A man and woman have been found dead following a suspected chemical incident at a luxury city hotel.
Their bodies were discovered in a room at the five-star Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh at about 12.15pm, Police Scotland said.
"Inquiries are at an early stage and the deaths are being treated as unexplained at this time," a police spokesman said.
Suicide is not being ruled out by detectives.
The sixth floor of the hotel was evacuated and a large cordon put in place outside the hotel entrance in North Bridge along the pavement towards the Balmoral Hotel in Princes Street.
Emergency services attend the scene where the bodies of a man and woman were found
The Scotsman Hotel is just off the historic Royal Mile and a short distance from Princes Street, the city's main shopping thoroughfare.
The busy summer season is under way as thousands of performers and tourists flock to Scotland's capital for the Fringe Festival which officially begins tomorrow.
Police, fire and ambulance crews were sent to the scene, while the road remained open to traffic.
Norma and Derek Cameron, from Kelso in the Scottish Borders, are staying at the hotel for two nights while they attend the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. They were prevented from returning to their room on the eighth floor.
Mrs Cameron, 71, said they were just preparing to go to the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle.
"We wanted to get in and get refreshed," she said.
"The police weren't giving anything away. They just said that the hotel had been closed and everyone evacuated.
"It's horrible to think about. I'm not sure I want to go back in now."
Lynn Massie, 34, and Neil Cooper, 31, from Aberdeen, are staying at the Scotsman and are waiting to collect their luggage after a two-day break.
Ms Massie said: "We're really shocked. I feel very sorry for the families of the two people. I don't know what happened but it's quite sad.
"You don't expect something like this to happen at a five-star hotel. It's a shame for the hotel staff too."