Arthur's Seat
See Edinburgh from the unique vantage point of Arthur's Seat. Trek up the nearby hillside and see the incredible view after a bit of fresh air and exercise.
What you need to know about Arthur's Seat
City: Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Access: There is no cost. It's a big hill 😉
Fact: Arthur's Seat is actually a long extinct volcano. It has no chance of it becoming active while you climb up it though because it last erupted about 340 million years ago. It is similar geologically to Castle Rock that serves as the base upon which Edinburgh Castle is built.
Over the hills but not far away
There is a great optional activity as part of your Edinburgh travel adventure and that is to indulge in a spot of hill walking.
Head east from the city centre and about a mile away you will come across an impressively imposing hill called Arthur's Seat. There are a number of hills that make up the Holyrood Park which is a Royal Park in the nearby vicinity. Of all the local options this is one the one that everyone goes to see and climb for sure.
Some will tell you that it is named after King Arthur. Others will tell you that its name comes from a weird derivation of the ancient word for the word arrow. In actuality nobody precisely knows how the name came to be given to the humongous hill.
Arthur's Seat rises up high above Edinburgh.
Time to get your walking boots on (or just some comfy trainers)
Hiking up to the top of Arthur's Seat will present you with a brilliant reward. By reaching the top you'll have reached a height of 250 metres (822ft) which is a personal achievement in itself (A pat on our own back for the Globedge "summit" efforts). You will also get to savour a great panoramic view of the surrounding hills and the city of Edinburgh far below.
When starting to climb up you can choose to approach the task from pretty much any direction. The easiest option is for sure to start climbing from the East where you will be able to hike up and follow the grassy trail and slope up above another landmark in Dunsapie Loch.
Keep your progress steady without going nuts in terms of pace so that you enjoy the fresh air and the walk. A nice leisurely pace will let you get to the top and spend some good time in nature within a couple of hours.
Some of the views from Arthur's Seat are pretty stunning.