SUMMARY
Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park Highest Peak: Arthur’s seat
Approximately 251m above sea level. Easily accessible from the town and offers a stunning 360 degree view of Edinburgh.
TRANSPORT
Arthur’s seat is easily accessible on foot from the town of Edinburgh and there are a few entrance to begin the trek. The hiking information below is for starting the hike from the North (near Holyrood Palace).
Location: Queen’s Drive, Edinburgh EH8 8HG, Scotland
GPS Coordinates: 55.944179, -3.161944 (maps)
Entrance: Queen’s Dr Edinburgh EH8 8AZ (GPS: 55.950867, -3.170357) (maps)
For parking, park at Holyrood Palace Car Park which is just a stone throw away from the entrance.
TRAIL
On our visit, the start of the trek has two distinct path, the local ranger there told us the faster way is to take the trail on the left.
The trek starts off relatively flat on soil ground and after 5 mins, the incline begins and the terrain starts changing into slightly rocky soil ground for about 20 mins before reaching a flat ground, after which on the right, the steepest part of the trail starts on rocky path.
The path is very visible and it is difficult to miss it as flowers and grass outlines the path on both sides. Navigation skills is minimal as there are no tall vegetation to cause diversion from the distinct path.
We took about 45mins from the foot of the mountain to the peak, and that includes photo sessions and water breaks. The hike up one way is approximately 1.36km.
COST
No fees or permit required. We saw a few local park rangers on site that were patrolling the area and can provide helpful information or assistance. No guides are required.
CONTACT
Nil
OTHERS
Bring along a windbreaker and be mindful of the strong gust wind coming from the North Sea.