Geological experts inspecting Edinburgh’s Arthur’s Seat after blaze

A team of independent geologists are inspecting Arthur’s Seat after the blaze on August 10th stripped back gorse and loosened rocks, causing a prolonged closure of part of the High Road.

The fire, which occurred during the Fringe Festival, burned through the night on August 10th.

A fire chief previously said they believed it was caused by “some sort of human behaviour or intervention of some sort”, but the risk was likely increased due to dry and warm conditions in Edinburgh at the time.

All surrounding roads were reopened the day after the fire, but closed again days later due to reports of falling debris. It has not yet been confirmed when the road will reopen, but the closure is expected to last at least until 5th October.

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, and is popular with cyclists, runners and hillwalkers.

A spokesperson for HES said: “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.”

The road, which is a popular route for runners and cyclists, is normally open from Tuesday to Thursday from 9:30am-3pm for vehicles, with a one-way system in place for cyclists.

A Historic Scotland spokesperson told The National: “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.

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“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.”

The closure has disrupted events like the weekly Holyrood parkrun, which had been expected to safely go ahead through late August and September, but has faced repeated cancellations amid safety concerns.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service sent five appliances to the scene and worked through the night to control the blaze, continuing to wet down the area throughout the week.

It came after another fire in February 2019, when dozens of firefighters also worked through the night to extinguish a gorse blaze that burned for over eight hours.

Prior to the fire in August, the road was closed in March following a regular inspection, again due to the potential risk of rock fall. Locals and visitors alike are hoping the upcoming report will finally settle the uncertainty and keep the road open without further disruption.