Published in Scotland Magazine Issue 34 on 30/08/2007.

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The view from above

Sometimes the best way to see a city is from up high. Gary Hayden picks out the best vantage points from which you can look down on Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a city of hills, and has some wonderful viewpoints. No visit is complete without taking in some of its high spots. Here are four of the best.

Arthur’s Seat At 251m, Arthur’s Seat is the tallest of eight peaks in Holyrood Park, a 650-acre chunk of the highlands situated in the heart of the city.

No-one with more than a day to spend in Edinburgh should miss out on Holyrood Park. With its crags, lochs, moorland, cliffs and peaks, it’s unlike any other urban park. A wee taster of the Scottish wilderness.

The origin of the name Arthur’s Seat is unknown, it may be named after King Arthur of Camelot, or perhaps a sixth-century hero, Prince Arthur of Strathclyde. Some claim that it’s a corruption of the name ‘Archers’ Seat’.

We do know that Arthur’s Seat is an extinct volcano. Its summit marks the spot where the core erupted about 350 million years ago.

The walk to the summit takes about an hour if you’re moderately fit. It can be approached from almost any direction but most tourists begin by taking the steep path alongside Salisbury Crags (a remarkable and unmissable 45m-high series of cliffs), and then climbing some steep steps towards the peak.

A more gentle, and perhaps more scenic, route begins at the path near St Margaret’s Well. This route takes you past St Anthony’s Chapel, a pretty ruin perched high on crags above St Margaret’s Loch.

It’s also possible to drive into Holyrood Park, leave your car at Dunsapie Loch, and take a 20-minute hike to the summit. .....

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By Gary Hayden

Section : Scottish Landscapes

Page number : 24