Arthur's Seat inspected to see if road can be reopened after fire

Geologists have been inspecting the rock faces above an Edinburgh road to assess whether it can be reopened following the Arthur's Seat wildfires.

The High Road has been closed for more than six weeks since the huge blaze started on 10 August, during the Edinburgh Festival.

Historic Environment Scotland, which manages the royal park, said the fire had burnt away the gorse that stopped rocks falling on to the road below.

A geologist report is due in October. Park officials will then make a decision on whether the road, which is used by cyclists, runners and walkers, can be reopened.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), which has issued wildfire warnings for later this week, said the cause of last month's incident was unknown.

The road runs around the back of Arthur's Seat on the opposite side to where the Palace of Holyrood House sits in Holyrood Park.

A Historic Scotland spokesperson said: "There has been an increase in rockfalls impacting the High Road in Holyrood Park due to the recent wildfire burning away the gorse that provided protection from these events.

"Independent engineering geologists have attended site to carry out inspections of the rock faces above the road.

"They are now completing their report and carrying out a trajectory analysis of the slopes.

"We are expecting to receive these results in October which will dictate our next steps."

SFRS sent five appliances to the incident and crews worked through the night to bring the blaze under control.

At the time, the area was evacuated but no injuries were reported.

In the days after the fire, a SFRS group commander said the fire was likely sparked by human activity.

But following an investigation, the service said no evidence was found that it was started deliberately or by accident.

SFRS said the cause was unknown.

Arthur's Seat rises above Edinburgh from near the Scottish Parliament. Offering views of the city, it is a popular climb for locals and visitors.

The hill also caught fire in February 2019, with dozens of firefighters working through the night to extinguish a large gorse blaze.

Scotland has seen a number of high-profile wildfires in beauty spots across the country this year.

SFRS has issued an "extreme" wildfire warning for all of Scotland for Friday.

A "very high" risk warning will be in place from Wednesday and Thursday.

The fire service said it was the first wildfire warning issued for September since 2020.