Arthur's Seat summit
251 metres up with a 360-degree sweep over the castle, the Firth of Forth and the Fife coast, reached on foot with no ticket.
David Monniaux — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tyler Brenot — CC BY 3.0 · Klaus with K — CC BY-SA 3.0 · M J Richardson — CC BY-SA 2.0
An extinct volcano in the middle of a European capital, its gate a few steps from the bottom of the Royal Mile beside the palace. That is Arthur's Seat: a bare rocky summit 251 metres above Edinburgh, from which you turn a full circle and take in the castle and Old Town, the Firth of Forth and the Fife coast across the water, and on a clear day the Highland hills far to the north. The park around it, Holyrood, covers roughly 2.6 square kilometres, was walled in as a royal park in 1541 under James V and is still a royal park, owned by Scottish Ministers and looked after by Historic Environment Scotland. Entry is free and the gates never shut. The climb is not a flat stroll, but it is not mountaineering either. From the Holyrood entrance beside the palace the summit takes 45 to 60 minutes on rocky paths that are steep in places and turn slick and muddy after rain, which in Edinburgh is not a rare event. The gentlest route starts from the east above Dunsapie Loch, but the High Road that would drive you there is currently closed to motor traffic, and even in normal times it only opens to cars on Tuesday to Thursday mornings, so plan on walking from the bottom whichever way you go. Grippy shoes and a windproof layer are essential even in July; the top is completely exposed and the wind takes hats. If the summit is not for you, there is still plenty. Salisbury Crags, a 46-metre wall of basalt cliffs, forms the park's western edge and is visible from half the city, though the famous Radical Road path beneath it has been closed since rockfalls in 2018 and was still shut at the time of writing, with a partial reopening being worked on. The easy family circuit is the loop around St Margaret's Loch with its swans and ducks, followed by a short pull up to the ruin of St Anthony's Chapel, on record since at least 1426; fifteen minutes does it, and a pushchair copes with the flat part. On the far side hides Duddingston village and its loch. Practicalities: every park road is closed to cars on Saturdays and Sundays from morning until evening, and Broad Pavement car park by the palace charges £1 an hour from 08:30 to 17:30 on weekdays but is free at weekends. Toilets are beside the Education Centre behind the palace and close at 15:00 from October to March. Barbecues, fires and camping are banned. In December the sun is gone before 16:00, so start the climb before 14:00. In August the city overflows with festival crowds, but the summit has room for everyone, and arriving there at sunset on a clear summer evening is the best thing you can do in Edinburgh without spending a penny.
251 metres up with a 360-degree sweep over the castle, the Firth of Forth and the Fife coast, reached on foot with no ticket.
A 46-metre wall of basalt cliffs forming the park's western edge; the path beneath has been shut since 2018 but the top edge is open to walk.
An easy fifteen-minute loop past swans to a ruined chapel on record since 1426, the family alternative to the summit.
Queen's Drive, Holyrood, Edinburgh EH8 8HG
Palace of HolyroodhouseIn a small room in the old tower of this palace, Mary, Queen of Scots saw her se4 minutes walk4.7
Museum of EdinburghEdinburgh's most photographed dog left behind a collar and a feeding bowl, and b9 minutes walk4.5
National Monument of ScotlandTwelve enormous columns stand on a stone platform at the top of Calton Hill, and12 minutes walk4.8
Nelson MonumentAt one o'clock every afternoon except Sunday, a large metal ball drops from the 12 minutes walk4.7
Royal MileOne street connects a castle to a palace and drops about 70 metres in the roughl14 minutes walk4.8The flat section around St Margaret's Loch is fine for a pushchair; the summit is not, as the paths are rocky and steep with nowhere to wheel anything. Children of six and up usually make the top with proper shoes and a windproof layer, but do not carry a toddler on your shoulders on a windy day: the summit edges are sheer and unfenced.
Calton Hill is a ten-minute climb and gives you the classic castle-and-Old-Town photograph; choose it if you are short on time or the weather is poor. Arthur's Seat is a real hike of an hour or more, but the view is far wider and takes in the sea and Fife. If you have only one clear day, do Arthur's Seat at sunset and save Calton Hill for a grey morning.