Arthur's Seat road reopens after wildfire

An Edinburgh road has been reopened following the Arthur's Seat wildfire.

The High Road had been closed to pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles for 10 weeks since the large blaze started on 10 August, during the Edinburgh Festival.

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

Now geologists have inspected the rock faces and deemed the area to be safe.

The High Road, which is a one-way traffic system, is usually closed to vehicles but open to pedestrians and cyclists on Fridays through to, and including, Mondays.

The road is open to vehicles from 09:30 to 15:00 Tuesday to Thursday.

A Historic Environment Scotland (HES) spokeswoman, said: "Following assessments of the rock faces and works to enable safe access, the High Road pavement and carriageway in Holyrood Park has reopened to pedestrians and one-way traffic following its closure in August due to wildfire."

There is no exact cause of the fire but fire chiefs believe the blaze was due to human activity.

The fire spread rapidly across the hill in Holyrood Park on a Sunday afternoon.

The area was evacuated as the flames spread and there were no reported casualties.

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.