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 up 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 back.

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 have a car for this trip.

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 ragwort, foxglove, 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.

Scottish Parliament Building

At Holyrood Park, looking back at the parliament building

Sign near the edge of Holyrood Park

At Holyrood Park. The path begins to the top left of this picture. That ridge? That is not the summit of Arthur's Seat.

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

Ice cream truck at the bottom. It seems like every hill has an ice cream truck at the bottom.

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

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.

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

The yellow flower is ragwort.

Looking back

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.