Fourteen areas of Edinburgh will become firework control zones this week as restrictions designed to tackle disorder and protect communities come into force ahead of Bonfire Night.
It will be illegal to set off most fireworks within the designated areas – including in private gardens – from Friday, 30 October until Sunday, 8 November.
The restrictions will apply in Balerno, Calton Hill, Corstorphine, Gracemount, Liberton, Lochend, Longstone, Moredun, Niddrie, Seafield, Sighthill/Broomhouse, Stenhouse/Gaskell, West Pilton and Wester Hailes.
Ten of the zones were approved by City of Edinburgh Council this year, while four existing zones in Balerno, Calton Hill, Niddrie and Seafield remain in place after previously being designated for a longer period.
Five of this year’s zones – Corstorphine, Longstone, Gracemount, Moredun and Sighthill/Broomhouse – have been approved for two years.
New zones covering Lochend, Liberton, Stenhouse/Gaskell, Wester Hailes and West Pilton will initially operate for this year’s Bonfire period.
The measures mean it is an offence to ignite most fireworks inside a control zone or knowingly or recklessly fire or throw a firework into one.
The rules apply on private property as well as other land within the zones.
Category F1 fireworks, including small sparklers, Christmas crackers and party poppers, are exempt. Organised public displays can also take place subject to separate requirements.
Anyone convicted of breaching a firework control zone can face a maximum fine of £5,000 or up to six months in prison.
The zones were introduced following applications from communities concerned about firework misuse, anti-social behaviour and the impact on vulnerable residents, animals and the environment.
A public consultation carried out over the summer found overwhelming support for the proposed restrictions, with relatively few responses opposing them.
Firework control zones were first introduced in Edinburgh in 2024 following serious disorder in parts of the city around Bonfire Night in previous years.
The council said subsequent years had seen a significant reduction in firework-related anti-social behaviour.
Culture and Communities Convener Margaret Graham said earlier this year that fireworks could have a “significant impact on vulnerable people and pets”.
She said the zones formed part of a wider attempt to keep communities safe while reducing disruption during the Bonfire Night period.
Police Scotland is also mounting its annual Operation Moonbeam response across the country around Halloween and Bonfire Night.
Officers have warned that additional resources will be available to deal with disorder, with dispersal zones also expected to operate in some areas.
Police said emergency service workers had previously been targeted with fireworks, bricks and other missiles and warned that anyone involved in violence or disorder would face enforcement action.
Elsewhere in Edinburgh, adult fireworks can generally only be used on private property between 6pm and 11pm, extending to midnight on 5 November.
It is already illegal to set off fireworks in public places such as streets and parks.
Residents are being encouraged to attend organised displays where possible and to report firework-related anti-social behaviour to Police Scotland.