Edinburgh Royal Mile shops closed as fire crews battle server room blaze

Edinburgh City Council and a number of nearby stores on the Royal Mile were forced to close on Monday due to a fire.

Emergency services rushed to Chamber Street to put out the blaze that took hold in a server room in one of the buildings.

The local authority said the City Chambers would be closed for the day following what it said was an “electrical fault”.

Visit Scotland and Mary’s King’s Close are also closed while several nearby businesses reportedly shut their doors on Monday morning after being left without power.

The City Chambers is currently closed due to an electrical fault; registrars, our customer hub, Mary King’s Close & Visit Scotland office are also closed. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is on site. We’ll continue to keep you updated. pic.twitter.com/1XYNkN85r7
— The City of Edinburgh Council (@Edinburgh_CC) November 27, 2023

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 10.50am on Monday to reports of a fire within the server room of a building in Edinburgh.

“Operations Control mobilised four appliances to the city’s Chamber Street, where firefighters extinguished the fire and worked to make the area safe.

“Crews remain on scene working to support their partners.”

Edinburgh City Council has been approached for comment.