Grass fire breaks out near Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh

A large grass fire broke out in Holyrood Park near Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh. The fire began near the ruins of St Anthony's Chapel and sent plumes of smoke across the city. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service stated it was called to the scene at about 18:50.

Police closed a path close to the blaze while firefighters assessed the situation from a ridge below the affected area. A police helicopter was also observed circling overhead.

August last year, a gorse fire forced the closure of a road on the hill near Edinburgh's historic old town. The area was evacuated as flames spread before that blaze was brought under control. No casualties were reported in the earlier incident. The latest fire occurred as the Met Office recorded temperatures of 25C in Edinburgh.

During the Edinburgh Marathon at the weekend, the Scottish Ambulance Service said 16 people were taken to hospital for heat exhaustion.