Views? Check. A long entanglement with royalty, names that may or may not involve King Arthur, and pagan traditions that are meant to gain beauty and prosperity? Check, check, and check.
That’s Arthur’s Seat in a nutshell. Or, since it’s Scotland, a sheep’s stomach!
This climb works for the hikers AND the non-hikers in your group! Why? It’s not a long or hard hike (but you can go off trail and make things more interesting), it’s easily accessible from Edinburgh’s old town (making it an easy add to any schedule), and the views are stunning!
A Bit Of History
Arthur’s Seat is a long-extinct volcano that resides in Holyrood Park, a former hunting ground for the royal family. The highest part of the mountain is Arthur’s Seat (it is also the tallest point in Edinburgh), but the area is also known for the dramatic Salisbury Crags as well as three Lochs, and some other natural formations.
The mystery surrounding the name of the mountain still endures, with long-lasting rumors of a tie to the Arthurian legend and declarations that the name is due to a mispronunciation of Gaelic names (‘Ard-na-saighead’ – height of arrows, to name one) being the most common claims.
Although the mountain has ties to royalty, it has always been a place for the people of Edinburgh to gather. There is a pagan tradition (popularized by poet Robert Ferguson in the poem ‘Auld Reekie’) where women would climb the mountain before dawn on the first of May to ‘wash their face’ with the morning dew. If you did so, the dew would grant you beauty for the year, as well as health and prosperity. The ‘May Day’ tradition isn’t as popular as it once was, but every year you will see women climbing the mountain for the dew’s blessings.
What To Bring
The hike isn’t long, but it can be steep and cold. You should bring:
- Comfortable hiking shoes
- Lightweight, breathable layers suited for exercise
- A windbreaker or similar jacket
- A waterbottle
- Sunglasses
- A camera
Hiking Arthur’s Seat
You can take a few different routes to reach Arthur’s Seat, but it mainly depends on where you’ve parked. As the map below will show you, if you’re parked near the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the dotted path can take you straight to the summit and it’ll be about 35-45 minutes long. From the parking near Dunsapie Loch, it’s more like 15 minutes and from the parking near Duddington Village, more like 20-25.
There are also trails that can take you across the Salisbury Crags near the Hunter’s Bog, and one also can connect to the trails to reach Arthur’s Seat. You’ll notice that quite a lot of people go off-trail as well, and nobody will really care unless you try to access the trail near the edges of the Salisbury Crags, because those are currently off limits due to safety concerns.
You’ll notice that the hike is short but will get surprisingly steep at times. The trail can also be uneven and muddy, so be sure to watch where you’re stepping.
A Note – Fun fact, dogs are allowed on the hike!
Once you reach the top of the hike you’ll realize that you will be one of three types of climbers:
- A tourist (climbs up, takes pictures, leaves quickly)
- A local looking for a workout (climbs up, takes a breath and looks at the view, climbs down)
- A local looking to enjoy themselves (walks up, sits to the side and admires the view, takes their time before walking down)
One is not better or worse than the other, but it’s best perhaps to be a combination of tourist/local. Don’t just walk up and leave once you’ve gotten your pictures. Certainly TAKE pictures, but also take a moment to sit to the side and enjoy the view and the fresh air (and the doggies who will likely walk past you).
From this angle, Arthur’s Seat doesn’t look quite so large but as you can see from the view in the back, you DO get higher up than you’d think!
What To Do After!
After reaching the summit, you could climb back down and leave, take an alternate route around the Crags perhaps, or – you could eat at the oldest pub in Edinburgh!
The Sheep Heid Inn has been open since 1360 and lies on the opposite side of Arthur’s Seat, away from Edinburgh. It lies just on the end of one of the Arthur’s Seat trails and is located near the Duddingston Loch ad the Duddingston Kirk (a church built around 1124).
The inside has been renovated a few times, but its long history is clear and the employees are happy to tell you all about it! The cuisine is standard Scottish pub fare, but polished.
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Any questions? Comment below or contact me!