2.5 hours Edinburgh, United Kingdom - 4 km to center

Arthur's Seat: a Vertiginous Wilderness Hike in the Centre of Edinburgh



Rising 251 meters above Edinburgh, Arthur's Seat is the highest point of the resident city volcano. Don't be alarmed: it erupted 350 million years ago, went extinct, and is now a harmless, beautiful hill in Holyrood Park. But the 360-degree panoramic view of the city it offers is as majestic as ever.

There are several routes leading up to Arthur's Seat. This one you're about to take follows a slow and steady path that doesn't involve a lot of climbing. You'll enter Holyrood Park via the Queen's Drive, walk around St Margaret's Loch, and up to St Anthony's Chapel. Then via the Dasses and Piper's Walk, you'll reach the main destination of the tour—Arthur's Seat and its subsidiary Crow Hill.

The trail back is going to be a bit steeper and more strenuous. But you will see the vertiginous cliffs of Raven's Rock and Hutton's Section and walk along the edge of awe-inspiring Salisbury Crags. After that, you'll descend into a valley and walk across Hunter's Bog, then exit the park and decide what you want to do next: visit the Dynamic Earth museum or hit the café in the same building.

Before you set foot on the path, make sure you have good walking shoes on. Hiking boots are not a must, but you'll have to tread dirt and rock on the slopes, and the footing will be uneven, so nothing flimsy would give you a good grip.
You'll also need some water and snacks—the walk there and back will take about two hours, so you will definitely want to have some refreshments along the way.


Important info

  • The tour is available only on the WeGoTrip app. This is a different app from the source or app you booked the tour if it's not WeGoTrip site or app
  • To ensure the quality of the download, please remember to do so before your visit
  • Please note that there is no staff at the meeting point or staff on site for this tour. You can start the tour at any time from the meeting point
  • An Android version 7.1+ or an iOS smartphone version 12+ is required for the audio guide. You will need around 100 MB of free space for the download

Inclusions

  • Downloadable multimedia audio tour on WeGoTrip app
  • Detailed route from stop to stop with live GPS map on your smartphone
  • Backstories of most trails and sights on the route to Arthur's Seat and back
  • A suggestion of the post-hike museum visit or lunch at the museum cafe
  • Self-guided audio tour for your smartphone on the WeGoTrip app

Exclusions

  • Earphones — please, bring your own
  • Sturdy footwear, clothes, water, or snacks — but you'll absolutely need all of those to hike safely!
  • Tickets to Dynamic Earth
  • Earphones and smartphone are not included – bring your own
  • In-person tour guide

Start location: Queen's Drive

Reviews


James 2024-08-17 00:59:55

I really wanted to like this but for the price it wasn’t worth it at all. The main turn off being the choppy virtual assistant voiceover which I wasn’t expecting. The actual hike/path was solid but you’re probably better off just reading the Wikipedia page for the park - it’s more informative than this tour.

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