Man arrested after Edinburgh tower block stand-off following knife incident that left two in hospital

A man has been arrested after a knife incident in Edinburgh which left two people requiring hospital treatment.

Armed police locked down the Calder Gardens area of the Scottish capital following reports of a man with a bladed weapon at about 8.25am on Monday.

A stand-off followed within the Cobbinshaw House tower block, which eventually came to an end shortly after 3.30pm.

Police Scotland said the incident was not being treated as terror-related.

The suspect was arrested in connection with a "disturbance" and was quietly removed from the building via a back door to avoid the large crowd that had gathered at the front.

Edinburgh incident as it happened

The force said two people were taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh with "non-life-threatening injuries".

A man suffered injuries "consistent with being stabbed", while a woman suffered a laceration to her head - which is "not believed to be caused by a bladed weapon".

Chief Inspector Scott Kennedy said: "I'd like to thank the public for their assistance and patience while we dealt with this incident.

"I understand what happened was alarming for the local community and I want to reassure the public there is no ongoing wider risk."

Those with concerns can speak to the officers that remain at the scene or contact their local force.

Police Scotland initially advised the public to stay away from the area, before later saying the incident had been "contained".

The Scottish Ambulance Service dispatched three ambulances, three paramedic response units (PRU), and a special operations response team (SORT).

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The City of Edinburgh Council closed all nearby local authority buildings, including schools and early years centres.

Lothian Buses also diverted its number 20 service due to the police lockdown.

During the stand-off, police sent a drone into the sky to hover outside the upper flat window where the suspect was believed to have been holed up.

A figure appeared at the window a number of times throughout the afternoon as the crowd below shouted for the suspect's capture.

Throughout the day, many witnesses told Sky News it was difficult to differentiate fact from fiction as there were "so many rumours" circulating online.

Police Scotland later confirmed the incident was not a hostage situation, adding that the force had not received any reports that the man had tried to enter a nearby nursery.

(c) Sky News 2026: Man arrested after Edinburgh tower block stand-off following knife incident that left two