Scotland's firefighters battle large grass fire near Edinburgh’s Arthur’s Seat

Firefighters are battling a large grass fire near Arthur's Seat in central Edinburgh, according to media reports on Tuesday.

The blaze was seen spreading across Arthur’s Seat, the main peak within the group of hills overlooking Edinburgh, after the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said it was called to the scene at approximately 6.50 pm local time (1750GMT) on Monday.

According to the BBC, a police helicopter was seen circling above the area while police closed a pathway near the fire as firefighters positioned along a ridge below the affected area assessed the situation.

An SFRS spokesperson said: “There is a large amount of smoke resulting from this incident. Local area residents are advised to keep windows and doors shut as a precaution.”

The latest fire comes as temperatures reached 25 degrees Celsius in Edinburgh, according to the UK weather agency, the Met Office.

Last year, another fire also broke out at Arthur’s Seat during one of the busiest periods of the year in the Scottish capital while the Edinburgh Festival Fringe was taking place in August.