Arthur's Seat via Salisbury Crags

Difficulty : EasyDuration : 2.5 HrsDistance : 3.5 Km

Full route description for this walk

Being next to the city centre this walk is very accessible. The start is bascially situated at the end of the Royal Mile that leads from the Old Town out of the city centre. There is ample parking at the car park situated on the side of the Queens Drive road just behind the two somewhat contrasting buildings of the ancient Abbey and Palace of Holyrood and the new modern white building that houses the Dynamic Earth science centre. Holyrood Palace was originally a monastery and then in later years resident to many Scottish Kings and Queens. The word Holyrood comes from the term Haly Ruid meaning Holy Cross. From the car park a wide track known as the Radical Road leads up and right towards Salisbury Crags, if you are unsure which path to take then have a look at the map and info board at the entrance to the car park.

The wide track known as the Radical Road ascends quite steeply at first and as you climb the panoramic views over the roofs of the city will open up to the right with many a church spire and the castle itself perched on its own volcanic rocky outcrop. The strangely communist looking housing blocks below the crag were built in the sixties when sadly the old community of Dumbiedykes was demolished, these in my opinion 'ugly' council flats are actually surprisingly sought after however due to there locality to the Old Town and Holyrood Park. Lets face it a view of the Salisbury Crags and Arthur Seat isn't bad!

The enormous rock wall on your left is known as Salisbury Crags. Salisbury Crags are huge cliffs well over 150 feet high, they are a part of the original volcano landscape but then shaped by glaciers at a later stage. The Radical Road runs the full length of the crags and is very popular among bike riders, joggers and dog walkers as it is more or less a track for most parts. Once the wide track of the Radical Road has rounded Salisbury Crags, Arthur's Seat summit should come in to view up and to the left. The track heads back down towards Queens Drive, however a smaller path leads off left and over towards the direction of Gutted Haddie. Gutted Haddie is a direct route from the South West to Arthur's Seat that has been badly eroded over the years, however in recent years a new zig zag path has been built to enable walkers to experience this fun way to the top, the path is a little strenuous at first but is over sooner than you'd think and means a very surprisingly quick and safe ascent.

After the short but tough climb up the new zig zag path simply follow it as it flattens out and shoulders the now grassy hill. As the views to the Petlands across the golf course below open up, the path will eventually climb left and up onto the grassy summit. From this view point you will see the summit proper in front of you. There are three summit hills on the massif. The summit proper is more rocky in appearance than both the one your standing on and the one to your right known as Crow Hill. Crow Hill is worth a visit as its usually less crowded than the summit proper and also contains remains of an old hill fort. Head straight to the summit of Arthur's Seat and you will see that its rocky appearance is most certainly not deceiving, there is a short scramble to the top on very slippery rock. When you reach the top you will see the summit trig point at the highest point and an interesting and informative topograph cairn close by. I would warn that although this is a relatively easy hill to climb, in wet weather the rock on the summit is extremely dangerously smooth and slippery from the feet of thousands of visitors each year on such a small area of rock.

The views from the summit are awesome. The city itself is a real gem, Edinburgh is in my own opinion the most beautiful and fascinating city in Britain by a mile. The topograph cairn situated just a dozen metres from the actual summit trig point will enable you to clearly identify the distant and distinct features. In the North and East views open up over the Firth of Forth with the distant Ochils to the North, the square chunk of Bass Rock out to sea sits to the left of the triangulated hill of North Berwick Low. The Pentland Hills dominate the view South and to the West over the city the Forth Road & Rail bridges. On a clear day the views can include the higher mountains of the Southern Highlands to the North and West.

If you look seaward or down from the north side of the summit, on your left will be the top of Salisbury Crags, the hill known as Cat Nick. To the right of Cat Nick is a valley known as Hunter's Bog. Hunters bog is flanked on the right hand side by a small ridge with cliffs on its left side. This ridge which is directly North from Arthur's Seat summit is known as Long Row and will be your descent route. There is a rough path that leads straight off the summit in a Northerly direction to the ridge or you can take the easier option and go east off the summit before rounding to the left on obvious paths until you reach the top of Long Row where a path follows the top of the ridge. Follow this path all the way along the ridge.

Once at the end of Long Row the picturesque remains of St Anthony's Chapel come into view high above St Margaret's Loch which is often filled with bright white swans. St Anthony's Chapel was originally a slate roofed building with a tall tower. The origins and build date of the chapel remain unknown, though there are many theories. Head downhill now and join the main path in the valley and follow the obvious and wide track round left back to the starting point, passing St Margaret's Well on the way.

Maps available for this walk

Weather forecasts for this walk

Webcams near the Pentland Hills, Scotland

Accomodation near this walk

Mountain rescue teams covering this walk

Photos taken on this walk

Videos taken on this walk

Walks in the Pentlands Hills, Scotland

Walks by area