“A hill for the magnitude, a mountain under its daring design.”
~ Robert Louis Stevenson Describing Arthur’s seat
I was brought back to Edinburgh for many reasons; For its wealth of history, its memorable writers and the beast of a hill dominating the city – the seat of Arthur. For what? For me, it was much more than the physical hike to its peak, it was a question of exploring the mysteries which linger in the mist that rises it. With its name perhaps derived from the legendary King Arthur and a possible location for Camelot, the seat of Arthur had its fair share of strangeness. Like the 17 miniature coffins which were discovered there in 1836 and the link with King Arthur and his men.
In the 650 acres of Holyrood Park is the highest point in Edinburgh, the siege of Arthur is one of the seven hills of Edinburgh and was formed by a extinct volcano. At more than 800 ′ (250 meters), Arthur’s seat offers a fantastic 360-degree view from Edinburgh and Leith and a clear day beyond. But my first overview was by Carlton Hill and there he crouched in front of me, just beyond the rocks of Salisbury, and all that I could think was the own words of Sir Walter Scott, “Arthur, like a lion of sunset of immense size”.
On a tourist bus the day before, I planned to hike at Arthur’s headquarters, I learned the radical route that takes you through the impressive cliffs of Salisbury shaving. Once I heard that the trail was linked to Walter Scott, the famous Scottish writer and his unemployed weavers who, in 1820, commanded to help create the path we see now, I knew it was there that my hike would start.
So, by a beautiful clear day when the sky was this beautiful shade of vibrant blue which is only showed by a warm summer day, I went to Holyrood Park and as the head of the Radical Road Trail, I stopped to look at this epic formation before me and I wondered where my path would lead, Would I have come across a forgotten miniature coffin, maybe I would see the ghosts of Arthur’s men from the round tableWherever it takes me, I was ready and excited.
I put on the radical road, and at the top, I mean on an angle of 45 degrees on the steep hill, but after 2 months of walking from 6 to 12 hours a day, my legs were strong and ready. When I reached the summit where the path leveled, I was encountered by the amazing cliffs of the Salisbury rocks which extended in front of me, making myself feel so small that I increased my head to see their waist. While I made my way around them, I couldn’t help stop from time to time to take a break and look at the superb views that he offered edinburgh, to stop and feel the pretty flowers that came out of the cliff and while I continued, I realized that the path became very narrow, perhaps leaving three feet in the sections so that my feet were stamped, falling directly to the soil of Holyrood.
I loved hiking along the radical road through the Salisbury rocks and I feel like I have returned my hike to Arthur’s headquarters much richer. After the cliffs were transformed towards a radical green slope, I found myself going down to see the great mass which is the seat of Arthur in front of me. I must admit that I was fighting with migraines since my arrival in Edinburgh and the day was hot, the hottest of my stay in Scotland, but I was determined to reach its peak.
There are a lot of trails, going from easy to hard, leading Arthur’s seat, but I choose a mid -range because it was close to the end of my radical road path. And so, I went again, in zigzagant the hill, sometimes on integrated steps on the way, often on the gravel janky where it is better to be aware of your foot. But I arrived at the first summit where I sat for a certain time in drug, at the sight of which I would sell – arranged before me was edinburgh in the distance, the superb cliffs of Salisbury Cags and so much rich greenery, I must say that it was the magnificent view. At that time, my mind has slowed down and I inspired everything, the beauty of Scotland, the experience of hiking at Arthur’s seat and a tug at my whispering heart “Remember this feeling right now.
After a light snack and an avvil for my swinging head, I rose and I turned around to see the peak of Arthur’s seat in front of me, but I had to go down once again! But it is quite typical of my life, I do not always choose the easiest way and that I find a lot of ups and downs, but it made me a stronger person. I went to the last stage of my hike and I choose the steepest path which was also the narrowest, where I climbed sometimes unstable rocks, needing to hang on to the big ones to get up. Then, I was there, at the top of Arthur’s seat and a rush of happiness, pride and relief that launched me. I was there, I did it! I came, I conquered and I was rewarded with more amazing views of the Edinburgh Scotland in Leith and by a clear day as it was, it was incredible!
When you go up, you have to go down … and the descent turned out to be an unexpected adventure. I did not go back as I came and when I left, I was the only one at the time, so I went down which seemed to be a relatively relaxing path slowly at the bottom of the hill. But in one way or another, I found myself hiking along a narrow and dense bushy path, certain as large as I am. Then there were literally drops where I had to crouch, place a firm grip on the rocks and bend down, sometimes with a little careful leap. It continued all along and I have never seen anyone else on this path. With only a few bumps and bruises and a shift on the ground, of course, I returned to the level of the Holyrood Park soil. I couldn’t help but laugh and smile looking back on the path I had just taken. Life is full of adventures – especially when you take the less frequented path.
Tips for the hike at Arthur headquarters
- Always where the appropriate shoes – racing shoes or hiking boots as time can change quickly and you do not want to be caught with flip flops on flip flops on unequal and slippery soil in bad conditions
- There are many paths going in difficulty that take several times to hike, but my path through the rocks has taken less than 3 hours – with time spent on each peak, time for photos, reflection and descent.
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Have you ever hiked at Arthur’s headquarters?
