The National Gallery of Scotland was forced to evacuate on Sunday afternoon because of a small electrical fire in the gift shop.
Two fire appliances were dispatched to the scene at 12:12 pm, where patrons had been ushered out and the building closed.
The fire in the main shop was put out by the time the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) arrived, but crews stuck around to secure the building, leaving at around 1:35 pm.
Staff then rushed to reopen the National Gallery, and were able to throw the doors open again at 2:30 pm after an almost two-and-a-half-hour closure.
The fire is not thought to have been serious, and no one was injured, but the incident caused significant disruption for staff and visitors, who were forced to evacuate.
Initially, National Galleries Scotland claimed the closure was down to an “electrical issue”.
A spokesperson said: “The National Gallery is open and welcoming visitors.
“On Sunday 4 October it was closed for a short time in the afternoon due to an electrical issue in the main shop. The area was quickly made safe.”
When asked about the fire, however, the spokesperson added “there was a small electrical fire that was quickly extinguished”.
The National Gallery of Scotland on Princes Street is Scotland’s busiest art gallery and welcomed more than 2 million visitors in 2025.
The gallery is home to Scotland’s national collection of fine art, encompassing international and Scottish art from the renaissance up to the 1900s.
The fire caused the first major disruption to the gallery since a series of walkouts throughout August over staffing cuts.
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 12:12 pm on Sunday, 4 October, to reports of a small fire within a building on Princes Street, Edinburgh.
“Operations Control mobilised two fire appliances to the scene; however, the fire was extinguished prior to our arrival.
“There were no reported casualties and crews left the scene at 1:35 pm after ensuring the area was made safe.”
It is not known at this stage what caused the small fire, but the gallery is fully reopened now.
- This article or a part of it is provided by the news agency Deadline News Limited and published here with permission.
- Contact Deadline News Limited if you would like to use any or all of this article.
