Former Dumfries convent badly damaged by overnight blaze
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Fire crews battle blaze at former Dumfries convent
A landmark Dumfries building has been badly damaged by an overnight blaze.
Dozens of firefighters were called out as flames engulfed the historic former Benedictine convent on Corbelly Hill.
The property was the setting for Peter Mullan's 2002 award-winning film the Magdalene Sisters.
The building - which dates back to 1884 - has been abandoned for some time and has been a target for vandals. Streets around the scene have been cordoned off.
Emergency services were called out to the incident at about 02:30 on Tuesday.
The fire was already well-developed with flames engulfing the side of the building.
Roads around the building have been sealed off
Smoke was still billowing from the site several hours after the blaze broke out and cars parked nearby were covered in ash and debris.
The Benedictine convent, which was built in the 1880s, served as a girls-only school until the early 1980s.
After that it had a number of uses including as a film set and a temporary sheriff court.
Scenes for The Magdalene Sisters - about abuse in Irish Catholic Church-run asylums - were shot in the building.
It won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2002.
The former convent sits on a prominent site overlooking many homes in Dumfries
The convent's chapel was occupied by the Lighthouse religious group for some time but the whole site has been empty for several years prompting concerns about potential vandalism.
Police incident officer, Sgt Adam Potts, said road closures to nearby Maxwell Street and Hill Street were likely to be in place for some time.
"Emergency services attended this morning round about half past two when it was discovered there was a significant fire within the convent," he said.
"There has been extensive damage caused to the building.
"It is likely that emergency services will remain on scene throughout the day."
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The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said 65 firefighters had been "working tirelessly" to deal with the incident.
One woman who lives near the convent told the BBC she heard banging sounds from the building in the early hours of the morning and then saw the fire.
"I actually couldn't believe the scale because the flames were up above the trees," she said.
"It was in full burning mode.
"The fire brigade were fantastic, they had to do an awful lot and they are still here this morning.
"We were just standing for about two hours watching this inferno."