view of a fire on Arthur's Seat in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh today. (Jane Barlow - PA Images/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

A fire broke out on Arthur’s Seat, a landmark dormant volcano in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Sunday, according to local authorities.

A “large area” of shrubbery was affected by the blaze, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said in a Sunday evening statement. No casualties were reported, it added.

The first calls about the fire came in around 4:05 p.m. local time (11:05 a.m. ET), the fire service said, telling CNN more than five hours after this that the blaze was still not extinguished.

The cause of the fire was not shared by the fire service.

Video posted to social media showed thick clouds of smoke billowing from the site.

Chris Murray, a member of the Scottish Parliament representing the constituency where Arthur’s Seat is located, posted about the fire to social media, telling those in the vicinity of the landmark to “please take care.”

Police advised motorists and pedestrians to avoid the area.

Arthur’s Seat sits 251m (823.5 ft) above sea level, according to the Scottish tourism board, offering hikers views of the country’s capital city.

The landmark is also the site of a large fort dating back around 2,000 years, as well as St Anthony’s Chapel, a picturesque 15th century medieval ruin, according to the tourism board.

It sits in Holyrood Park, close to the Scottish Parliament and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, King Charles’ official residence in Edinburgh.

In recent years, Scottish firefighters have responded to blazes at Arthur’s Seat in 2022, 2020, and 2019.

2025 saw the driest start to the year across Scotland since 1964, according to Scottish Water. Back in May, Scots were asked by the utility company to use water “as efficiently as possible” to “protect resources and maintain normal supplies across the country.”

Catherine Nicholls, CNN