Wildfire tackled in Pentland Hills with 'high risk' warning in place

Firefighters have been tackling a wildfire in the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh as a "very high" risk warning covers parts of the country.

Emergency crews were called to Torduff Reservoir shortly before 18:00 on Thursday.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) put out a warning for south-west Scotland on Thursday and one for central and eastern parts from Friday until Monday.

Although rain is forecast for most western areas over the weekend it is not expected to stretch to some spots in the east until Monday.

SFRS head of prevention Kenny Barbour said those in the affected areas should avoid lighting outdoor fires as "even a single spark can quickly escalate, causing widespread damage".

He added: "Taking simple precautions can help prevent devastating damage."

Barbour asked people to share the warnings with family, friends and visitors in order to get the message out.

Anyone who spots a wildfire should report it immediately by calling 999.

The warning comes just days after a fire on Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh.

At its height, three teams and specialist wild fire resources were battling the blaze which broke out on Monday.

Firefighters remained at the scene on Tuesday as dampening down operations continued.

Last year, two fathers and their sons were airlifted to safety from a hillside wildfire during a camping trip in Dumfries and Galloway.

The incident in the Galloway Forest Park near Newton Stewart caused widespread damage.