Arthur’s Seat: Climb an Extinct Volcano in Edinburgh

Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh

 

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360-degree panorama from the peak of Arthur's Seat

 

Arthur's Seat as seen over the Firth of Forth from Fife

 

Panorama of Salisbury Crags and Arthur's Seat

 

Arthur's Seat from Edinburgh Castle

 

Arthur’s Seat: Climb an Extinct Volcano in Edinburgh

 

 

Arthur's Seat (Scottish Gaelic: Suidhe Artair, pronounced [ˈs̪ɯi.əˈaɾt̪ʰəɾʲ]) is an ancient extinct volcano that is the main peak of the group of hills in Edinburgh, Scotland, which form most of Holyrood Park, described by Robert Louis Stevenson as "a hill for magnitude, a mountain in virtue of its bold design".

 

Climb Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh's signature hill located in Holyrood Park. After hiking the 251 meter high hill you have a beautiful view of Edinburgh Scotland.

 

 It is situated just to the east of the city centre, about 1 mile (1.6 km) to the east of Edinburgh Castle. The hill rises above the city to a height of 250.5 m (822 ft), provides excellent panoramic views of the city and beyond, is relatively easy to climb, and is popular for hillwalking. Though it can be climbed from almost any direction, the easiest ascent is from the east, where a grassy slope rises above Dunsapie Loch. At a spur of the hill, Salisbury Crags has historically been a rock climbing venue with routes of various degrees of difficulty. Rock climbing was restricted to the South Quarry, but access was banned altogether in 2019 by Historic Environment Scotland.

 

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View from the top of Arthur's Seat Scotland

 

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The rocky peak of Arthur’s Seat (251m), carved by ice sheets from the deeply eroded stump of a long-extinct volcano, is a distinctive feature of Edinburgh’s skyline. The view from the summit is well worth the walk, extending from the Forth bridges in the west to the distant conical hill of North Berwick Law in the east, with the Ochil Hills and the Highlands on the northwestern horizon. You can hike from Holyrood to the summit in around 45 minutes.

 

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©Joe Dunckley/Shutterstock

Arthur's Seat | Attractions - Lonely Planet

 

Arthur’s Seat: Climb an Extinct Volcano in Edinburgh

 

What is Arthur’s Seat?

Arthur’s Seat is located in Holyrood Park, at the end of the Royal Mile. This large, grass covered hill is the remains of an extinct volcano that erupted 350 million years ago.

Arthur’s Seat is the highest point of this extinct volcano.

Although the origin of the name is uncertain, some claim that there is a connection between Edinburgh and King Arthur. Arthur’s Seat may have been the location of legendary Camelot.

View of Arthur’s Seat from Calton Hill

 

Arthur’s Seat, the highest point in Holyrood Park

 

Start near Holyrood Palace. 

If you have a car, park in the car park next to Queen’s Drive, just next to Holyrood Palace. Or walk or take a taxi to this same spot.

Facing the Salisbury Crags, you will see two trailheads. Take the trail to the left (the Green Route) to ascend Arthur’s Peak. After a few minutes of walking, the trail will fork. Take the trail to the left to continue the climb to Arthur’s Seat.

Take the trail on the left to get to Arthur’s Seat. It descends a bit before climbing up to the highest point.  The paved trail to the right is an easy walk through the park (the pink route on our map).

The path becomes a dirt, singletrack trail to the peak of Arthur’s Seat. It is a steady, gradual climb and not overly strenuous. Anyone of reasonable fitness, kids included, should be able to do this.

Tyler and Kara on the trail. You can see Arthur’s Seat in the distance.

 

It takes between 30 to 60 minutes to reach the peak on this route.

 

View From Arthur’s Seat

 

The views from Arthur’s Seat are phenomenal. You will have 360° views of the city. A mile away, sitting on the remains of another extinct volcano, is Edinburgh Castle.

 

From Arthur’s Seat, you have several options to continue your journey. Retrace your steps, walking back to Holyrood Palace. Or walk down the very steep trail to get to the Salisbury Crags (red route). This is what we did. There are a few tricky spots, but if you take your time, it is not too difficult.

View down from Arthur’s Seat

 

Salisbury Crags with the Edinburgh Castle off in the distance.

 

The steep trail down the hillside is a combination of dirt paths and stone steps.

 

This is the view looking back at the steep trail leading to Arthur’s Seat.

 

 

Once at the bottom, you can walk the wide, paved trail along the Salisbury Crags back to the starting point (orange route).

 

If you want better views, and do not mind more hiking, follow the slightly sketchy, dirt trail along the spine of the Salisbury Crags (the blue route). The views from here are just as good as from Arthur’s Seat. Just do not get too close to the edge. This route takes you along the edge of vertical cliffs. Stick to the trail and you will be fine.

 

The Easier (but less scenic) Option to Arthur’s Seat

It is possible to drive a portion of the climb. Drive your car (or take a taxi) to Dunsapie Loch and follow the trail to summit (the Yellow Route). This way is less scenic than hiking from Holyrood Palace.

 

The Least Strenuous Option in Holyrood Park

If you want to enjoy great views of Edinburgh without climbing up to Arthur’s Seat, walk the Salisbury Crags. From Queen’s Street, take the trailhead on the right for the trail along the Salisbury Crags (orange route). From the other side, you can return on the same trail or follow the pink route through the park for different views.

Trail from Queen’s Street leading to the Salisbury Crags

 

 

Helpful Tips for Visiting Arthur’s Seat

Allow two the three hours for your visit.

Holyrood Park is always open and it is free to visit.

Hiking shoes are not necessary, but if you plan on walking up to the summit, you will need to be wearing a good pair of walking shoes. You will be walking on dirt and stone trails with uneven footing.

Bring water and a snack. A picnic lunch would be nice, too!

It is very windy at the top. Even during the summer months, bring a jacket.

Yes, you can visit Arthur’s Seat in the rain, but a clear day would be ideal