Arthur's Seat Summit Walk

Arthur's Seat is the 251 m summit of Holyrood Park, an extinct volcano that rises directly behind the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland. The walk is about 5 km return with roughly 200 m of climbing, and most walkers take between 1.5 and 2.5 hours. Access is entirely on foot from the Old Town: the walkers' entrance lies beside Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament near Horse Wynd, about 15 minutes' walk from Waverley Station down the Canongate. Lothian Buses stop within five minutes of the park, and there is no permit or charge. Driving is discouraged because parking is limited and Queen's Drive has vehicle restrictions on some days. The park is managed by Historic Environment Scotland. Popular routes start either from the Holyrood end, climbing past St Margaret's Loch and the ruined St Anthony's Chapel, or from the Dunsapie Loch car park, which gives the shortest, most direct ascent. Surfaces range from tarmac and compacted dirt to eroded rock steps, with a short, loose, rocky scramble on the final summit cone. There is no shade on the open hillside, and the summit is exposed to wind, with steep drops on its north and east sides. Landmarks include Salisbury Crags to the west, Dunsapie Loch and Duddingston Loch to the east, and a trig point on the summit with 360-degree views over the Old Town, the Firth of Forth and the Pentland Hills. The summit is the natural turn-around point, though walkers can return by a different path. There are no huts, cafes or water taps on the hill, so water must be carried. The Radical Road beneath Salisbury Crags has been closed since a 2018 rockfall, so on-site signs and the Historic Environment Scotland website should be followed. In mist, walkers should stay on marked paths.