A huge fire has ripped through a historic building in central Edinburgh, with flames raging through the night sky above the Scottish capital.

The blaze appears to have erupted on the upper floors of 109-111 Princes Street early on Thursday morning.

Footage circulated on social media showing large plumes of smoke blanketing Edinburgh's iconic skyline, as well as images of the building almost hollowed out entirely.

The fire erupted just a stone's throw from the iconic Edinburgh Castle.

And its location on Princes Street, the Scottish capital's main shopping street, is only a few doors down from Jenners, the department store which was hollowed out by a fire in 2023.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) raced to the scene to bring the blaze under control.

The service has confirmed to GB News it will issue a briefing to the public in the next couple of hours.

The fire is expected to trigger transport delays in central Edinburgh this morning, with Scottish Citylink confirming its services around the affected area have been cancelled.

The operator wrote on social media: "Due to a building fire, Princes Street in Edinburgh is currently closed at the moment and is unable to be served.

"Next alternative stops are either the Bus Station or Shandwick Place."

Princes Street has been cordoned off while emergency services attempt to tackle the blaze, local residents have reported.

The incident comes just months after Glasgow Central Station was forced to close following a devastating blaze.

The fire started at a vape shop on Union Street on March 8, before spreading to part of the same structure on Gordon Street.

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The 19th-century building housing the station partially collapsed following the inferno.

Over the Bank Holiday weekend in May, Scottish fire chiefs issued an extreme wildfire warning as the country baked in blistering heat.

In 2025, Scotland suffered its most severe wildfire season in history.

A record 241 wildfire incidents were reported throughout the year - with 109 occurring in April alone - according to the SFRS.

Between July 28 and July 2, 2025, wildfires around Carrbridge and Dava Moor were the largest ever recorded in Britain.

In total, more than 10,000 hectares of moorland, peatland and woodland were destroyed, with flames reaching up to 20 metres in length.

Over 1,500 wildfires have taken place in Scotland in the past decade, the Scottish Conservatives revealed last year.

Just under 600 of these blazes were reported in the Highlands alone.