Arthur's Seat Summit, Edinburgh, Scotland

Visited July 21, 2023

I used Google maps to find Holyrood Palace. Holyrood Park is right by it. By then, following the skyline toward the goal is pretty straightforward. When in doubt about direction, I just followed the stream of people.

15 degrees Celsius was forecast (59 degrees Fahrenheit), sunny; 1:53PM-3:55PM

I did not look for, nor see, public toilets.

There were a few dogs in Holyrood Park and on the trail to the summit.

I walked approximately 1.6 miles to the summit and then 1.9 miles on the trail back.

The trail is paved at the very beginning, then the trail changed to stone and was very challenging. I went counter clockwise and did a loop. The grassy path on the way down was much easier walking until I missed spotting one of the mole holes; I fell and hurt my hip. Then I just hobbled for the rest of my return to my hotel. There were many people on the trail. Unlike at Catbells in the Lake District, the people at the summit did not take turns taking photos. The same people were at the marker the entire time I was at the top.

Parking: There was a paved parking lot between the park and the hike. It appeared to be "pay to park", but I did not look at it because I did not travel by car.

I saw very little trash.

I was not troubled with mosquitos or midges.

This trail would not be good for strollers. I saw some people take the lower level with bikes and then left the bikes in the weeds on the side of the trail when the "steps" began.

I saw a variety of wildflowers (including burdock, ragwort, foxglove, yarrow, and harebells), berry briars, ferns, mosses, butterflies, and trees.

For more information: https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/holyrood-park-and-arthurs-seat-p914341

Nearby:

The Conan Doyle, 71-73 York Place, Edinburgh, Scotland EH1 3JD

https://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/restaurants/scotlandandnorthernireland/theconandoyleedinburgh?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb#/

Very nice gins, Guinness, haggis with neeps & tatties, and sticky toffee pudding. (It was my last night before going home so I had to have the haggis!)

Holyrood Palace AKA Palace of Holyroodhouse, Canongate, Edinburgh, Scotland

https://www.rct.uk/visit/palace-of-holyroodhouse

I enjoyed the audio tour.

The Queen's Gallery is next to Holyrood Palace and Holyrood Park. It is across the road from the Scottish Parliament building. @ Edinburgh, Scotland

Scottish Parliament Building @ Edinburgh, Scotland

At Holyrood Park, looking back at the parliament building @ Edinburgh, Scotland

Sign near the edge of Holyrood Park @ Edinburgh, Scotland

At Holyrood Park. The path begins at the top left of this picture. That ridge? That is not the summit of Arthur's Seat. @ Edinburgh, Scotland

The beginning of the walk to Arthur's Seat. Doesn't look so bad, right? @ Edinburgh, Scotland

Ice cream truck at the bottom. It seems like every hill has an ice cream truck at the bottom. @ Edinburgh, Scotland

I went on the left path. I am guessing that right path leads to that cliff I saw from Holyrood Park. @ Edinburgh, Scotland

Left or right would have worked. The crowd was going right. I do not usually just go with the crowd, but since I was in an unfamiliar space I thought that would be a good plan. Turns out, that was the steeper trail choice. @ Edinburgh, Scotland

Those are the ruins of St. Anthony's Chapel. I visited them on the way back down. @ Edinburgh, Scotland

View as I ascended Arthur's Seat @ Edinburgh, Scotland

The yellow flower is ragwort. @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

View as I was ascending @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

Ascending @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

Rocky trail @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

Looking back @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

Yellow flower @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

Burdock @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

Heading up.

See that mowed trail on the left? That is the way I came down. It would have been a more gradual way to approach the summit. The person at the far left is about where I was when the gopher hole "caught" me on the way back down. @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

Blackberry briars @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

Looking out toward the North Sea @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

On the way up @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

I believe that is St. Margaret's Loch @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

Bird @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

View @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

Harebells? So pretty. @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

These locks were fairly close to the last scramble to the summit. @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

View @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

Looking up toward the summit @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

View @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

The last scrabble before the summit. @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

Pillar @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

This was at the top of the pillar shown in the pic to the left. @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

View from the summit @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

Birds at the summit @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

The people at the top were not taking turns at the summit marker the way they did when I was at Catbells in Cumbria, UK, so I took this pic. @ Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland