Edinburgh: a hike up to Arthur’s Seat (and what to prioritize instead).
Hiking up to Arthur’s Seat is one of the main things people do when coming to Edinburgh. It’s no wonder – the views of the city from here are great.
But many climb Arthur’s Seat and totally miss a secondary hike that (I think) is more impressive.
I cover that in this post.
What is Arthur’s Seat?
Edinburgh has a large park just outside the center called Holyrood Park. There are several hills in Holyrood Park with the highest one being Arthur’s Seat. Why is the hill named “Arthur’s Seat”? Nobody knows for sure but it is thought to have originated with the stories of King Arthur.
Arthur’s Seat was once a volcano that is now extinct (the last eruption was about 350 million years ago). The hill has a height of 251 meters above sea level which is a bit deceiving because: 1) it is not the easiest of hikes. Although not “steep” going up, it requires ascending a steady incline for 45 minutes to an hour. 2) the views are impressive with 360 degree views of Edinburgh, the interior, and the North Sea. You’d think yourself higher than 251 meters.
How to go up Arthur’s Seat?
The most common route starts just outside Holyroodhouse Palace. From here, walk towards the cliffs in front of you and follow Queen’s drive. You’ll see a paved path turning off to the right with a sign “Arthur’s seat summit”. Just follow that.
The path will soon become a dirt path and, as you go up further, there will be rocks. But it is all easy walking, no scrambling is required. As I say, 45 minutes to an hour will get you to the summit.
I’ve mapped it below using a park map that I’ve edited to show readers the route. The Pink route I’ve drawn shows you the main route up to Arthur’s seat.
An alternate, even more scenic route
I started the hike towards Arthur’s seat following the above but noticed some people turning off the paved path and just going up an escarpment. I initially thought it led to Arthur’s seat.
I was wrong. I was going up the Salisbury Crags, described as “the glaciated remains of a Carboniferous sill”. I don’t know what that means but what it looks like is a sheered off cliff. As you walk higher, your views will be straight down towards the city. Seen from the side, you’ll see the cliff literally cut off. It’s very dramatic.
I’ve shown the route I took above in green.
A few things I loved walking here:
- The views of the city are phenomenal. You’re at the edge of a cliff, looking straight down and across at the city. And you’re closer to the city than you are at Arthur’s Seat, so you see the city’s highlights more clearly.
- It’s an easier hike. Granted, it is steep in the beginning. But you’re walking on dirt and grass, there are few rocks…and getting near the top takes about 20 minutes.
- There are much fewer tourists. As I would later see returning via the main path to Arthur’s seat, there are hordes of tourists along that path. But here on the Crags there were very few in comparison.
You can get to Arthur’s seat from the Salisbury Crags without having to retrace your steps. Continue following the edge of the cliff. The path will eventually go down into a “valley” between the crags and Arthur’s seat. From there you have various options: 1) a steep path right in front of you (it goes through the bushes and is a bit hidden) or 2) a more visible path that veers to the left. I chose that option. It skirts Arthur’s seat for a bit and then ascends steeply with a series of stone steps. You’ll join the main path for the final ascent up to the summit of Arthur’s seat.
(note: there are usually tons of people up here and you have to watch your step, it’s all rocks at the summit).
I walked back down on the main path (in pink on the map) and took a little detour to St. Anthony’s Chapel. Little is known about the chapel (now just ruins) except that it dates from the 1100’s. More here.
Final thoughts on hiking to Arthur’s Seat and the Salisbury Crags
Hiking the Crags and Arthur’s Seat are definitely a highlight of any visit to Edinburgh. I’ll be honest: Edinburgh gets a lot of tourists and this was an escape into nature…except that you’re minutes from the town center. I loved that. It gives you a whole different perspective on the city.
The majority of people go up to Arthur’s Seat and then come back down the same way. If you do that, count on about 45 minutes to an hour going up. You’ll probably need to plan for a total of 2 to 2 ½ hours for a return trip.
If you don’t have as much time, you can just do the Salisbury Crags. As I mentioned, it took me about 20 minutes to get to the top of the cliff. And I was more impressed with the views here than I was at Arthur’s Seat and there weren’t many people. I was overwhelmed by all the people at the top of Arthur’s Seat and didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have (knowing, I would have gone either early or later).
Best yet, do both. I’ve mapped out a couple of options but there are multiple paths if you look hard. The ones I took were the most obvious and were quite easy. Knowing what I know now, I’d probably start by going up Arthur’s Seat and then detouring to the Crags. I only say that because you’ll always have the Crags (and the views) in front of you and not behind you. Either way, the views in both locations are fabulous as is the experience.
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